"We're born in UAE, we're not adapting a global Crypto product to fit the region we're building for it!"

Few founders build two standout exchanges on two different continents. Omar Abbas, ex-RBC banker and co-founder of Canada's NDAX, is doing just that—this time with BurjX, a regulated digital asset platform purpose-built for the Middle East.

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Backed by ADGM's FSRA In-Principle Approval, BurjX offers bank-grade custody, AED fiat ramps, and a seamless experience for both retail and institutional users. Built natively in the UAE, it's setting a new benchmark for trust, compliance, and digital asset infrastructure in the region.

In this exclusive, Omar shares how BurjX plans to raise the bar for digital asset platforms in MENA—and why the next generation of crypto infrastructure must be built with regulation, resilience, and real utility at its core.

With the Middle East emerging as a global crypto hub, what unique advantages—and challenges—do you see in building digital asset infrastructure tailored for this region?

The Middle East is on the cusp of a transformational shift. A young, tech-native population, rising interest from sovereign wealth funds, and a bold regulatory vision – anchored by ADGM's world-class framework – are positioning the UAE to become the global capital of crypto.

But something critical is still missing: infrastructure grounded in trust – platforms offering bank-grade custody, intuitive user experience, and the reliability that both everyday users and institutions expect.

That's why we built BurjX. We saw the gap up close. Global platforms often treat MENA as an afterthought, while local ones haven't kept pace with the rising demand for trust, scale, and sophistication.

So, we started from scratch – building in the UAE, for the world. A unified platform that brings regulated custody and seamless trading together under one roof. Not just another trading platform, but one built to scale, to last, and to lead.

As global markets reel from trust issues in crypto, how critical is regulation in restoring credibility—and what makes ADGM's framework a model for the rest of the world?