The UAE just rewrote its entire crypto rulebook – and the rest of the region is moving fast too. In this episode of Wall Street to Mena, we sit down with Zain Umer, CEO of CFC Mena and Co-Chair of the Mena Fintech Association’s Policy and Regulations Working Group, to break down what’s actually changing.

Having helped build VARA from the ground up and guided over 40 licenses across VARA, the SCA, the FSRA, and the UAE Central Bank – including Kraken’s approval – Zain offers a rare inside view of how the UAE became the world’s leading crypto hub.