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Dubai Government Warns Against DubaiCoin Cryptocurrency Scam
The price of DubaiCoin rose from $0.09 to $1.13 within just 24 hours after a press release claimed it would be Dubai’s official cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency investors have been facing some serious challenges lately. Prices of all major cryptocurrencies have been falling steadily ever since Elon Musk drew attention to Bitcoin’s energy consumption in a series of tweets, ultimately announcing Tesla’s decision to stop accepting Bitcoin as a payment method.
Watching their cryptocurrency portfolios deflate at an alarming rate, many investors have been turning their attention to various alternative cryptocurrencies and tokens of questionable value and origin, hoping that at least some of them will skyrocket in value.
This perhaps explains why a cryptocurrency called DubaiCoin increased by more than 1,000% after just 24 hours since its creators published a press released on a website called DubPay (website no longer available) and managed to get it listed on PR Newswire. Another reason for DubaiCoin’s short-lived success was certainly the fact that the press released claimed that it would become Dubai’s official digital currency.
“DubaiCoin will soon be able to be used to pay for a range of goods and services both in-store and online, with the clear intention for the coin to be used in place of traditional bank-backed currencies,” the press release said. “Circulation of the new digital currency will be controlled by both the city itself and authorized brokers.”
Also Read: The Top 3 Altcoins To Keep An Eye On In 2021
The price of DubaiCoin rose from $0.09 to $1.13, and it would likely continue to climb even higher if it wasn’t for Dubai’s government decision to issue a tweet in which they called DubaiCoin an elaborate phishing scam designed to steal personal information from its visitors.
The company responsible for the creation of DubaiCoin, ArabianChain Technology, has also used Twitter to publicly deny all claims made in the press release. Victims of the scam have rushed to social media calling for actions to be taken against online publications that were quick to promote DubaiCoin as Dubai’s “official cryptocurrency” without validating the source of the news.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Protecting Your WhatsApp Account From Hackers: Kaspersky Expert Tips
The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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