Crypto Wrap — Bitcoin and Ethereum rise; India must establish cryptocurrency regulations, says CoinSwitch CEO

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Updated 23 May 2022
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Crypto Wrap — Bitcoin and Ethereum rise; India must establish cryptocurrency regulations, says CoinSwitch CEO

RIYADH: Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded higher on Monday, rising by 0.88 percent to $30,237.18 as of 5:50 p.m. Riyadh time.

Ether, the second most traded cryptocurrency, was priced at $2,056.49 up by 1.93 percent, according to data from Coindesk.

India must set rules for cryptocurrencies, CoinSwitch CEO says 

Despite India’s central bank’s support for a ban on cryptocurrencies because of the risks to financial stability, a move by the federal government to tax Bitcoin income has been interpreted by the industry as a sign of New Delhi’s acceptance of the technology.

CoinSwitch CEO Ashish Singhal said that India must set rules for cryptocurrencies to resolve regulatory uncertainty, protect investors, and boost the sector, according to Reuters. 

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Singhal, a former Amazon engineer who co-founded CoinSwitch, said: “Users don’t know what will happen with their holdings — is the government going to ban, not ban, how is it going to be regulated?.”

CoinSwitch, which is valued at $1.9 billion, has more than 18 million users in India, the company stated on Reuters. Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, and Coinbase Ventures back the company, which is based in Bengaluru, India’s main tech hub.

Private cryptocurrencies have raised serious concerns at India’s central bank, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021 said the technology should be used to strengthen democracy, not undercut it.

Hatta to Mars in the metaverse

Everdome Metaverse is hosting a land auction on May 30, 2022, where investors can bid to own a piece of Mars.

According to a statement, Everdome will launch in three phases throughout 2022, taking users from Hatta in the UAE to Mars.

With Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 and cutting-edge 3D scanning technology, players won’t be able to tell the difference between reality and gameplay.

Some 12,000 hexagonal plots of land for sale through auctions held over eight weeks. Each auction will feature 1,500 plots and will run for one week, located in-game areas across Everdome’s 6 unique districts.

Over the next eight weeks, 12,000 hexagonal plots of metaverse land will be available for purchase throughout the Everdome ecosystem.

A total of 1,500 plots will be offered per auction, spread out across Everdome’s six districts, and each auction will run for one week.

Rob Gryn, CEO and founder of Everdome and Metahero, said in a statement that “The future is in the metaverse, now more than ever before; people want their real-world experiences available at the press of a button, which is exactly what the metaverse offers.”

He explained that Metaverses offers experiences in sales, marketing, hospitality, and education.

A plot of land within Everdome can be developed in any way the owner sees fit, and the owner has the option of generating revenue or reselling the land, the statement said.

 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in green at 10,917 

Updated 19 January 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in green at 10,917 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Monday, gaining 4.86 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 10,917.04. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.95 billion ($1.05 billion), as 102 of the listed stocks advanced, while 147 retreated. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index increased, up 0.54 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 1,467.06. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 85.41 points, or 0.36 percent, to close at 23,357.50. This comes as 19 of the listed stocks advanced, while 46 retreated. 

The best-performing stock was Tourism Enterprise Co., with its share price surging by 10 percent to SR13.53. 

Other top performers included Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co., which saw its share price rise by 8.64 percent to SR39.22, and Anaam International Holding Group, which saw a 4.05 percent increase to SR12.59. 

Alramz Real Estate Co. saw its share price rising by 3.95 percent to close at SR61.85, while Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction Co. closed at SR18.08, marking a 3.67 percent increase in share price. 

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Saudi Industrial Export Co., whose share price fell by 3.72 percent to SR2.59. 

ACWA Power Co. saw its share price fall 3.54 percent to SR177.20, while Naseej International Trading Co. declined 3.08 percent to SR29.56. 

Moreover, the share price of Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. dropped 2.95 percent to close at SR6.57, while Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing Co. saw its share price dropping 2.65 percent to SR17.97. 

On the announcement front, Alinma Capital has declared a cash dividend distribution totaling SR6.55 million for unitholders of the Alinma Saudi Government Sukuk ETF Fund.  

The dividend, covering the period from July to December, amounts to SR0.162 per unit and represents approximately 1.56 percent of the fund’s net asset value as of Jan. 15.  

Its share price closed at SR10.42 on the main market, marking a 0.1 percent increase. 

Also, Itmam Consultancy Co. has been awarded a significant project by the Digital Government Authority to develop digital investment skills within the public sector.  

The contract, officially granted on Jan. 19, is valued at more than 5 percent of the company’s total 2024 revenue.  

According to a statement, the program aims to equip government employees with the expertise needed to enhance digital government investment efficiency, focusing on software license development aligned with legal and technical standards.  

Its share price remained unchanged on Nomu at SR16.40.