logo
BurjX, fully home-grown digital trading platform, goes live

BurjX, fully home-grown digital trading platform, goes live

Al Etihad2 days ago
21 July 2025 13:11
A. SREENIVASA REDDY(ABU DHABI)A fully home-grown digital trading platform — BurjX — has gone live in the UAE after securing Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi.The platform, which was launched at a recent event in Abu Dhabi, allows users to trade in over 100 digital assets with seamless access through UAE bank accounts.Speaking to Aletihad on the sidelines of the launch, Omar Abbas, Co-Founder and CEO of BurjX, said: 'We were focused on building something for the UAE, for the MENA market. There are a lot of competitors entering this market, but we are building something from scratch for the UAE. We're not an exchange that's trying to enter this market and capture market share.'Highlighting the platform's user-friendly approach, Abbas added: 'Our product is tailored for both retail and institutional traders. We've made it super simple, where first-time traders can connect directly, and signup is instant. You can trade directly in any of 100 digital assets by routing dirhams from your local account.'BurjX, now officially licensed for both brokerage and custody services, aims to set a new benchmark for regulatory depth and digital asset access in the region. It is integrated with Zand Bank to offer instant dirham on-ramps, enabling users to fund accounts in seconds and begin trading immediately under ADGM's regulatory framework.Abbas, who previously co-founded Canada's leading crypto exchange NDAX, said the FSRA licence and launch with over 100 digital assets proved 'what's possible when you build with conviction from the ground up.'Co-founder and Chairman Adam Ferris, a Harvard JD/MBA graduate and former Goldman Sachs executive, said: 'This launch validates the strength of our infrastructure, the calibre of our team, and our ambition to position BurjX as a global player from day one.'BurjX is also one of the few platforms in the region licensed for both brokerage and custody, offering NASDAQ-grade execution systems, Fireblocks' MPC wallet technology, and institutional-grade infrastructure. It combines fast execution and deep liquidity with multi-layer governance and comprehensive insurance across hot and cold wallets.To serve private wealth clients, BurjX has launched a dedicated Private Client Division offering bespoke OTC services and tailored digital asset solutions. As part of its governance framework, BurjX has appointed Dr Ryan Lemand — a former Binance board member and ex-Head of Risk at the UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority — to its Board.
With the UAE's crypto user base projected to reach nearly four million by 2026 and adoption among the highest globally, BurjX aims to become the Middle East's homegrown bridge to the global crypto economy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

FAB results trigger ADX rally
FAB results trigger ADX rally

Al Etihad

time6 hours ago

  • Al Etihad

FAB results trigger ADX rally

23 July 2025 18:08 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)The UAE stock markets made a dramatic leap on Wednesday, with the main indices of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) rising by 1.15% and 1.09%, Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Multiply Group led the rally at the ADX, with their share prices rising nearly 5% and 3.4%, respectively. FAB shares surged after the bank reported a record net profit of Dh10.63 billion for the first half of the year — the highest ever for a half-year period. The 5% increase marked the bank's biggest intraday gain. Bank of Sharjah shares also climbed 10%, following a sharp rise in its half-yearly surrounding second-quarter earnings and a trade deal struck between the United States and Japan appear to have triggered the rally in the UAE ADX main index (FADGI) closed at 10,296.28, with its market capitalisation reaching Dh3.142 trillion. The main market's capitalisation stood at Dh3.020 trillion.A total of 26,211 trades were executed on the ADX, involving 396 million shares with a combined value of Dh1.38 DFM's general index (DFMGI) reached 6,086.19, with its market capitalisation surpassing the Dh1 trillion mark.A total of 6,086 trades were executed on the DFM, involving 217 million shares with a combined value of Dh662 million. Share prices of 26 companies rose, 16 declined, and 10 remained unchanged. Emaar Developments and Emirates NBD led the rally with gains of 3.4% and 2.9%, respectively.

US stock market concentration risks come to fore as megacaps report earnings
US stock market concentration risks come to fore as megacaps report earnings

Khaleej Times

time9 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

US stock market concentration risks come to fore as megacaps report earnings

Wall Street's reliance on a small number of high market-value stocks to keep momentum going for the U.S. equities bull market will be tested in coming days as major technology and growth companies report earnings. Concentration in widely followed market barometers such as the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite means that weakness in just a few names can have broad ramifications as the indexes hover at record highs. "When a handful of stocks dominate the market ... if you do have a period of disappointment from those stocks, you could see disproportionate impacts on your portfolio from just a handful of company-specific issues," said Michael Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy at Glenmede. Drawing attention to such top-heavy market leadership on Wednesday will be earnings results due from Google parent Alphabet and Tesla, the first of the "Magnificent Seven" megacaps to report this period. That group - which also includes Nvidia, Microsoft , Apple, Amazon and Meta Platforms - earned the "Magnificent" moniker because of their dominant business positions and huge stock gains in 2023 and 2024. Stock performance this year among the Magnificent Seven has been mixed. But they have all rebounded since April from a selloff following President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement of sweeping global tariffs. The group amounted to one-third of the weight of the SP 500 as of Friday, due to their massive market caps, their largest combined presence since the start of the year, according to LSEG Datastream. Alphabet shares are up about 1% on the year, while shares of Elon Musk-led Tesla are down about 18%. Together, they account for over 5% of the SP 500's weight. Other data points also indicate market concentration becoming more extreme. The top 10 weights in the SP 500 last week hit 37.3% of the index, near the 38% level it reached in January, which had been its highest level on record, according to SP Dow Jones Indices, citing data since 1975. These massive stocks generally have higher valuations. The top 10 stocks have an average price-to-earnings ratio of about 26 times, compared to 20 times for the rest of the SP 500, said Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. "The biggest stocks are very expensive," Shalett said. "If the biggest stocks fall the most, the index is very vulnerable." The SP 500 technology sector recently accounted for 33.9% of the entire SP 500's market value, the largest share since March 2000 during the height of the dot-com bubble era, according to LSEG Datastream. The SP 500 is considered a benchmark for the stock market, but its top-heavy nature could mean investors who own funds that mirror the index are less diversified than they think. "If you are designing a portfolio, you really need to consider, OK, what are the weights there?" said Todd Sohn, ETF and technical strategist at Strategas. "It's not as diversified as it has been in the past. Then you have to consider some other means out there to keep that portfolio balanced." Nvidia, which recently became the first company to top $4 trillion in market value, had as of Tuesday a 7.83% weight in the SP 500. That is the most a single stock has ever accounted for in the index, topping the 7.7% that Apple reached last year, according to Sohn, who looked at 45 years of data. The weight of Nvidia - a semiconductor company that has symbolized the artificial intelligence boom - is greater than five entire SP 500 sectors out of 11 in the index, including consumer staples, which includes 38 stocks and has a 5.4% weight, and energy, a 23-company group with a total SP 500 weighting of slightly less than 3%. Heading into the heavy part of earnings season, the SP 500 is up over 7% this year, and becoming increasingly led by larger stocks. Since April 8, when the market hit its low point for the year following Trump's tariff announcement, the SP 500 has gained nearly 27%. The equal-weight version of the index - which is considered a gauge of the average SP 500 stock - has risen 21.5% in that time. Since the end of 2022, the SP 500 has gained over 60%, more than doubling the equal-weight version's gains in that time. "When the market gets really expensive and narrow ... the market becomes more vulnerable," said Matthew Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak. "So it's a big concern for me."

DevvStream Secures $10M Initial Funding to Launch $300M Digital Infrastructure and Sustainability Initiative
DevvStream Secures $10M Initial Funding to Launch $300M Digital Infrastructure and Sustainability Initiative

Web Release

time14 hours ago

  • Web Release

DevvStream Secures $10M Initial Funding to Launch $300M Digital Infrastructure and Sustainability Initiative

DevvStream Corp. (Nasdaq: DEVS), a leading carbon credit and environmental asset management firm, has announced the successful closing of an initial $10 million tranche as part of a broader $300 million securities purchase agreement. The funding will support the company's bold strategy to combine blockchain-based finance with sustainability infrastructure. Under this agreement with Helena Partners, DevvStream will issue up to $300 million in senior secured convertible notes ('Senior Notes') across multiple tranches. The first $10 million was secured on July 18, 2025, marking a key milestone in the company's digital asset-backed expansion plan. Strategic Highlights: Digital Asset Allocation: DevvStream will invest 75% of the net proceeds (70% from the initial tranche) into highly liquid digital assets. These assets are intended to serve as 24/7 liquid, non-correlated stores of value and may be leveraged as collateral for future credit facilities. Tokenization Platform: The funding accelerates the company's goal to launch a tokenization platform dedicated to sustainability-linked infrastructure, aligning with its mission to make environmental investments more accessible to global investors. Environmental Asset Innovation: DevvStream is also exploring the tokenization of its existing portfolio of environmental assets, with further updates expected as the platform scales. Revenue Diversification: The company aims to diversify its revenue through crypto-based yield generation such as staking, while reducing dependence on traditional equity financing by enabling crypto-collateralized credit options. Note Conversion Terms: The Senior Notes are convertible into common shares at a price equal to 200% of the stock's closing price prior to the funding date, subject to adjustments outlined in the agreement. 'This $300 million facility allows us to improve capital efficiency, reduce dilution, and bring global investors into the carbon ecosystem through a digital gateway,' said Sunny Trinh, CEO of DevvStream. 'The combination of crypto reserves and real-world asset tokenization represents the next evolution of our capital strategy.' Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, acted as the exclusive placement agent for DevvStream.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store