Laser Digital, a digital asset subsidiary of Japanese banking giant Nomura, has secured the first limited license to offer over-the-counter crypto derivatives under the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority’s (VARA) Pilot Regime, the company announced Wednesday.

Laser Digital is the first firm authorized to provide institutional-grade crypto options directly to clients under the VARA framework, marking a significant milestone for the firm and the UAE’s emerging regulatory environment.

With this approval, Laser Digital is officially open for business in Dubai and will begin engaging with institutional counterparties to deliver structured derivative strategies.

The offering includes products for hedging, yield enhancement, and volatility management, all of which are tailored to meet the needs of sophisticated investors in the digital asset space.

The license falls under VARA’s Pilot Regime, designed to vet and onboard qualified firms while maintaining strong oversight of virtual asset activity. Laser Digital’s entry under this program reflects growing regulatory maturity in Dubai’s digital asset sector.

Founded by Nomura to bridge traditional finance and the crypto economy, Laser Digital offers trading, asset management, and venture investment services within a regulated institutional framework.

The company’s approval under VARA signals a deepening of Dubai’s ambitions to lead in the global race for regulated crypto innovation.

VARA, established in 2022, has steadily advanced its regulatory roadmap, most recently introducing a staged licensing framework designed to bring oversight to virtual asset activity while supporting innovation.

The Pilot Regime, which Laser Digital now operates under, allows select firms to engage with the market on a limited basis before progressing toward a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license.

Dubai’s regulatory clarity has made it a magnet for crypto firms seeking stability amid a patchwork of enforcement actions and inconsistent policies in other jurisdictions. By securing this license, Laser Digital gains a foothold in one of the few jurisdictions offering structured access to institutional-grade crypto finance under government oversight.

The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBANK), a government-owned bank in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is the first conventional bank in the country to offer retail crypto trading.

In a Tuesday news release, the bank announced the launch of a crypto brokerage service through its mobile banking app, allowing customers to buy, sell and swap cryptocurrencies directly from their UAE dirham accounts.

“We recognize the opportunity this solution will provide to customers in the UAE, as we believe they deserve a more efficient and seamless crypto buying, selling and swapping journey that is fully regulated and entirely in AED [dirhams],” said Raheel Ahmed, group CEO of RAKBANK.

The new offering is powered by Austria-based Bitpanda, with transactions facilitated by Bitpanda Broker MENA DMCC, a Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)-regulated entity in Dubai.

Related: Dubai regulator clarifies real-world asset tokenization rules

Bank-backed crypto trading now possible

RAKBANK said customers can trade crypto without needing to transfer funds to an external exchange or convert between fiat currencies, eliminating foreign exchange fees. The integration uses Bitpanda’s infrastructure to execute trades and manage custody.

“We are proud to be the first conventional bank in the UAE to enable simple, secure, and regulated access to a world-class digital assets platform,” Ahmed said.

The crypto trading service is currently available by invitation only, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months.

Lukas Enzersdorfer-Konrad, deputy CEO of Bitpanda, called the partnership “a big moment for digital assets in the region.” Bitpanda is regulated in multiple European jurisdictions and has existing institutional partnerships with Deutsche Bank, N26 and Raiffeisen Bank.

Cointelegraph reached out to RAKBANK for comment but had not received a response by publication.

Related: Dubai taps Crypto.com to enable crypto payments for govt services

RAKBANK launches crypto platform in UAE

Last year, RAKBANK partnered with Bitpanda to build a digital asset management platform for residents. The bank described digital assets as the “future,” adding that they offer a more efficient and secure way for customers to manage finances.

RAKBANK’s push into crypto comes as the UAE strives to establish itself as a primary destination for blockchain and crypto projects.

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre free zone has attracted over 600 crypto companies, with more firms flocking to the Dubai International Financial Centre and One Central district as the country positions itself as a leader in digital finance.

Last month, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the financial regulator in charge of the Dubai International Financial Centre, approved Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. 

Magazine: Fake Rabby Wallet scam linked to Dubai crypto CEO and many more victims

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/rakbank-becomes-the-first-uae-bank-to-offer-crypto-trading-for-retail/feed/ 0 50293 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-and-uae-offer-top-crypto-jobs-prospects-from-salary-to-demand-study/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-and-uae-offer-top-crypto-jobs-prospects-from-salary-to-demand-study/#respond Mon, 14 Jul 2025 06:19:19 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/us-and-uae-offer-top-crypto-jobs-prospects-from-salary-to-demand-study/

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

About Author

Shalini is a crypto reporter who provides in-depth reports on daily developments and regulatory shifts in the cryptocurrency sector.

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Last updated: 

July 14, 2025

The global crypto jobs market is heating up, just as Bitcoin smashed through $122,000 for the first time on July 14.

As interest in digital assets soars, a new study reveals where the most promising crypto careers are taking shape, and which countries offer the best mix of pay, opportunity and regulation.

A recent Taurex study shows the US tops the list, cementing its role as the world’s largest crypto ecosystem.

With 292 active job listings and an average salary of $148,100, crypto careers in the US now rival some of the best-paying roles in traditional finance. The country is also home to 170 crypto companies, reflecting a well-established infrastructure and supportive policy environment.

UAE Leads in Crypto Ownership, India in Company Count and User Base

Trailing just behind, the United Arab Emirates has carved out a stronghold of its own. The UAE not only offers the second-highest average salary at $111,483, but also boasts the highest Bitcoin ownership rate globally, at 27%. Online search interest in crypto jobs remains strong, displaying its appeal to both domestic and international talent.

Image Source: Taurex

India ranks third, driven by sheer scale. It hosts 173 crypto companies, the most of any country, and has the world’s largest number of Bitcoin owners by headcount. While average salaries trail behind at $83,687, India’s growing talent pool and expanding startup ecosystem make it a key player in the space.

Singapore comes in fourth, offering 72 active roles with an average salary above $100,000. The city-state leads all countries in search interest for crypto jobs, suggesting a high concentration of tech-savvy professionals looking to make a mark in Web3.

Top Crypto Salaries and Strong Policy Support Keep Europe in the Game

The UK rounds out the top five, with 66 listings and an average salary of $97,204. It also shows robust search interest and a stable regulatory framework, making it Europe’s most attractive destination for crypto talent.

Canada, Switzerland and Germany also place in the top ten, each offering six-figure salaries and maintaining solid regulatory standings. Switzerland, in particular, stands out for having the highest crypto regulation score at 9.5, while Germany leads Europe in job count with 84 listings.

Emerging Markets Like Poland Join Established Hubs in Crypto Job Boom

Further down the list, Hong Kong and Poland secure the ninth and tenth spots, respectively. Hong Kong’s crypto sector remains active, supported by strong search interest and competitive salaries. Poland, meanwhile, ranks high in job volume with 157 listings, though salaries remain more modest at just under $62,000.

With the crypto market now worth over $3.8 trillion and Bitcoin pushing into record highs, the demand for blockchain talent is climbing fast. From rising salaries to growing job listings and clearer regulations, crypto careers are moving into the mai nstream,and countries around the world are racing to draw in the best talent.

Four US-dollar stablecoin issuers hold roughly $182 billion in US Treasury bills, an amount that would slot them 17th on the Treasury Department’s country-by-country league table.

The amount in overnight Treasury-collateralized repos and Treasury-heavy money market funds would put the group between Norway’s $195.9 billion and Saudi Arabia’s $133.8 billion.

Tether’s USDT tops the cohort. Its first-quarter attestation showed $120 billion in Treasuries, while CEO Paolo Ardoino told CNBC in late May that the firm held “more than $125 billion” and continues to expand.

Circle’s May accountant’s report listed $28.7 billion in T-bills and $26.5 billion in overnight repos, for a combined $55.2 billion backing USDC.

First Digital’s May 31 dashboard showed $1.665 billion in FDUSD reserves, 78% of which is held in Treasury bills, amounting to roughly $1.3 billion.

Paxos’ PayPal USD (PYUSD) uses overnight reverse-repo agreements collateralized 97% by Treasuries. It has $878 million outstanding, which implies roughly $880 million in government debt.

According to US Treasury data from April, those positions reach $182.4 billion, enough to leapfrog South Korea and the United Arab Emirates and fall just shy of Norway.

Treasury paper dominates reserves

Issuers buy short-dated government debt because it settles T-plus-zero at clearing banks, offers daily liquidity, and earns yields now above 5%. 

Tether’s latest assurance showed that Treasuries, repos, and Treasury-only money-market funds represented more than 80% of its collateral, helping drive $1 billion in first-quarter profit.

Circle uses BlackRock’s SEC-registered Circle Reserve Fund to hold its bills and repos, enabling same-day liquidation if redemptions spike.

Ardoino said that issuing stablecoins “creates incremental demand for US debt without relying on the banking system,” citing Tether’s ranking above that of Germany, the UAE, and Spain.

Circle and Paxos have made similar arguments in policy filings, noting that narrowly distributed, highly liquid collateral protects holders during market stress.

Regulatory backdrop

Lawmakers in Washington and Brussels are considering bills that would restrict reserve assets to cash and short-term Treasury securities, maintaining the current composition but limiting diversification into gold or corporate bonds. 

The GENIUS Act, which cleared the Senate in June, would formalize those limits. At the same time, Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime already bars commodities for euro-pegged coins. 

Stablecoin treasurers say the proposed rules align with their investment profile, though they warn that concentration in one asset class links stablecoin liquidity to Federal Reserve funding conditions.

Mentioned in this article

The Open Network (TON) Foundation’s golden visa slip-up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) highlights the need for legal compliance and proper review, a local lawyer said.

A premature announcement about TON’s UAE golden visa aimed to benefit the community but ran into complex local crypto rules, according to NeosLegal founder Irina Heaver.

With five regulators overseeing crypto asset service providers’ (CASP) activity in the UAE and strict marketing rules by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), ensuring local compliance requires proper legal assessment.

“Even with support from local government officials, you still must promote crypto deals in full alignment with the federal and local laws,” Heaver told Cointelegraph, adding that CASP-regulated activities like staking and token-related offers require specific attention.

TON’s Golden Visa incident: the timeline of events

The TON Foundation announced a program on Saturday, a Toncoin (TON) staking opportunity that claimed to offer golden visas for holders to enter the UAE.

A group of UAE regulators promptly denied the news on Sunday, issuing a joint statement that golden visas are not issued to digital asset holders. VARA highlighted that the company behind TON was neither licensed nor regulated by the agency.

In the now-deleted announcement, TON said it was offering to secure a “10-year Golden Visa with a one-time $35,000 processing fee” in addition to staking $100,000 in Toncoin for three years.

The foundation has since clarified that the announcement was premature and that it is working with a licensed partner independently. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov had amplified the post by retweeting crypto influencer Ash Crypto’s claim that “TON has just partnered with the UAE,” though Durov deleted the tweet a day later.

“TON has just partnered with the UAE to offer a 10-year Golden Visa to TON stakers,” said the now-deleted X post by Ash Crypto, which was retweeted by Durov.

The retweeted post was live until Monday at 1:00 pm UTC at least, and then deleted by Durov. The original post remained live on Ash Crypto as of Tuesday at 10:00 am UTC.

Early warnings from CZ

Some prominent figures in the crypto community, including former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, were quick to question the credibility of TON’s announcement.

“Is this real?” CZ asked X in response to the announcement. “It would be awesome IF it is true. But I got conflicting info so far,” he said on Saturday.

CZ specifically referred to the lack of official information from government authorities related to the program, calling on the community to verify sources, no matter how reputable they are.

Related: Pavel Durov warns France is experiencing societal collapse

Despite early warnings, TON’s golden visa announcement generated significant excitement within the community, prompting a sharp price rally on Saturday, followed by a sell-off after UAE authorities denied involvement.

Legal reviews “can save millions of fines”

Despite the initial enthusiasm, the UAE’s swift denial turned the TON announcement into a cautionary tale. Legal experts said it’s a reminder that hype-driven announcements in the crypto space can backfire when not properly vetted.

“In a fast-moving space like ours, it’s tempting to prioritize hype and own Twitter feed for a day, but in the UAE, the laws are already well-established,” Heaver said.

“It takes a knowledgeable crypto lawyer just two to three hours to review marketing materials and flag potential issues, and that quick check can save weeks of regulatory headaches and millions of dirhams in fines,” she said, adding:

“It’s a reminder that legal review isn’t a blocker — it’s a builder of sustainable growth.”

VARA declined to comment any further on the incident to Cointelegraph, referring to the joint announcement posted on Sunday.

Magazine: Dogecoin set for rebound? Ripple eyes US banking license: Hodler’s Digest, June 29 – July 5

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tons-uae-golden-visa-mishap-shows-why-legal-reviews-matter/feed/ 0 46446 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ton-offers-uae-golden-visa-for-stakers-making-residency-by-crypto-a-reality/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ton-offers-uae-golden-visa-for-stakers-making-residency-by-crypto-a-reality/#respond Sun, 06 Jul 2025 19:16:16 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ton-offers-uae-golden-visa-for-stakers-making-residency-by-crypto-a-reality/

Telegram’s Open Network (TON) today announced an interesting initiative: a 10-year UAE Golden Visa to investors who stake $100,000 worth of Toncoin (TON) for three years. The program dramatically lowers the entry threshold for residency in the United Arab Emirates and is the first of its kind within the crypto space.

How the TON golden visa works

Under the new scheme, applicants must stake at least $100,000 in TON tokens for three years through a decentralized smart contract on the TON blockchain. The process is fully transparent and verifiable, ensuring that investors retain control of their funds throughout the lock-up period. It should be noted that, in addition to the staking requirement, there is a one-time government processing fee of $35,000.

Successful applicants and their immediate family members, including spouses, children, and parents, are granted a 10-year renewable UAE Golden Visa, allowing them to live, work, and invest in the country. The entire process can be completed in under seven weeks, which represents a significant improvement over traditional routes that often require at least $540,000 in illiquid assets and lengthier processing times.

Stakers also benefit financially: the program offers an estimated 3–4% annual yield on the staked TON during the three years, and all funds are fully unlocked at the end of the term, regardless of market conditions.

Community reactions and social buzz

The announcement generated significant excitement in the crypto community, which has increasingly been eyeing the UAE, and Dubai, in particular, as the up-and-coming crypto capital of the world. Ash Crypto tweeted:

“Breaking: TON has just partnered with UAE to offer 10 year golden visa to TON stakers. – Stake $100,000 $TON for 3 years – 10 years Dubai golden visa”

CEO of the TON Foundation, Max Crown enthused:

“Big News! Toncoin has just launched a groundbreaking initiative, offering TON holders the exclusive chance to secure a 10-year Golden Visa.”

Why Dubai? Crypto adoption and global appeal

Dubai and the UAE have rapidly become a global hub for digital assets, thanks to progressive regulation, tax incentives, and a thriving blockchain ecosystem. The country’s recent move to exempt crypto transactions from the 5% value-added tax, effective retroactively from January 2018, further cements its appeal for crypto entrepreneurs and investors.

The UAE’s regulatory clarity, driven by authorities like the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), and its proactive approach to innovation have attracted major crypto firms, including Binance, Crypto.com, and Bybit.

As CryptoSlate recently reported, Dubai’s combination of clear rules, government engagement, and high-profile blockchain events has made it a magnet for top crypto companies and talent from around the world.

A new era for residency by crypto

TON’s Golden Visa program is an ambitious move in crypto-to-real-world integration, lowering the financial barrier to long-term UAE residency and offering a transparent, blockchain-based process that opens the doors for a new class of global digital nomads and investors.

As the UAE continues to position itself as a leader in blockchain and digital assets, initiatives like this are likely to further accelerate crypto adoption.

Mentioned in this article

The CEO of Tether Holdings, Paolo Ardoino, is highlighting that the USDT stablecoin is largely backed by an asset widely regarded as safe and highly liquid.

In a new CNBC interview, Ardoino says if Tether were a country, the USDT issuer would rank among the top 20 largest foreign holders of US Treasuries.

“We have $152 billion now in issued tokens. And we have $172 billion in total reserves. We have more than $125 billion in US Treasuries, and the rest is very, very high liquid assets.

We own more Treasuries than Germany. Well, Tether is not a nation, but if we were a nation, we would be the 18th-largest nation holding US Treasuries.

We have more Treasuries than Germany, UAE [United Arab Emirates], Spain, Australia and we are growing. Our approach is to keep growing our US Treasuries base.”

As of March, Germany and the UAE held $111.4 billion and $104.4 billion in US Treasuries, respectively, according to US Treasury data. The countries that hold more US Treasuries than Tether as of March are Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Cayman Islands, Canada, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Brazil, Norway, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said stablecoins could serve as a major source of demand for the government debt.

“I’ve seen estimates that just over the short term, stablecoins could create $2 trillion of demand for US Treasuries and Treasury bills. Put that in context, the number is probably about $300 billion right now…”

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The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) said its Digital Dirham would launch for retail use in the final quarter of 2025.

According to a March 27 statement, the currency would be available through regulated banks, fintech companies, exchange houses, and licensed financial firms.

Once live, the Digital Dirham will support smart contracts and tokenization—features that enable automated, secure, and complex transactions while expanding access to digital financial tools.

CBUAE Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama said:

“It is anticipated that the Digital Dirham as a blockchain based platform with cutting edge capabilities shall substantially enhance financial stability, inclusion, resilience, and combatting financial crime. It will further enable the development of innovative digital products, services, and new business models, while reducing cost and increasing access to international markets.”

This move represents a significant step forward in the UAE’s broader digital transformation strategy.

Digital Dirham design

The UAE has also introduced updated symbols for its national currency to align with its growing focus on digital finance.

The new symbol for the physical Dirham features a bold capital “D” crossed by two horizontal lines. These lines represent the country’s vision for economic stability and growth. The design takes cues from the national flag, reinforcing the UAE’s confidence in its financial future. For the digital version, a circular frame in the UAE flag’s colors surrounds the “D” symbol.

The design is intended to reflect the country’s ambition to lead in blockchain innovation and digital financial services.

Balama described the updated branding as a signal of progress and a key part of the country’s digital agenda. He emphasized that the Digital Dirham will improve financial resilience, inclusion, and regulatory oversight while enabling the development of new products and services.

Meanwhile, this announcement follows the CBUAE’s recent membership in the Global Foreign Exchange Committee. It is the first central bank in the Arab world to join the group, which promotes transparency and integrity in global FX markets.