Ripple Opens Dubai HQ as Blockchain Firm Mulls Leaving US

Also: Ripple is opening a new office in Dubai and President-elect Joe Biden mulls two crypto-friendly potential cabinet picks.

The financial center in one of Dubai’s free-trade zones acts as an independent regulator with its own judicial system According to a Nov. 7 announcement, Ripple has established a regional office in the Dubai International Financial Centre, or DIFC. The blockchain-based payments firm reportedly chose the location for its “innovative regulations.” The DIFC website states the special economic zone serves more than 2,500 companies across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia as an “independent regulator” with a “proven judicial system.”“Ripple already has a significant client base in the....

Many countries struggle to attract tourists and those that do manage to get a steady inflow of visitors, often find that they tend to congregate at major attractions leaving a lot of places that are visit worthy untouched. In some countries which have recently put in newer landmarks such as Dubai, the problem of tourists not getting the full feel of the place is even more so the case. Tourists may want to see the 160 storey Burj Khalifa, the Palm Islands or the Burj Al Arab but they might miss the lesser known cultural or historical sights in Dubai. States and territories might want to....

The Smart Dubai Office, a government-backed initiative led by the Crown Prince of Dubai has partnered a FinTech specialist firm to implement a citywide payments platform based on blockchain technology. The government initiative has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FinTech consulting and development firm Avanza Solutions, signed in the presence of Hamdan bin Mohammed, the hereditary Prince to the crown of Dubai. Announced by Avanza quietly last week, the sweeping citywide project planned by the Smart Dubai Office will see a rollout of the blockchain payments platform to all....

In a significant endorsement of blockchain technology, the underlying innovation of bitcoin, the Dubai government will see of its documents on a blockchain. The government of Dubai will see all of its documents on a blockchain by the year 2020. The announcement was made via the Dubai Media Office’s official social media account, citing Hamdan bin Mohammed, the hereditary Prince to the crown of Dubai. Furthermore, the Prince revealed that Dubai will also be executing all its transactions on a blockchain by 2020, as a part of a new program called the “Dubai Blockchain Strategy.” Under the....