News
UAE To Punish Crypto Scammers With Fines & Jail Time
The penalties reflect Article 48 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combatting Rumors and Cybercrimes.
Cryptocurrency scams (and crypto scammers) are a global problem, and the cost of this problem reached a staggering $14 billion in 2021 alone.
To discourage crypto scammers from targeting unsuspecting investors, the UAE Public Prosecution has recently announced its decision to punish them with fines of up to $136,124 USD (AED 500,000) and jail terms for the following offenses:
- Promoting goods or services through misleading advertisement or using false data.
- Advertising, promoting, brokering, or dealing in any form, or encouraging the dealing in a virtual or digital currency, a stored value unit, or any unit of payment that is not officially recognized in the UAE or without obtaining a license from the competent authority.
The penalties reflect Article 48 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combatting Rumors and Cybercrimes, and they’re explained in a video the UAE Public Prosecution shared on social media.
The UAE Public Prosecution is on a mission to increase awareness about the latest laws in the country, and it has issued several similar warnings in the past.
Also Read: 3 Best Cold Storage Wallets For Crypto In 2023
In 2020, for example, the UAE Public Prosecution warned that the use of the Internet Protocol for committing a crime or evading its discovery was a punishable offense in accordance with Article 9 of the Federal Law No. 5 for 2012 on combating cybercrimes and its amendments.
The UAE aspires to become a global crypto hub, and it needs a strong legislature to attract innovators and investors alike.
In February 2022, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the so-called Virtual Asset Law, establishing the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), whose purpose is to oversee the regulation and authorization of virtual asset activities in Dubai.
It will be interesting to see how much these new punishments will drop the amount of scams we see on a daily basis.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
