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RIPPLE BREAKS GROUND IN MIDDLE EAST: SECURES FIRST PAYMENT LICENSE
▪Ripple has become the first blockchain payments provider to receive official licensing from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
▪Ripple’s Middle Eastern expansion strategy started backin 2020 when the company established its regional headquarters in the DIFC.
Ripple has become the first blockchain payments provider to receive official licensing from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). With this approval, Ripple can tap into UAE’s $40 billion cross-border payments market.
On 13 March 2025, Ripple announced unlocking fully regulated cross-border crypto payments in the UAE, “bringing faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions to a $40B market.”
Commenting on the development, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said, “We are entering an unprecedented period of growth for the crypto industry, driven by greater regulatory clarity around the world and increasing institutional adoption.”
“Thanks to its early leadership in creating a supportive environment for tech and crypto innovation, the UAE is exceptionally well-placed to benefit,” he added.
Ripple’s First License In The Middle East
The company receiving operational rights within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) means that Ripple’s global payments product will be available for businesses in the UAE.
Welcoming Ripple to the Middle East, Arif Amiri, DIFC CEO said, ”We are thrilled that Ripple is deepening their commitment to Dubai by securing a DFSA license that makes them the first blockchain-enabled payments provider in DIFC.”
Ripple’s Middle Eastern expansion strategy started back in 2020 when the company established its regional headquarters in the DIFC.
“As the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s leading global financial centre, DIFC is proud to support forward-thinking companies like Ripple as they shape the future of finance and accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology in the payments industry,” said Amiri.
UAE : Global Hub For Outbound Finance With $400bn+ Market For International Trade
Notably, Ripple insists that it is seeing increasing demand from across the Middle East, “from crypto-native firms and traditional financial institutions alike.”
According to a 2024 business survey carried out by Ripple, 64% of Middle East and Africa (MEA) finance leaders see faster payments and settlement times as the biggest value proposition for incorporating blockchain-based currencies into their cross-border payments business.
“Dubai and the broader UAE have established themselves as leaders in fostering a progressive and well-defined regulatory framework for digital assets,” said Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for Middle East and Africa.
@ Newshounds News™
Source: 99 Bitcoins
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BINANCE FOUNDER CZ DENIES TRUMP FAMILY INVESTMENT, PARDON TALKS
The Wall Street Journal reported that representatives of the Trump family were in talks with Binance to take a stake in the exchange giant’s U.S. arm. Reported in this morning’s Dinar Recaps Blog, Source: Bitcoinist
Representatives for the family of U.S. President Donald Trump are holding discussions with Binance about investing in its U.S. arm, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday.
The WSJ said that the exchange giant’s founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who is the firm’s largest shareholder, was also seeking a pardon, citing people familiar with the matter. Zhao, who was then the company’s CEO, pleaded guilty on money laundering charges in November 2023 and served four months in prison.
Zhao denied the WSJ report in an X post.
“The WSJ article got the facts wrong,” he wrote Thursday. “Fact: I have had no discussions of a Binance US deal with…well, anyone.“
@ Newshounds News™
Read more: Decrypt
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KENTUCKY SENATE PASSES BILL PROTECTING BITCOIN SELF-CUSTODY RIGHTS
Yesterday evening, the Kentucky Senate unanimously passed a bill aimed at protecting Bitcoin self-custody rights and digital asset mining operations. With a decisive 37-0 vote, the legislation, titled AN ACT relating to blockchain digital assets (HB 701), now moves to the Governor’s desk for final approval.
Sponsored by Representatives Adam Bowling and T.J. Roberts, the bill affirms the right of individuals to self-custody digital assets through self-hosted wallets. Additionally, it prevents local zoning laws from discriminating against digital asset mining businesses, ensuring that Bitcoin miners can operate freely within the state.
The bill outlines several key provisions, including:
▪Protection for Bitcoin self-custody: Individuals have the legal right to use and store digital assets in self-hosted wallets.
▪Prohibition of discriminatory zoning laws: Local governments cannot impose zoning changes that unfairly target digital asset mining businesses.
▪Exemptions from money transmitter licensing: Home Bitcoin miners and digital asset mining businesses are exempt from Kentucky’s money transmitter requirements.
▪Clarification of securities laws: Digital asset mining and staking as a service are explicitly not classified as securities under Kentucky law.
After passing through the Kentucky House with a 91-0 vote on February 28, 2025, the bill moved swiftly through the Senate. The March 13 vote saw full bipartisan support, with 37 senators voting in favor, zero opposed, and one not voting.
The legislation now awaits the Governor’s signature, which would officially enshrine Bitcoin self-custody protections and digital asset mining rights into Kentucky law. If signed, Kentucky will become one of the more Bitcoin-friendly states in the country, setting a precedent for other states to follow.
@ Newshounds News™
Source: Bitcoin Magazine
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