ARP Digital opens Gulf payment corridor

ARP Digital has joined the Fireblocks Network for Payments as its designated GCC corridor settlement partner, giving fintechs, payment service providers and financial institutions a regulated route into Gulf payment corridors through a single integration.

The arrangement positions the Bahrain-licensed digital capital infrastructure platform as a settlement counterparty for Fireblocks’ global network, with live rails covering the UAE dirham, Bahraini dinar and other Gulf currencies. It is designed to support fiat-in and fiat-out settlement, stablecoin-powered cross-border payments, liquidity movement and compliant institutional access to regional currency corridors.

Fireblocks’ payments network, launched in September 2025, connects more than 40 payment providers across more than 100 countries. Its expansion into the Gulf addresses a long-standing gap in stablecoin-based settlement infrastructure, where global fintechs and payment firms have often faced fragmented local banking relationships, regulatory complexity and limited access to licensed counterparties.

ARP Digital operates under a Capital Market Crypto Assets Service Provider Category 3 licence from the Central Bank of Bahrain. It has also secured in-principle approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, strengthening its regulated footprint across two of the region’s most active digital asset jurisdictions.

The company said its infrastructure will allow Fireblocks participants to access Gulf settlement services through one licensed counterparty rather than building separate local integrations. The model is expected to appeal to payment companies handling remittances, merchant settlement, treasury transfers and business-to-business cross-border flows.

Ran Goldi, senior vice-president for payments and network at Fireblocks, said institutional stablecoin settlement required regulated local partners in major financial corridors. He said the GCC was one of the world’s highest-volume payment markets and that ARP Digital brought local currency rails, licensing depth and institutional capacity to the network.

ARP Digital has processed more than $3.5bn in transaction volume across more than 450 institutional and corporate counterparties. The company also recorded fourfold year-on-year volume growth in 2025, reflecting rising demand for regulated digital asset settlement and cross-border payment infrastructure in the Gulf.

Abdulaziz Kanoo, co-founder of ARP Digital, said the integration places the company as a regulated entry point into the GCC for institutions operating on Fireblocks’ payment network. Abdulla Kanoo, also a co-founder, said the partnership advances the firm’s strategy of embedding Gulf settlement infrastructure into the global stablecoin payment ecosystem.

The agreement comes as stablecoins gain traction in institutional payments, particularly where companies are seeking faster settlement, lower correspondent banking friction and improved liquidity management. Cross-border payments remain one of the clearest commercial uses for stablecoins, especially in corridors where settlement windows, banking costs and foreign-exchange processes can delay conventional transfers.

The Gulf is central to that shift. The region handles large remittance and corporate payment flows, supported by expatriate workforces, energy trade, investment activity and growing digital commerce. The UAE and Bahrain have also moved to establish clearer regulatory frameworks for virtual assets, giving licensed firms a more structured environment in which to serve institutional clients.

For Fireblocks, the integration expands its network beyond custody and wallet infrastructure into practical payment corridor access. The company says its infrastructure has secured more than $14tn in digital asset transfers, serving banks, fintechs, exchanges, payment companies and institutional trading firms. Its payments network is intended to bring local rails, stablecoins, compliance controls and liquidity providers into a single operating layer.

The ARP Digital link also strengthens Bahrain’s standing as a regulated digital asset hub. The kingdom was among the earliest Gulf jurisdictions to introduce a dedicated crypto-asset rulebook, giving licensed firms defined obligations around governance, risk management, custody, anti-money laundering controls and client protection. That framework has helped attract companies seeking a regulated base for regional digital asset activity.

The competitive landscape is tightening. Banks, payment processors, stablecoin issuers and blockchain infrastructure firms are all trying to capture institutional payment flows as digital asset settlement moves from experimental use cases into operating infrastructure. Circle, Banking Circle, Yellow Card, Zodia Markets, Reap and other providers are part of a broader ecosystem targeting treasury, remittance, merchant and on/off-ramp services.