DeFi Technologies expands into the GCC and MENA with Dubai office
DeFi Technologies, a fintech company bridging the gap between traditional capital markets and decentralized finance, have announced its expansion in the GCC and MENA region.
DeFi Technologies through its Valour subsidiaries, issuers of exchange-traded products (ETPs), have opened a trading desk at DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Center) in UAE.
The DeFi Technologies team and its subsidiary Valour, aim to support the increased institutional interest in digital assets in the GCC region and specifically in the UAE. This expansion into the Middle East is a key element of the strategy to increase product offerings and global footprint.
As the first Nasdaq-listed digital asset manager of its kind, DeFi Technologies offers equity investors diversified exposure to the broader decentralized economy through its integrated and scalable business model. This includes Valour, which offers access to more than 65 of the world’s most innovative digital assets via regulated ETPs with plans to offer 100 by the end of 2025. With regulatory momentum, product velocity, and institutional credibility converging, DEFT is positioning itself as the BlackRock of Web3.
Globally, institutional capital is pouring into spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and in the Middle East and in the UAE in specific this is also becoming a trend. Recently, UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala announced it expanded its position in BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF showcasing the latest example of institutions increasingly turning to non-traditional exposures wrapped in an ETF.
Bitcoin ETPs are facilitating greater exposure for investors who had been interested in crypto but want a familiar and efficient wrapper. Currently, total assets under management in crypto ETPs have reached $176.3 billion.
Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer of Valour, stated, “We believe the demand for digital asset ETPs will increase not only globally but in the GCC and Middle East. Investors whether sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, family offices and even retail investors are interested in crypto but require familiar and efficient vehicles to get exposure.”
Forson added, “Wrapping digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum in regulated financial instruments such as ETPs will increase the number of crypto investors and offer countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia access to international foreign investment. Local and international get exposure to these assets through trusted providers like the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, Dubai Financial Markets, and others.”
