Scheduled for launch in January 2025, Quintes Protocol is being hailed as a disruptive force in the cryptocurrency space. Its innovative framework offers a perpetually appreciating asset with projected annual value growth of 18-30%. The technology is expected to bring new stability and reliability to an industry often criticized for its volatility.

“This is more than a milestone for Quintes Protocol – it’s an affirmation that exceptional and continued value can be created in the crypto field,” explained Al Kharashi. “Backed by intensive research, verifications, and the knowledge of renowned token engineers and researchers from leading blockchain companies, Quintes has just one destination: to pioneer the future of DeFi with unmatched growth, blazing the way for an exciting new world of cryptocurrency value”.

The Quintes Protocol aims to outperform traditional investment classes like S&P 500 stocks, gold, and high-yield bonds, as well as major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. By offering predictable growth and mitigating the risks typically associated with crypto investments, it is poised to attract a wide range of investors.

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Speaking on the inspiration behind Quintes, Al Kharashi said, “We’ve seen the potential for cryptocurrencies to achieve great returns for investors, but that growth is fickle. Growth bubbles occur, burst suddenly and unexpectedly, and the value is often lost. That is what inspired the creation of Quintes and the concept of perpetual growth, based on predictable collateral value appreciation”.

The foundation of the Quintes Protocol is the result of intensive research by Kitabq Research Lab. The development team includes elite engineers and scientists with backgrounds at ConsenSys, Binance, and Algorand, as well as financial giants such as Morgan Stanley. Together, they’ve raised over $600 million and boast a track record of successful projects across Web2 and Web3.

The post Saudi Innovator Secures Patent For Revolutionary Crypto Asset appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The Islamic Account was created in collaboration with ZICO Shariah Advisory Services Sdn. Bhd. (ZICO Shariah) and CryptoHalal, guaranteeing that all Bybit services align with strict Islamic finance standards.

Key Aspects Of Bybit’s Islamic Account Include:

• Global Availability: Accessible to users worldwide, except in regions where legal restrictions apply.
• Shariah-Compliant Offerings: The platform features spot trading with 75 Shariah-compliant tokens, a DCA trading bot, and a Spot Grid Bot, all adhering to Islamic finance principles.
• Double Shariah Certification: Bybit has secured certification from both Crypto Halal and ZICO Holdings, ensuring peace of mind for Muslim traders.

The Islamic economy serves nearly 1.9 billion people globally, with the Islamic finance sector alone valued at an estimated $2.3 trillion. The Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region is at the forefront of this growth, and Bybit’s introduction of a Shariah-compliant platform taps into this rapidly expanding market. The initiative offers Muslim traders a reliable, trustworthy solution to enter the cryptocurrency space without compromising their religious beliefs.

Also Read: Botim Launches MENA’s First-Ever “Send Now, Pay Later” Service

Joan Han, Bybit’s Sales & Marketing Director, expressed the company’s excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to introduce our Islamic Account, which represents a major milestone in our commitment to providing inclusive and accessible trading solutions. By partnering with Crypto Halal and ZICO Holdings, we have ensured that our offerings align with the principles of Islamic finance, empowering Muslim traders to participate in the growing cryptocurrency market”.

Bybit’s Islamic Account reflects the platform’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, opening doors for Muslim traders and contributing to the global cryptocurrency market’s growth.

The post Bybit Launches Islamic Account, Enabling Shariah-Compliant Trading appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The DOJ accused Zhao of turning a blind eye to criminal activity on the crypto exchange and ignoring its legal obligations “in the pursuit of profit”. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also noted that Zhao’s “willful failures allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers through its platform”.

The U.S. government accused Binance of refusing to comply with sanctions and failing to report transactions related to drugs and child sexual abuse. Prosecutors claimed that Zhao had told Binance employees it was “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” while saying that if Binance had obeyed the law, it wouldn’t be “as big as we are today”.

To avoid a longer jail term, Binance agreed to forfeit $2.5 billion and settle a $1.8 billion fine. Zhao also paid $50 million from his own fortune as part of the settlement.

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The Binance founder’s sentence is much shorter than the 25 years recently given to crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX. Zhao played a prominent role in Bankman-Fried’s downfall after Tweeting in November 2022 that his company would liquidate all FTX holdings. The posts not only destroyed FTX but rocked the wider crypto community, likely attracting attention from the U.S. government.

With Zhao heading to prison, DOJ lawyer Kevin Mosley remarked: “This wasn’t a mistake — it wasn’t a regulatory oops […] breaking U.S. law was not incidental to his plan to make as much money as possible. Violating the law was integral to that endeavor”.

The post Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao Gets 4 Months In Prison appeared first on Tech Magazine.

According to Levi, the potential enhancements would enable improved portfolio management for investors. The new tools and features would be realized through future partnerships while continuing to adhere to strict UAE regulations.

“Cryptocurrencies are being used as an investment. Will we have an investment product one day potentially? I’m not saying no to that. Will we use crypto for our own transactions? There are some plans with the [UAE] central bank to work on that,” Levi said in a recent interview.

The UAE Central Bank does not currently recognize cryptocurrencies as legal tender. However, the regulator began implementing its own form of digital currency back in March 2023, known as Digital Dirham. Additionally, the UAE Central Bank’s endorsement of legitimate crypto enterprises for banking services underscores the Emirates’ commitment to addressing real-world financial needs.

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du Pay, the company’s inaugural venture into the FinTech sector, had a soft launch earlier this month after UAE Central Bank authorization. Offering an array of financial services like domestic and international transfers, bill payments, recharges, and salary receipts through a unique IBAN, du Pay marks a significant strategic move by the telecom firm into the digital finance space.

The rising trend of mobile-based financial services in the UAE, including digital wallets and online payments, mirrors global trends. Statista projects the digital payments market to balloon to $16.7 trillion by 2028, at a CAGR exceeding 9.5% from 2024’s estimated $11.53 trillion.

The post du Considers Adding Crypto & Investment Tools To New Service appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The virtual asset service provider license (VASP) was granted by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and will allow Binance to extend its current range of services to retail investors, the company announced yesterday.

The move by Dubai authorities will be critical to Binance’s strategy of growing its user base globally. The crypto exchange expects to pass the 200 million user mark “quite shortly”, according to Richard Teng, the company’s CEO.

Once that milestone is achieved, Binance will have around twice as many users as rival platform Coinbase. Meanwhile, Crypto.com, another popular exchange with 80 million users, received a Dubai VASP license last week.

“We’re seeing much greater institutional adoption and institutional money coming into this space [along with] much greater regulatory clarity and a lot more jurisdictions approving [digital asset] products that bring in new investor classes,” Binance’s Richard Tang explained, adding: “As of now, we stand at about 5% crypto adoption globally, but that will become much faster moving forward”.

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Dubai and the UAE are extremely supportive of technologies like digital assets, and have already launched initiatives to boost adoption. The UAE has ambitious plans to become a world leader in the crypto economy of the future, with Dubai in particular being noteworthy for passing a new law to regulate virtual assets to support investors and exchanges.

“Global crypto regulation is currently showing diverging signs. Some developed countries have long suffered from crypto-related frauds and illegal exchanges. On the other hand, emerging nations like the UAE and Singapore have enacted crypto laws at faced pace,” said Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer of Dubai-based Century Financial.

As the UAE gears up to become one of the fastest-growing crypto capitals worldwide, investors and talent are flocking to places like Dubai. During 2023, the Emirates as a whole realized $204 million in capital gains from cryptocurrency investments, according to blockchain data analysts Chainalysis.

The post Binance Receives Virtual Assets License To Operate In Dubai appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The global investigation included the MENA region and revealed how investors felt about the upcoming Bitcoin halving event and the alterations they plan on making to their investment strategies.

Key Findings From The Bitget Study:

• 80% of MENA investors anticipate that the halving will substantially influence Bitcoin’s price, with 54% envisioning Bitcoin’s value fluctuating between the $30,000 to $60,000 range at the time of the halving.
• 88% of MENA participants think BTC will surpass its all-time high during the upcoming bull run.
• 82% of crypto investors residing in MENA countries intend to augment their investments in 2024, with merely 4% planning a reduction in crypto holdings.

The data suggests a sense of optimism among MENA investors, both in the short-term and long-term prospects of Bitcoin. Notably, MENA crypto enthusiasm outshines that of European investors, with only Latin American crypto enthusiasts being more bullish.

Turning attention to the post-halving era, MENA investors strongly agree that BTC will outperform its previous all-time high during the impending bull run. Despite resounding optimism, only 26% of MENA investors believe the cryptocurrency will reach the $100,000 mark within the current year.

Gracy Chen, Bitget’s Managing Director, commented: “The Bitget Study on BTC halving impacts provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency investment. The findings reflect a broad spectrum of expectations and investment plans, indicating that 2024 will be a significant year for the Bitcoin market”.

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Interestingly, investors in Eastern Asia, Western Europe, and Latin America display higher optimism about Bitcoin’s potential to reach the $100,000 to $150,000 range compared to their MENA counterparts. Nonetheless, a notable 11% of MENA investors remain even more optimistic, anticipating Bitcoin’s value to surge beyond the $150,000 threshold.

The study also unveils intriguing trends in investment plans for the year 2024. A substantial 82% of surveyed MENA investors intend to amplify their cryptocurrency investments this year, a figure that surpasses the global average of 70%.

The post Bitget Releases MENA Investor Stats On Imminent Bitcoin Halving appeared first on Tech Magazine.

Gary Gensler, the SEC chairman, clarified the approval by stating, “While we approved the listing and trading of certain spot bitcoin ETP shares today, we did not approve or endorse Bitcoin. Investors should remain cautious about the myriad risks associated with bitcoin and products whose value is tied to crypto”.

For a decade, the SEC consistently rejected proposals for Bitcoin ETFs, which essentially function like bundles of assets, similar to mutual funds but tradable on exchanges. The commission regularly cited investment safety concerns, but now approval has been granted, new investors won’t need to set up individual wallets to trade Bitcoin, making it more accessible.

This development has generated considerable excitement among cryptocurrency enthusiasts, as ETF-issuing companies will be required to acquire corresponding amounts of Bitcoin to back their funds. Interestingly, the immediate impact on Bitcoin’s price was minimal, but in the long run, the introduction of a Bitcoin ETF is anticipated to facilitate the entry of traditional institutional investors into the cryptocurrency realm. This could include pension and insurance funds, leading to increased demand for Bitcoin.

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Until now, investors seeking exposure to cryptocurrency often invested in shares of crypto-centric companies such as Coinbase and MicroStrategy, the latter holding over $8 billion in Bitcoin as of January. The emergence of a Bitcoin ETF could potentially affect the valuation of these companies.

It’s important to mention that a false announcement briefly circulated on the SEC’s Twitter/X account on Tuesday, falsely claiming approval of Bitcoin ETFs, which caused some confusion.

The post The First Bitcoin ETFs Have Been Approved By US Regulators appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The 150-megawatt data farm will be one of the largest crypto-mining centers in the region and is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2024.

Crypto-mining farms are large facilities filled with racks of PCs sporting high-end GPUs. They are designed to mine cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum using a complex network of software and computers. The process involves solving intricate mathematical calculations to produce new digital currencies — something that requires massive computer resources and lots of electrical power.

Green Data City and the Phoenix Group chose Oman for their mining farm due to the long-term security of the license terms and the comparatively cooler weather in the country’s Dhofar region, which should help to reduce energy consumption.

The first development phase will output 200MW of mining power, while the second phase will reach 400MW, creating a hyperscale data center with downstream activities that will include renewable energy and hydrogen production, desalination, food production, and cosmetics.

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The developers will build the new facility in modular sections to reduce environmental impact and intend to install solar shades and employ specialized local technicians.

Oman’s economy is now on a solid footing as the Gulf country forges ahead with its economic diversification initiatives, backed by favorable oil prices and successful fiscal reforms during a time of stable inflation.

The post Phoenix Group & Green Data City Plan Crypto Farm In Oman appeared first on Tech Magazine.

PayPal went on to explain that its coin is issued on the Ethereum blockchain by the Paxos Trust Company, which is overseen by the New York State Department of Financial Services. The company also obtained a BitLicense from the NYDFS in June 2022.

PayPal USD coins can be bought and sold for $1 each. The currency can be used to purchase goods and services by selecting the option during any checkout session with PayPal. Users can also transfer the new cryptocurrency to external wallets or convert them to other coins in their accounts.

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In a recent interview with Reuters, Ian Katz, managing director of Capital Alpha Partners, noted that the stablecoin could soon be in the sights of the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Time will tell if the company’s crypto venture can become a success.

The post PayPal Introduces A Stablecoin That’s Pegged With US Dollar appeared first on Tech Magazine.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are included in the ban, but the legislation does not extend to digital representations of physical currencies, securities, or other financial assets.

The new law aligns with Kuwait’s 2013 legislation concerning money laundering and terrorist financing. People breaching the regulations could face severe penalties, including fines and even imprisonment.

MENA countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq, have all imposed restrictions or bans on virtual assets over the last few years. However, in stark contrast, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have encouraged the use of digital assets, and cryptocurrencies in particular.

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Binance received a Dubai operating license in March 2022, around the same time the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority was established there. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Central Bank released a paper on virtual assets in November 2020, outlining how they could best be regulated and used in the Gulf state.

The post Kuwait Bans Cryptocurrencies, Putting An End To Virtual Assets appeared first on Tech Magazine.