ruya Becomes the First Islamic Bank to Offer Bitcoin and Virtual Asset Investments

In a landmark development for Islamic finance and digital banking, ruya (رويا), the UAE's digital-first Islamic bank, has become the first Islamic bank globally to offer

The UAE's digital-first Islamic bank, ruya (رويا), has become the first Islamic bank in the world to offer customers direct access to virtual asset investments, including Bitcoin, through its mobile app, the bank announced on Wednesday.

The new service is being launched in partnership with Fuze, a licensed leader in virtual asset infrastructure. Together, they aim to provide a seamless and ethical entry point into the digital economy, with services that are fully Shari’ah-compliant and align with the principles of Islamic finance.

"At ruya, we are relentlessly focused on transforming the financial landscape in the UAE by introducing forward-thinking services while remaining true to our mission of ethical Islamic banking," said Christoph Koster, CEO of ruya.

"Our goal is to integrate virtual assets seamlessly into our investment platform, enabling our customers to participate in the digital economy in a sustainable and responsible manner. We can also assure our customers that the virtual assets we are offering on our ruya investment platform are Shari’ah-compliant, providing much-needed certainty."

The launch comes as the UAE continues to experience rapid growth in its virtual asset sector. In the year to June 2024, the country received more than $30 billion in virtual assets, marking a 42% year-on-year increase. This is a rate of recovery that is significantly faster than the regional average of 11.7%, according to Statista.

The move underscores the UAE's emergence as a major hub for digital finance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

"Partnering with ruya is a big step towards making virtual assets a seamless part of everyday banking," said Mohammed Ali Yusuf (Mo Ali Yusuf), Co-Founder and CEO of Fuze.

"Together, we're combining Fuze's cutting-edge infrastructure with ruya's commitment to ethical Islamic banking. This collaboration will create unique opportunities to engage a new generation of investors interested in alternative investment avenues."

Unlike other platforms that may encourage speculative crypto trading, ruya's offering is embedded within a broader, curated investment framework designed to support long-term financial growth. It will leverage the principles of transparency, fairness, and ethical investing—which are also central tenets of Islamic finance—to introduce these new asset classes to a broader segment of investors.

To maximize accessibility and ensure customers make informed decisions, ruya will also be offering support through its community centers and hybrid call centers, where customers can receive expert guidance on virtual asset investing.