Middle East | Crypto

Bitcoin short-term holder losses were minimal over the weekend, and the Monday rally to $70,000 suggests the heaviest selling is done. Will Bitcoin finally break the monthly resistance? Bitcoin (BTC) rallied to $70,000 on Monday as the shadow of war looms over the entire Middle East. Data from CryptoQuant shows short-term holder loss transfers to exchanges falling to a two-week low over the past 24 hours, and the slowing exchange flows stand in contrast to the rate of selling seen in early February. The short-term holder (STH) profit/loss (P&L) to exchanges metric tracks how much Bitcoin recent buyers send to exchanges at a profit or loss. These participants tend to amplify volatility during stress events. On March 1, the realized losses fell to 3,700 BTC even as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in the Middle East. Bitcoin dipped to $63,000 during that window, but exchange inflows from this cohort did not expand in response. Read more

Escalating US-Iran tensions are boosting safe-haven demand, with gold attracting investors while equities and Bitcoin face pressure. Rising tensions in the Middle East are pushing investors toward safe-haven assets, with gold demand climbing as investors flee equities and crypto markets. On Wednesday, reports revealed that Iran has sharply increased crude oil exports, with shipments from Kharg Island reaching 20.1 million barrels between Feb. 15 and Friday, about three times January’s level, as a preemptive supply release and a hedge against possible disruption if tensions with the United States escalate. At the same time, increasingly hawkish US rhetoric regarding Iran’s nuclear program has raised expectations of confrontation, according to Bitunix analysts. “In the event of a direct US–Iran military conflict, gold could rise by roughly 15% within two weeks on safe-haven demand, targeting a range of $5,500-$5,800 per ounce,” the analysts wrote in a note shared with Cointelegraph. Read more

Dubai’s regulator approved the license on Feb. 5, allowing Animoca Brands to target institutional and qualified investors under the oversight of Dubai’s VARA. Animoca Brands has secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), clearing the way for the company to broaden its crypto operations across the Middle East. The license allows the Hong Kong-founded Web3 investor and platform developer to offer broker-dealer services and investment management related to virtual assets in and from Dubai, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre, according to a Monday announcement. The services are aimed primarily at institutional and qualified investors. “This licence enhances our ability to engage with Web3 foundations as well as global institutional and qualified investors within a well-regulated framework,” said Omar Elassar, managing director for the Middle East and head of global strategic partnerships at Animoca Brands. Read more

The digital assets company is one of many to seek regulatory approval from UAE authorities or attempt to expand their services into a region drawing them in. Galaxy, the digital asset management and infrastructure company, announced an upcoming office and a new arm in Abu Dhabi as part of its push into the Middle East. In a Wednesday notice, Galaxy said it would establish an entity under the registration authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the area’s international financial center. According to Galaxy founder and CEO Mike Novogratz, the move was part of a strategy to expand the company’s existing partnerships and operations. “The Middle East is a rapidly growing financial hub that is home to some of the world’s most sophisticated investors and innovators,” said Galaxy managing director Bouchra Darwazah. “It has become a particularly influential region for our investors, clients, and portfolio companies, and we believe this office will help establish new opportunities as a leading global digital a...

Visa has partnered with crypto infrastructure company Aquanow to expand stablecoin settlement across the CEMEA region, cutting cross-border costs and friction. Visa is expanding its use of stablecoins for settlement in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) through a new partnership with crypto infrastructure company Aquanow. In an announcement Thursday, Visa said it partnered with Aquanow “to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC, reducing costs, operational friction, and settlement times.” The company said the move came amid strong demand from banks and payment companies for faster, cheaper cross-border payments. The move aims to leverage stablecoins to digitize the back end of money movement and to enable 24/7 settlement. Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s head of product and solutions for the CEMEA region, said the integration will allow institutions in the region “to experience faster and simpler settlements.” Read more

Coinbase’s investment creates a "regional corridor" connecting India's user base with Middle East capital, Decrypt was told.

Ripple is deepening its presence in the Middle East through a new partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB), the kingdom’s leading fintech incubator and blockchain ecosystem builder. The collaboration, announced on Oct. 9, strengthens Ripple’s foothold in a region rapidly becoming a testing ground for digital asset infrastructure. Indeed, Bahrain has long positioned itself as […] The post How Ripple’s Middle East expansion could put XRP and RLUSD in the flow appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Polygon Labs announced Sept. 12 that it is partnering with Dubai-based Cypher Capital to expand institutional access to POL, the native asset powering the Polygon blockchain, across the Middle East. The initiative marks the first in a series of efforts to bring professional investors into direct engagement with Polygon’s infrastructure. POL will be positioned as […] The post Polygon Labs partners with Cypher Capital to boost institutional access in the Middle East appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin has climbed to $105,000 after Trump has claimed to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, prompting a market response. Crypto prediction site Polymarket has lifted peace odds to 99% and is in talks to raise $200m at a valuation above $1bn. The post Bitcoin Rebounds to $105,000 After Truce Claimed in Middle East – What’s Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin bounced to $106,000 as traders bet on higher chances of Fed interest rate cuts due to tensions in the Middle East. Key takeaways: Bitcoin swiftly rebounded to $106,000, signaling firm institutional investor demand despite growing global unrest. A sharp 8% drop in Bitcoin’s hashrate raised concerns over mining stability amid Middle East tensions. Read more

Welcome to Slate Sundays, CryptoSlate’s new weekly feature showcasing in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and thought-provoking op-eds that go beyond the headlines to explore the ideas and voices shaping the future of crypto. One of the main takeaways from TOKEN2049 earlier this year was that the UAE, and Dubai in particular, is the hottest spot (quite literally) […] The post ‘Come to Dubai, habibi,’ what’s luring crypto companies to the Middle East? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

RLUSD stablecoin has won simultaneous clearance from Dubai’s DFSA and New York’s NYDFS, giving Ripple a regulatory edge in the $160 billion stablecoin sector. The approval has allowed 7,000 DIFC firms to route low-cost cross-border payments, while growing UAE demand challenges Tether’s dominance. The post Ripple Scores Key Regulatory Win in the Middle East – Here’s What It Means for RLUSD appeared first on Cryptonews.

HashKey Group, a prominent digital asset financial services firm in the Asia-Pacific region, has received a VASP license from the VARA. The post HashKey Secures VASP License from Dubai’s VARA to Expand in Middle East appeared first on Cryptonews.