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Traditional banking is firmly built on regulations, with banks being among the most strictly regulated institutions in the world. The world of digital assets is based on decentralization and disintermediation. Dereck Hoogenkamp is bringing these two together, and as he told\u00a0CoinGeek Backstage<\/a>, he believes he can leverage the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n The chairman of investment and private equity firm Yalla Limited tells CoinGeek\u2019s Becky Liggero that he is bridging banking and blockchain through his company.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see that the big institutions and the banks can\u2019t really enter this digital world, this new economy,\u201d he told CoinGeek Backstage at the sidelines of\u00a0AIBC Dubai<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hoogenkamp\u2019s firm understands just how stringent banking regulators are, and as such, it\u2019s fully compliant. It has licenses to offer custody, escrow services, PSP services, exchange services, credit card systems, insurance coverage, stablecoins backed by physical U.S. dollars that are audited live, and more.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have all these stuff in one platform, and it\u2019s something no one has done before,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n Hoogenkamp,\u00a0who is a big fan of the metaverse,<\/a>\u00a0also discussed the rise of Dubai as a blockchain hub. The city has become a global destination for all things blockchain, including hosting some of the biggest events in the space, most recently the\u00a0BSV Global Blockchain Convention<\/a>.\u00a0In addition, the city has integrated blockchain into its public service and systems on a scale that no other city globally has achieved.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s completely insane. Everyone is moving here. Dubai is the new hub for blockchain and crypto,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n According to Hoogenkamp, Dubai\u2019s rise to the top is not a fluke. After all, the city has been working to attract the tech world for some time now, and its rise is just the fruition of its hard labor, he told CoinGeek Backstage.<\/p>\n As CoinGeek\u00a0reported<\/a>, Dubai\u2019s rise is a combination of factors that include heavy investment in\u00a0blockchain initiatives<\/a>\u00a0by both the government and the private sector, as well as the promulgation of enabling laws.<\/p>\n Watch: AIBC Dubai 2022 highlights: Akon, play to earn games & using blockchain tech to do good<\/p>\n New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek\u2019s\u00a0<\/i><\/b>Bitcoin for Beginners<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin\u2014as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto\u2014and blockchain.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n