Crypto Moves — Ether and Bitcoin rise; Dubai hotel accepts crypto payment

Due to high inflation and a pivot toward rate-hiking cycles, Bitcoin has been stymied in recent months and digital assets have also suffered from the collapse of the Terra ecosystem, said Bloomberg.
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Updated 30 May 2022
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Crypto Moves — Ether and Bitcoin rise; Dubai hotel accepts crypto payment

DUBAI: Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded higher on Monday, rising by 5.56 percent to $30,691.86 as of 12 p.m. Riyadh time.

Ether, the second most traded cryptocurrency, was priced at $1,906.18 up by 6.66 percent, according to data from CoinDesk.

Bitcoin rose for a third day, breaking through the $30,000 mark. 

Although Bitcoin’s dominance has increased recently, some altcoins outperformed, with Avalanche up 6.6 percent and Cardano up 8.6 percent, Bloomberg reported.

Due to high inflation and a pivot toward rate-hiking cycles, Bitcoin has been stymied in recent months and digital assets have also suffered from the collapse of the Terra ecosystem, said Bloomberg.

A record-high correlation between the Nasdaq 100 and the tech stocks faltered over the weekend, demonstrating that it behaves like a risk asset.

“This is the type of de-correlation nobody wanted,”Antoni Trenchev, co-founder and managing partner of crypto lender Nexo said in a statement.

Late last week, prices in Bitcoin broke lower after 2 weeks of sideways churn inside a “pennant.”

Bloomberg said that unless the token does not reclaim $30,200, bears will continue to hold the upper hand — but if $28,000 is broken, $25,000 could be in focus again.

Anything below about $25,400 puts the 2017 peak — just below $20,000 — in play, Bloomberg concluded.

Pay with crypto at Dubai hotel

Following Binance’s launch of a crypto-to-crypto payment gateway for hotels, guests at The Manor by JA in Al Furjan will be able to pay with alt-currencies according to a statement.

Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange that runs blockchain infrastructure, will facilitate settlements. BNB, Bitcoin, and Ethereum will be supported by the crypto-to-crypto gateway.

It can be accessed through The Manor’s official website, and follows strict security measures to protect customers’ and business owners’ rights.

Binance registers with Italy’s regulator

On Friday, Binance reported that its legal entity in Italy had been registered with the country’s regulator, as the major cryptocurrency exchange looks to expand in Europe,  Reuters reported.

Binance Italy’s recent registration could make the company more accountable and reduce money laundering risks.

The company said it could now open offices in Italy and expand its local team. According to the Organismo degli Agenti e dei Mediatori, which regulates the crypto industry in Italy, the company is one of 14 virtual asset operators.

Binance’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, said earlier this month that the company has also registered with France’s market regulator. As well as Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Austria, Binance seeks registration in those countries as well.

 

With inputs from Reuters


Saudi stock market opens its doors to foreign investors

Updated 06 January 2026
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Saudi stock market opens its doors to foreign investors

RIYADH: Foreigners will be able to invest directly in Saudi Arabia’s stock market from Feb. 1, the Kingdom’s Capital Market Authority has announced.

The CMA’s board has approved a regulatory change which will mean the capital market, across all its segments, will be accessible to investors from around the world for direct participation.

According to a statement, the approved amendments aim to expand and diversify the base of those permitted to invest in the Main Market, thereby supporting investment inflows and enhancing market liquidity.

International investors' ownership in the capital market exceeded SR590 billion ($157.32 billion) by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while international investments in the main market reached approximately SR519 billion during the same period — an annual rise of 4 percent.

“The approved amendments eliminated the concept of the Qualified Foreign Investor in the Main Market, thereby allowing all categories of foreign investors to access the market without the need to meet qualification requirements,” said the CMA, adding: “It also eliminated the regulatory framework governing swap agreements, which were used as an option to enable non-resident foreign investors to obtain economic benefits only from listed securities, and the allowance of direct investment in shares listed on the Main Market.”

In July, the CMA approved measures to simplify the procedures for opening and operating investment accounts for certain categories of investors. These included natural foreign investors residing in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as those who had previously resided in the Kingdom or in any GCC country. 

This step represented an interim phase leading up to the decision announced today, with the aim of increasing confidence among participants in the Main Market and supporting the local economy.

Saudi Arabia, which ‌is more than halfway ‍through an economic plan ‍to reduce its dependence on oil, ‍has been trying to attract foreign investors, including by establishing exchange-traded funds with Asian partners in Japan and Hong Kong.