Your phone app might soon have a crypto button – here’s the catch

botim money has signed an MoU with Binance to study safe, regulated digital asset access inside the botim app for users in the UAE. Here’s what it means, what it doesn’t, and why it matters.

botim money and Binance plan crypto access for the UAE

Botim money, the fintech arm inside the botim app, has signed a MoU with Binance during Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai. The two companies want to figure out how UAE users could safely access digital assets, such as crypto, from within botim’s existing money features. It’s about research and design for now, not a live “Buy Bitcoin” button yet. But for an app already used daily for calls, chats and payments across the UAE, it’s a clear signal of where botim wants to go next.

If you’ve been following botim’s shift into fintech on tbreak, from its big AI-fintech rebrand to new investing features, this MoU feels like the next logical step in that story.

botim money and Binance have signed an MoU to study ways of giving UAE users access to digital assets inside botim.
The focus is on safe, compliant access that fits the UAE’s existing regulations, not a live product launch today.
botim money already powers payments, transfers and other financial services inside the botim app, targeting both banked and unbanked users.
Binance brings its global crypto exchange and blockchain experience to the table, including institutional-grade infrastructure.
Both sides say the goal is broader financial participation in the region, especially for communities that struggle with traditional banking.

What botim money actually is today

botim money is not some bolt-on wallet. It’s the regulated financial layer underneath botim, the app built on UAE roots that started life as a free VoIP calling service and now wants to be your everyday money app.

Part of Astra Tech’s wider ecosystem
Licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE
Holds SVF and RPSCS licences (stored value + retail payments)
Offers digital wallets, remittances, local and international transfers, in-store and online payments
Also runs a B2B arm, botim money business, for merchants and payroll flows

In plain English: botim money already lets people in the UAE send money, pay in shops and online, handle remittances and plug into business payment rails — all inside an app they were already using for calls and chat. The company also talks a lot about serving the underserved and unbanked, people who either can’t or don’t want to deal with full-fat bank accounts.

If you want a sense of how fast botim has been morphing into a fintech-first super app, we’ve covered earlier milestones like its fractional investing tie-ups and AI-first redesign on tbreak.

What the MoU with Binance actually covers

An MoU is a formal “let’s work on this together” document, not a full commercial launch. Here, the scope is very clear: study safe, compliant ways to give botim users access to digital assets in the UAE.

Signed during Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai
Focused on the UAE market and its regulatory frameworks
Binance brings crypto and digital asset expertise
botim brings its payments rails, user base and local licences
Both sides will look at how services could sit inside the UAE’s existing rules

Right now, there’s no list of coins, no exact launch date, and no confirmed feature set. The language is about “exploring solutions” and “studying” how services might be structured. That’s normal in a market like the UAE, where regulators have been open to digital assets but expect firms to colour inside the lines. Any future feature in the botim app will have to play nicely with that compliance-first environment — think clear onboarding, KYC, and clean separation between licensed entities.

Why this matters for UAE users and the unbanked

The PR leans hard on one specific angle: financial inclusion. botim money already claims to support users who have limited access to traditional banking. Adding digital assets, if done properly, could give that same group more ways to hold and move value.

Focus on underserved and unbanked communities
Aim to give “simplified and secure” digital asset access
Services expected to sit inside “safe, regulated channels”
Could extend from everyday payments into savings and investment behaviours
Ties into the region’s wider push for digital financial participation

Of course, crypto isn’t a magic fix for financial exclusion. But when you combine a super-app like botim — something people already use for calls, bills and transfers — with a heavyweight crypto exchange like Binance, you’re basically building rails where users don’t have to juggle five different apps and on-ramps. Done right, a worker sending money home or a small business owner handling cross-border payments could eventually see digital assets as just another option inside the same interface they already trust.

For a wider look at how UAE fintech is reshaping payments and access to money, have a scroll through our coverage of regional payment apps and split-pay services on tbreak.

Binance’s role: from “crypto exchange” to embedded infrastructure

Binance will be the tech and digital asset specialist in this relationship. The company runs one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges by trading volume and registered users and has been pushing hard on compliance and institutional products.

Operates a global crypto trading platform and broader blockchain ecosystem
Services range from retail trading to institutional, payments and Web3 tools
Brings security tooling, custody methods and risk systems
Has a local presence and licence structure tailored to the UAE market

In comments around the MoU, Binance frames this as part of crypto’s shift from “niche” to something that quietly sits inside normal financial services. For botim users, that could mean digital asset access that doesn’t feel like a full-on trading app at all — more like another tab in the same money section they use to pay bills or send AED to friends.

What happens next (and what this is

not yet)

Important reality check: this is not a product launch you can download today. It’s the early stage where lawyers, compliance teams and product managers argue over structure, flows and risk.

No live crypto feature has been announced inside botim yet
No token list, pricing, or exact UX has been detailed
Any launch will depend on UAE regulatory approvals
Expect a phased, pilot-style rollout rather than a flip-the-switch moment
Users should treat this as a signal of direction, not an investment invite

The fact it was announced during Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai is more symbolic than technical. It underlines how central the UAE has become to Web3 and fintech players — and how local “everyday” apps like botim want to sit right in the middle of that. For now, the most practical move for users is to keep an eye on in-app updates and official botim and Binance channels, rather than chase rumours on Telegram.

If you’re curious how other UAE residents are already brushing against crypto, our look at du’s Cloud Miner subscription gives a good snapshot of how mainstream the space is becoming here.

FAQs

Is crypto live inside the botim app right now?

No. The announcement is about a Memorandum of Understanding between botim money and Binance. That means both sides will study how to offer safe, compliant access to digital assets for UAE users. It is not a confirmation that crypto trading or wallets are live inside botim today.

What exactly did botim money and Binance agree to?

They agreed to work together on potential solutions that combine Binance’s digital asset expertise with botim money’s existing payment and fintech infrastructure in the UAE. The goal is to find practical, regulated ways for users to access digital assets from within the botim ecosystem.

Who regulates botim money in the UAE?

botim money is licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE. It holds a Stored Value Facility (SVF) licence plus a Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes (RPSCS) licence, covering its digital wallet and payment activities. Any crypto-related features built on top would need to respect this regulatory framework and any additional rules that apply to digital assets.

Will I be able to buy and trade any coin on Binance through botim?

That’s unknown at this stage. The announcement doesn’t mention which assets might be supported or how deep the integration could go. The focus is on “safe and compliant” access tailored to the UAE regulatory environment, so the final offering may be more limited and curated than Binance’s global platform.

Why are they talking so much about the unbanked and underserved?

Because a big part of botim money’s pitch is financial inclusion: giving people who struggle with traditional banking easier ways to pay, transfer and now potentially invest, using tools they already know. Adding digital assets through a partner like Binance could extend that mission, as long as the products remain simple, secure and accessible from inside the same app, rather than buried in complex trading interfaces.