Kalam Crypto #125: Apple Crypto Pay & the UAE Court Approves Crypto Salaries

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” Steve Jobs

Ahlan wa sahlan, and welcome to the 125th edition of CoinMENA’s weekly newsletter, Kalam Crypto. This week, a Dubai court ruled in favor of cryptocurrency salary payments, Apple is considering enabling crypto payments through Apple Pay, Floki gets promoted to the premier league, and the Solana ETF application is rejected! All this and more in this week’s Kalam Crypto.

Local News 📍

Pay me in Crypto? Dubai Court Rules in Favor of Cryptocurrency Salary Payments: A Dubai court has set a significant legal precedent by ordering a company to pay an employee in cryptocurrency. This ruling not only aligns with the UAE's progressive stance on digital assets but also formally recognizes crypto as a legitimate form of payment. The decision could have far-reaching implications for how businesses in Dubai and the broader UAE manage crypto transactions in the future.

Global News 🌍

Crypto Apple Pay: Apple is reportedly considering enabling crypto payments on its Apple Pay "Tap to Pay" feature. This move could significantly boost the adoption of cryptocurrencies by allowing users to make payments directly with crypto using their iPhones. If implemented, it would mark a major step forward for integrating digital currencies into mainstream financial systems, potentially making Apple a key player in the crypto payments space.

SEC Rejects Solana ETF Application: The SEC rejected Cboe BZX’s 19b-4 filings for two prospective spot Solana ETFs, citing concerns about Solana's classification as a security, leading to their withdrawal from the Cboe website. Despite this, issuers 21Shares and VanEck are still pursuing Solana ETFs, with their filings active on the SEC’s EDGAR system. The rejected filings may be refiled or amended to address the SEC's concerns.

Floki Gets Promoted to The Premier League: Floki, a popular digital asset on CoinMENA, has secured major sponsorship deals with several English Premier League (EPL) teams, including Fulham and Everton. These partnerships will see the Floki logo prominently displayed on team kits and throughout stadiums, giving the crypto brand significant visibility in one of the world's most popular sports leagues. The deals mark a strategic move to boost Floki's global recognition and engagement with a broader audience.

Face Palm of the Week 🤦‍♂️

The IMF proposed an 85% tax on bitcoin mining. Here’s what our CEO Talal Tabbaa had to say about it: “The IMF’s proposal for an 85% energy tax on Bitcoin miners underscores a fundamental misunderstanding of Bitcoin, energy, and free markets. Such a tax would stifle innovation, increase costs, and be nearly impossible to enforce globally—hence the existence of "tax havens." This would simply push miners to less regulated areas. Deciding what energy use is good or bad should be left to free markets, not regulators. Taxing Bitcoin mining because of its energy use is as illogical as taxing airplanes for using more energy than sailboats—such logic stifles progress and innovation. Free markets should be allowed to evolve and address energy concerns naturally; otherwise, we’d all still be crossing the globe in sailboats.”

CoinMENA News 🗞️

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💰Earn 20 USDC! Get 20 USDC by depositing or withdrawing USDC via the Stellar network! Act quickly, this offer is exclusive to the first 1,000 qualifying users. 

🚨New Feature Alert: Free USDT Withdrawals via Tron! Yes! You read that correctly. You can now withdraw (send) #USDT via #Tron’s TRC-20 anywhere in the world and pay ZERO fees! This special offer won’t last forever, so take advantage of it while it lasts! Read more about this offer here: https://www.coinmena.com/en/blog/3op9CEregyrmb7LuQdLqgB 

Tweet Of The Week 🐥

You don’t need to be a multi-billion dollar company to reap the benefits of adopting a bitcoin standard!

Quiz Corner ✅ 

Last week’s question: What caused last week’s market volatility?

The correct answer is B. The unwinding of the Yen carry trade

This week’s question is: Which cryptocurrency project recently secured major sponsorship deals with English Premier League teams?

a) Shiba Inu b) Floki c) Dogecoin d) Solana

See the answer in next week’s newsletter. Or check out our new learning platform https://university.coinmena.com/