Just 10% of people in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region were using cryptocurrency as of 2023. But in early 2024, Bitget revealed that the average daily count of cryptocurrency dealers in the area had topped 500,000 in February 2024, indicating a 51% year-over-year increase from 2023.
By 2025, according to Bitget’s Country Manager for the UAE, Aka Leung, the UAE will lead MENA in adopting cryptocurrencies. In terms of cryptocurrency acceptance, this would put the UAE ahead of other prominent MENA nations like Iran, Turkey, and Morocco (Chainalysis).
The UAE has created its crypto regulatory frameworks in recent years to guarantee the safe and controlled expansion of its digital economy.
Leung said, “The UAE has supported innovation and technical growth while simultaneously creating a favourable regulatory framework. We can anticipate the UAE solidifying its standing as one of the world’s top hubs for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency given the present activities there and the ongoing support of the government.”
Leung cites the April 2024 Bitget research: “Our report indicated that 72% of UAE crypto adopters have already invested in Bitcoin.”
According to the analysis, the UAE is the country with the most thirst for cryptocurrencies, with 29% of respondents thinking that digital assets are more practical.
Because they believed that bitcoin represents digital gold, survey participants were also very eager to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is positioned to be one of the top markets for cryptocurrency adoption, according to Bitget’s projection that the region will have 700,000 active users by 2024, up from 500,000 daily trades.
The new stablecoin laws from the UAE Central Bank are another move that will stimulate the country’s cryptocurrency economy. Residents of the Gulf country can pay for products and services with AED stablecoins thanks to the stablecoin Payment Token Services law. It also makes it possible to buy virtual assets with controlled stablecoins.
Leung thinks this will help the UAE’s cryptocurrency business expand even more, stating, “As we all know, stablecoins are becoming more and more useful throughout the MENA area, but as of now, the UAE is the only nation in the region to regulate them,” he said. Other well-known stablecoins will be used to buy virtual assets, whereas AED stablecoins can be offered by merchants, cryptocurrency exchanges, bank subsidiaries, or partners for payment purposes.”
According to him, using regulated stablecoins shows a dedication to following rules and regulations, which builds confidence between users and law enforcement. It will make markets more accessible. Stablecoins’ approval as legal money in the United Arab Emirates makes more markets available to cryptocurrency exchanges.
Leung thinks that the UAE’s stablecoin laws create new opportunities for people to interact with cryptocurrencies, encouraging their growth and application in a variety of industries.
“This is a bridge from traditional to digital money,” he declared, while adding that traditional assets denominated in AED, such as financial instruments and real estate, would be able to be tokenized thanks to AED stablecoins.
Conclusively, the favourable cryptocurrency regulatory landscape and the recently implemented stablecoin laws will support the United Arab Emirates’ pledge to double the share of the digital economy in its GDP from 9.7% to 19.4% during the next ten years.
Which Gulf Nation Is Embracing Crypto The Quickest?
Adoption varies according to the situation. Due to restricted access to banking systems, people in Morocco and Algeria are turning to cryptocurrency as a substitute for saving money or getting foreign exchange. Saudi Arabians and UAE citizens, on the other hand, view cryptocurrencies as a tool for portfolio diversification or as a means of investing.
Cryptocurrency is a viable investment vehicle rather than a replacement for the financial system in the United Arab Emirates, thanks to its liberal economy. The lack of foreign exchange and banking options in North African nations drives individuals to embrace cryptocurrency. Remittances from overseas employees also have an impact because cryptocurrency enables quicker and less expensive cross-border transactions.
The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in particular is benefiting from the policy framework that is making the MENA region a magnet for entrepreneurship. Rather than P2P or retail cryptocurrency consumers, the region is likely to witness growth in IT and industry solutions. The region is becoming a hub for businesses because of its welcoming setting, simplicity in hiring, and ease of acquiring talent.
Cryptocurrency adoption is still less widespread than in Southeast Asia, the United States, and Europe. It is more likely that industry solutions will drive growth than acceptance by consumers.