Crypto Moves — Bitcoin, Ether up; France grants Binance regulatory approval; Coinbase opens up NFT marketplace

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Updated 05 May 2022
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Crypto Moves — Bitcoin, Ether up; France grants Binance regulatory approval; Coinbase opens up NFT marketplace

  • Blockchain is a shared record of information maintained and updated by a computer network rather than a central authority

RIYADH: Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded higher on Wednesday, up 3.15 percent to $39,546 at 9.50 a.m. Riyadh time.

Ether, the second most traded cryptocurrency, was priced at $2,930, up 4.24 percent, according to data from Coindesk.

Binance registers with France crypto regulator

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has registered with France’s market regulator, Chief Executive Officer Changpeng Zhao said in a tweet on Wednesday, advancing the company’s plan to make Paris its European base.

“It’s a real stamp of quality,” said Binance France’s General Manager David Prinçay, referring to the registration with the regulator, AMF.

Blockchain is a shared record of information maintained and updated by a computer network rather than a central authority.

Major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin rely on the technology.

Prinçay said Binance France was now seeking a formal license from the French markets regulator to open a regional headquarters in France. Binance claimed it was the country’s top cryptocurrency exchange even before the registration.

France is the first European Union country to register Binance, which is also seeking registration in Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Austria, Prinçay said.

In March, Binance gained licenses from Dubai and Bahrain.

Coinbase opens up NFT marketplace to all users

Coinbase Global Inc. is opening up its non-fungible tokens marketplace to all users, the US cryptocurrency exchange said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

The company had earlier rolled out the platform for select users in the United States.

Coinbase said its NFT marketplace is in the beta stage, and the company is still working on adding more features to the platform.

First announced in October last year, the platform was opened up to a “small number” of users in the US in April, and the company had at the time said more users would be added from a waiting list over the next three to five weeks while the platform is tested.

(With input from Reuters) 


New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

Updated 28 January 2026
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New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.

The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.

Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.

The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.

Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.

Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.

The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.

In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.