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The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has announced significant progress in its Digital Dirham initiative, unveiling the official symbol for the nation’s digital currency. It also confirmed a planned retail launch in the final quarter of 2025. This development is a key component of the CBUAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme, designed to solidify the UAE’s position as a global leader in financial market infrastructure and digital financial innovation. The Digital Dirham, underpinned by Federal Decree-Law No. (54) of 2023, is set to become a legal tender, ensuring its acceptance across all payment outlets and channels alongside physical currency. According to a statement, the CBUAE aims to create a secure and efficient digital version of the national currency, leveraging blockchain technology to reduce payment costs and ensure data privacy. Individuals and businesses will be able to access the Digital Dirham through licensed financial institutions, including banks, exchange houses, finance companies, and fintech firms. In the statement, the CBUAE highlighted key advantages of the Digital Dirham, including its ability to facilitate tokenization for improved financial inclusion and liquidity. It also cited its compatibility with smart contracts for automated and instant transaction settlements. H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, said: “We are proud to unveil today the new symbol for the UAE’s national currency the ‘Dirham’ in both its physical and digital forms, and the design of the Digital Dirham wallet. This reflects the significant advancements in the implementation of the Digital Dirham programme and a leap towards realising the CBUAE’s vision.” To support the Digital Dirham, the CBUAE has developed an integrated and secure platform, including a user-friendly digital wallet. This wallet will enable a range of financial transactions, including retail, wholesale, and cross-border payments. The platform is designed to accommodate innovative financial solutions, catering to the UAE’s rapidly growing digital economy. Balama added: “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.” The CBUAE’s initiative aims to establish a flexible and advanced financial system, reinforcing the UAE’s competitive edge as a leading financial hub and global digital payments platform. 免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。

Hong Kong-based crypto firm HashKey has launched a new initiative to rate cryptocurrencies and exchanges in a bid to enhance market transparency and compliance. Cryptocurrency trading group HashKey has unveiled a new initiative to rate cryptocurrencies and crypto exchanges in Hong Kong to help the local crypto businesses align with regulatory framework for virtual assets, issued by the Securities and Futures Commission. In an X post on Thursday, March 27, HashKey said it partnered with the Hong Kong Virtual Asset Rating Company, which will provide three key services: virtual asset ratings, exchange ratings, and virtual asset indices. According to HashKey, the initiative aims to build an “industry evaluation ecosystem” offering “objective quantitative standards” for both exchanges and investors. The goal is to strengthen market transparency and create compliance benchmarks, which, in turn, could help solidify Hong Kong’s role as a global virtual asset hub. Per HashKey, the ratings would provide risk indicators to help investors make more informed decisions. Earlier in February, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission proposed increasing its staff, with a particular focus on monitoring virtual asset trading platforms, improving market surveillance, and ramping up enforcement. In its budget plan for the 2025–26 financial year, the SFC is seeking 15 new hires, eight of whom will be dedicated to virtual asset regulation. HashKey secured a $30 million investment from Beijing-based Gaorong Ventures, which valued the company at $1.5 billion. The investment came shortly after HashKey Capital, the group’s investment arm, received approval from the SFC to manage crypto investment products for high-net-worth clients.

Cosmos devs test IBC protocol between Hub and Ethereum to boost interoperability

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with over $10 trillion in assets, has launched its first Bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) in Europe. This marks a milestone as BlackRock’s first Bitcoin ETP outside of North America. The move comes after the success of its U.S.-based iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has amassed nearly $60 billion in assets under management (AUM) since its debut in January 2024. As one of the top ETF issuers, BlackRock currently manages $4.4 trillion across its suite of ETPs. The newly introduced iShares Bitcoin ETP will initially have a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.15%, but this will increase to 0.25% at the end of the year once the temporary fee waiver expires. The ETP ensures secure custody through Coinbase, which safeguards the private keys, while Bank of New York Mellon will oversee administration to facilitate seamless product management. To broaden investor access, IBIT will be listed on Xetra and Euronext Paris, strengthening its presence across major European financial markets. Notably, IBIT is designed for institutional-grade security that will provide a regulated and secure gateway for investors looking to gain exposure to Bitcoin (BTC). Switzerland has long been recognized as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction, offering stable and clear regulations that make it an attractive hub for businesses seeking a secure and compliant environment for digital asset offerings. By establishing its European ETP in Switzerland, BlackRock is entering a highly competitive market already populated by major players like 21Shares, Bitwise and CoinShares. The country is home to several leading blockchain companies, including the Ethereum Foundation, Tezos, and Cardano. Additionally, Switzerland’s favorable tax policies, including low capital gains tax on crypto investments, further enhance its appeal as a destination for crypto ventures. Additionally, Europe has been a leader in regulated Bitcoin-backed ETPs, launching its first product as early as 2015. Additionally, the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework is designed to provide clear guidelines for crypto assets, potentially making it easier for institutional investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin. The European market already hosts over 160 products tracking various cryptocurrencies, with a combined valuation of approximately $17.3 billion. What’s more, CNF reported that Europe leads in cryptocurrency banking, with 55 banks offering crypto custody, trading, and fiat conversions, surpassing Asia and North America. Bitcoin’s market performance has been highly volatile. The cryptocurrency broke through the $100,000 mark for the first time in December and reached an all-time high of $109,000 in January during Donald Trump’s inauguration. However, it has been under pressure since then. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at $86,705, with a 56.76% increase in trading volume, reaching $32 billion.

Massachusetts investigates Robinhood’s prediction markets Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin has launched an investigation into Robinhood’s new in-app prediction markets hub, according to Reuters cited by CoinDesk. The probe focuses on event contracts tied to March