The UAE is seeing a major transformation in Eidiya – the tradition of gifting money to younger family members during Eid – being reimagined for the digital era.
The shift comes amidst the UAE continuing to lead the MENA region in cryptocurrency adoption.
This is also evident from recent figures showing that downloads of the top 49 crypto apps in the UAE surged to 15 million in 2024, marking a 41 percent annual increase, Bitpanda said.
In January 2025 alone, the country recorded 3.55 million crypto app installations, highlighting a clear appetite for digital assets, it said, adding that with user penetration expected to hit 39.1 percent by the end of 2025, crypto is no longer a fringe trend—it’s becoming a household norm.
It said the transition is also seeing people gifting their younger ones a fraction of Bitcoin or setting up a savings plan in Ethereum, instead of the usual cash envelope, introducing the loved ones to the digital economy.
“The UAE’s proactive regulatory environment has positioned it as a global leader in digital finance,” said Nadeem Ladki, Global Head of Bitpanda Technology Solutions.
“Gifting digital assets this Eid not only honours tradition, but also empowers recipients with a stake in the burgeoning digital economy,” he said.
Ladki said a gift of AED100 of BTC for Eid last year would now be worth AED124, reflecting a 24 per cent growth overall, highlighting the potential of digital assets as a meaningful and forward-thinking gift.
He said the movement is backed by a strong foundation, with the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) continuing to expand its recognised crypto tokens list, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) rolling out the world’s first DLT Foundations Framework, enabling legal structures for blockchain-based organisations.
The Central Bank of the UAE recently approved AE Coin, the country’s first dirham-pegged stablecoin, unlocking faster and more affordable digital transactions.
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