Paribu buys majority stake in CoinMENA, expands into MENA
Turkish digital asset platform Paribu announced on December 5 that it acquired a majority stake in CoinMENA in a transaction valuing the Bahrain and Dubai operator at up to $240 million. The deal gives Paribu licensed operations in two Gulf financial centers, accelerates its regional expansion, and signals growing consolidation and institutionalization in Middle East cryptocurrency markets.
Paribu completed the acquisition of a majority stake in CoinMENA on December 5 in a transaction that values the Bahrain and Dubai exchange at up to $240 million. Paribu described the agreement as the largest fintech deal in Turkey to date and its first cross border acquisition of a digital asset platform. The purchase provides Paribu with licensed operations in Bahrain and Dubai and expands its regulated footprint across the Middle East and North Africa region.
The deal unites Paribu’s technology and scale with CoinMENA’s regional regulatory licenses, according to company statements, and is intended to accelerate product development and market reach across Gulf financial centers. For Paribu, which entered Turkey’s competitive crypto market earlier this decade, the transaction is a strategic move to secure regulated access to institutional and retail demand in markets where regulators have increasingly issued clear licensing frameworks.
Regulatory context helps explain the transaction’s significance. Governments in the Gulf have worked to formalize oversight of virtual asset service providers, offering licenses and compliance pathways that attract exchanges seeking legitimacy and institutional customers. By gaining operations in Bahrain and Dubai, Paribu moves into jurisdictions that have prioritized legal clarity for crypto firms and that serve as regional hubs for capital and technology flows.
The acquisition also reflects a wider industry trend toward consolidation in regions where exchanges must meet rising compliance standards. As regulators impose more stringent custody, anti money laundering, and market integrity requirements, scale and regulated footprints become competitive advantages. The deal therefore represents not only a corporate expansion but a structural response to an evolving regulatory environment that favors better funded, compliance ready operators.
Market implications could be material for both customers and investors. For users in the Gulf, integration of Paribu technology may lead to faster product rollouts, expanded trading pairs, and enhanced fiat on ramps. For regional institutional investors, a larger regulated operator may open avenues for custody services, staking and tokenized asset products under clearer legal frameworks. For Paribu, the acquisition should reduce barriers to cross border business and provide a platform for further MENA expansion.
The $240 million valuation sets a new benchmark for fintech transactions involving Turkish firms and signals rising investor willingness to back regulated crypto infrastructure. The combination of a Turkish technology provider with a Gulf licensed platform may accelerate bilateral capital and technology exchanges between Europe and the MENA region.
Analysts and market participants will watch how Paribu integrates CoinMENA’s compliance systems and how regional regulators respond to a foreign majority owner in locally licensed entities. The outcome will influence future cross border deals and the pace at which digital asset markets in the Middle East mature and institutionalize. Reporting Ebru Tuncay; December 5, 2025.
