Oil and financial hup launched in high-tech race, United Arab Emirates to launch first cryptocurrency (digital currency) by 2026, central bank announces Definitely, cryptocurrencies are scoring points lately. The United Arab Emirates have announced that they will launch a digital currency within five years! Several central banks around the world have recently announced similar plans, while criticizing decentralized cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. The Central Bank will "issue a virtual currency and work for the digital transition of financial services in the UAE," she said in a statement released by the official WAM agency. This announcement is part of "its 2023-2026 strategy" which aims to "place it among the top ten central banks in the world," she added. In 2019, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates announced a test phase of a common cryptocurrency for transactions between banks in two countries. The Emirates regularly display their technological ambitions, in...