One might ask: What summoned Ms. Monica Long, spirited President of Ripple, to the shimmering shores of Dubai? At the Fintech Summit, beneath an air so dense with innovation you could slice it with a khanjar, Ms. Long cultivated rather serious intentions—intentions to thrust Ripple and the Gulf states onto the bustling thoroughfare of digital finance. Imagine, if you will, the blockchain wearing a bespoke kandura. 😏
It was at this grand convocation—a gathering worthy of Turgenev’s most ruminative aristocrats—that Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum played incomparable host. Sceptres were not brandished, but the sheath of Mahindra’s finance, Ripple’s crypto gospel, and Bolt’s dubious speed electrified the halls. Over 9,000 souls (and presumably, their business cards) crowded in, representing every corner of earth where both sheep and CEOs graze.
Dubai’s D33 Plan: Onward, to the Top—or Bust!
The conversation, one suspects, was not about apricot jam. No, it was all D33, a scheme so ambitious as to impress even an idle Russian landlord: catapult Dubai into the rarefied air of the world’s top four financial hubs by 2033, raking in AED100 billion in digital gold, er, revenue—annually, of course. Nuances like the DIFC’s role as international tollbooth were pondered; Kotak Mahindra, scenting rupees and relevance, also featured.
Ripple, now safeguarded by a shiny new DFSA license, is primed to channel $400 billion worth of cross-border payments through the UAE, which is as effortless as herding wild Arabian camels. Ripple’s Middle Eastern clientèle, already a spicy 20%, must be sending thank-you fruit baskets.
Our President @MonicaLongSF had the honor of meeting with His Highness Ahmed bin Saeed at @DubaiFintechSum. We continue to be impressed with the leadership demonstrated by Dubai as it establishes itself as one of the world’s leading hubs for digital assets.
— Ripple (@Ripple) May 14, 2025
Ripple has all but unfurled its tent in the UAE, forming partnerships as deftly as card players at a dacha table. Only last year, they joined hands with DIFC—one wonders if there were ballroom dances or just PowerPoint slides. Mr. Garlinghouse, Ripple’s distinguished (and, let’s admit, opinionated) CEO, floated the assertion that XRPL is the region’s choicest blockchain tech. Will the world agree, or politely smile like Russian mamas at a mediocre waltz? 🕺💸
UAE: Innovation’s Sun-drenched Oasis
Ripple can now boast 60 global approvals, including from such formidable gatekeepers as Singapore’s MAS and New York’s DFS (no easy feat—just try impressing New Yorkers about anything that isn’t pizza-related). The DIFC’s Arif Amir waxed lyrical on the emirates’ flair for nurturing innovators and matchmaking East and West. Turgenev would call it fate. Everyone else calls it east-meets-west with air conditioning.
Reuters, steady as ever, reports the UAE has penned a 10-year, $1.4 trillion deal with the US—a number so large it could make even a Russian oligarch drop his monocle into his tea. Dubai, it seems, has secured its place at the banquet of global finance. Whether Ripple’s next toast will be caviar or hummus, only time (and perhaps a few more summits) will tell. 🏦🍾
Read More
- CRK Boss Rush guide – Best cookies for each stage of the event
- Fortress Saga tier list – Ranking every hero
- Glenn Greenwald Sex Tape Leak: Journalist Cites “Maliciously Political” Motives
- Mini Heroes Magic Throne tier list
- Grimguard Tactics tier list – Ranking the main classes
- Castle Duels tier list – Best Legendary and Epic cards
- Cookie Run Kingdom Town Square Vault password
- How to Prepare and Dominate the Awakened Hollyberry Cookie Update
- Hero Tale best builds – One for melee, one for ranged characters
- Overwatch Stadium Tier List: All Heroes Ranked
2025-05-15 07:40