tl;dr
RAK Properties, a titan in Ras Al Khaimah’s real estate scene, has just shaken up the industry by announcing it will accept cryptocurrencies for international property deals. This bold move isn’t just a win for the company—it’s a signpost in the UAE’s relentless drive to embrace digital assets. Buye...
RAK Properties, a titan in Ras Al Khaimah’s real estate scene, has just shaken up the industry by announcing it will accept cryptocurrencies for international property deals. This bold move isn’t just a win for the company—it’s a signpost in the UAE’s relentless drive to embrace digital assets. Buyers can now pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether’s USDT, and others, thanks to a partnership with Hubpay, a regional payments platform. Hubpay’s role is clear: convert crypto into UAE dirhams and deposit the fiat into RAK Properties’ accounts. It’s a win-win—compliance, stability, and flexibility for customers.
RAK Properties’ CFO, Rahul Jogani, put it simply: “This opens the door to a new wave of digitally savvy, investment-focused buyers.” And why not? The UAE is racing to become a global hub for crypto, with Ras Al Khaimah eager to lure international investors. After all, the emirate’s real estate market is already booming. Since listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in 2005, RAK Properties has grown to a $1.3 billion market cap, with 12 major projects in the works for 2025. Its 2024 net profit jumped 39% to 281 million dirhams—proof that this isn’t just hype, but a calculated leap forward.
But RAK’s move is part of a larger story. The UAE is positioning itself as a crypto-friendly powerhouse, with analysts predicting the sector could become the country’s second-largest industry in five years. Chainalysis data backs this up: retail crypto transactions in the UAE surged 75% year-over-year by mid-2024. Meanwhile, global players like Coinbase and OKX are eyeing Australia’s retirement savings system, where self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) hold a quarter of the nation’s retirement assets. These funds are now a key gateway for crypto adoption, and Coinbase and OKX are stepping in with tailored services—custody solutions, compliance tools, and even referrals to accountants.
The numbers speak volumes: SMSFs held $1.7 billion in digital assets as of March 2025, a sevenfold jump since 2021. Coinbase’s waiting list for its SMSF service already has over 500 investors, many planning to allocate up to $100,000 in crypto. OKX’s recent launch in Australia saw demand blow expectations out of the water.
This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about shifting attitudes. In the U.S., Fidelity’s 2022 Bitcoin 401(k) option sparked a firestorm, with the Department of Labor initially warning against crypto in retirement plans. But by 2025, the Labor Department reversed course, giving plan sponsors the green light. Then came Trump’s executive order, “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors,” which aimed to let retirees dabble in crypto, private equity, and more.
The response? A mix of praise and caution. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer called the move a win for savers, while critics warned of risks to retirement security. But one thing is clear: the world of finance is changing, and crypto is no longer a niche experiment—it’s a mainstream player. Whether it’s RAK Properties in the UAE, SMSFs in Australia, or 401(k)s in the U.S., the message is the same: the future of money is being written in code.
So, what’s next? Will crypto become the new standard for real estate, retirement, and beyond? The answer may lie not in the hands of regulators or investors, but in the choices of everyday people who are now holding digital keys to a financial revolution.