Dave and Dharmesh are joined by Stephanie Emile, General Manager of Binance FZE based out of the UAE, to demystify the evolving world of crypto, regulation, and adoption. Stephanie shares her journey of building Binance’s regulated home in Dubai, where the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has emerged as a pioneering, crypto-native regulator. The conversation explores how the UAE’s forward-thinking stance positioned it ahead of global peers, taking bold steps even in the aftermath of events like the FTX collapse. Stephanie highlights the UAE’s pragmatic “try, learn, adapt” culture, contrasting it with slower traditional regulators such as the FCA. Key themes include: Regulation as an enabler: Why licensing and collaboration with regulators matter for building trust with users, banks, and institutions. User experience and adoption: The crypto space must become simpler, safer, and more intuitive for mass adoption – from wallets to payments to everyday transactions. The role of advisors: Just as financial advisors guide traditional investments, Stephanie argues that they will need to integrate digital assets into portfolios, supported by education initiatives like Binance Academy. Global outlook: From the UAE’s stablecoin projects to Trump’s stance against CBDCs, the discussion touches on how regulation in the US and elsewhere may shape the future of digital assets. Africa’s potential: With high adoption and demand for financial freedom, Africa emerges as a vital region for Binance’s long-term vision. Stephanie leaves listeners with a view of crypto not as a speculative playground, but as a tool for financial freedom, lower-cost remittances, and real-world use cases. Regulation, education, and innovation, she argues, will bring digital assets into the mainstream — not kill them.
