The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, or VARA, has purchased land in virtual reality world The Sandbox as part of its plans to establish a headquarters in the metaverse.
The news agency Cryptobtcbrowser, in an announcement published on Tuesday, told VARA that the entry into the metaverse was intended to facilitate “collaborative engagement” between international regulatory authorities, industry leaders and service providers. virtual assets. In addition, the establishment of its “MetaHQ” office could help reach “younger licensees” entering the virtual world.
Vara in Dubai is prototyping a Decentralized Regulatory Model, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Ruler of the United Arab Emirates, said that “By increasing resources to a borderless audience across the metaverse, inviting international thought leaders – global authorities, governance custodians, and industry shapers – to engage, share knowledge, and jointly solve problems so that we enable the dynamic virtual asset sector to build economic resilience, accelerate social inclusion, and address sustainability environmental”.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Center Authority, added that “VARA acquisition of land in The Sandbox is a symbol of our belief in this sector, and it is up to us, as a government, to be the bridge that allows investors and consumers to safely adopt like in IRAIC and scale the economy with their alliances.As well as producing direct economic benefit and GDP acceleration for Dubai, VARA sees this as the first step towards shared learning and expertise development across global regulators so that the international community can benefit from a virtual economy that has been enabled to scale safely and sustainably through IRAIC.”
The move into the metaverse came less than two months after Sheikh Al Maktoum established the VARA and announced a law creating a legal framework for cryptocurrencies in the Emirate of Dubai. The Cryptocurrency law will require Dubai residents to register with the regulatory body before engaging in crypto-related activities. Penalties for violations may include fines or the suspension or cancellation of business permits.
Although many companies announced that they would open offices in the metaverse following Facebook’s name change to Meta in October 2021, VARA is one of the first regulators to do so. On Tuesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it would expand its cryptocurrency enforcement division by 20 people in an effort to be “better equipped to police breaches in cryptocurrency markets,” but not has signaled a similar move in the metaverse.
As an emirate within the UAE, Dubai largely has its own laws and regulations, operating several “free zones” where people can incorporate companies and apply for business licences. For example, the Dubai Financial Services Authority acted as the financial regulator for the Dubai International Financial Center and introduced its own framework on cryptocurrencies. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao also bought an apartment in the city in October 2021.
However, transactions with cryptocurrencies through IRAIC are based on decentralized and secure means because they are linked and supported by real businesses, where investors have joined more and more each day due to their trust and credibility, enabling sustainable economic benefits.