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The Gulf Cooperation Council anticipates crypto investments in the region to reach up to $500 million USD
The Middle East appears to be looking like the world’s crypto oasis, attracting investments and global companies to set up shop due to its friendly regulatory environment. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), anticipates that crypto investments in the region will reach up to $500 million USD in 2022 alone. The UAE, the GCC’s emerging crypto hub, is the digital economy center of the GCC. There are over 1,400 start ups in the UAE and its digital economy contributes to approximately 4.3% of its GDP, equivalent to about $27 billion USD (100 billion dirhams). The emirate has 12 business incubators, 90 investment funds dedicated to the digital sector, and the total value of startups is estimated to be approximately $24 billion USD (90 billion dirhams). (Read on EmergingCrypto.io; Read on UNLOCK Blockchain)
Volumes plummet on Indian crypto exchanges
Since the 30% crypto tax rule came into effect in India on April 1st, volumes on Indian crypto exchanges declined as high as 70% between April 1st and April 10th according to data from Indian blockchain analytics firm, Crebaco. During this timeframe trading volumes on Binance-owned WazirX, India’s leading crypto exchange, dropped from $47.8 million to $13.2 million. Downstream effects of India’s new crypto tax rule has impacted local payment processors who’ve also begun to cut ties with crypto exchanges. What additional impacts India’s new crypto tax law will have on the local crypto ecosystem remain to be seen. However, local stakeholders fear that this new tax treatment may stymie further growth in India’s thriving crypto economy. (Read on EmergingCrypto.io; Read on Cointelegraph)
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