In a press statement published on September 13, OpenNode stated that the solution is guided by the growing interest in digital assets across the Middle East. The company noted that the solution would be central to pushing economic growth while supporting businesses.  Once deployed, OpenNode said that the payment solution would usher in the room to develop similar products in the future.  According to Dalal Buhejji from the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Bitcoin payment solution is part of the growing digital economy in a regulated space. 

Bahrain’s focus on developing crypto sector  

Indeed, Bahrain has recently focused on improving the environment for businesses in the crypto space after releasing the Regulatory Sandbox to develop the country’s FinTech ecosystem to diversify the digital economy. Part of the framework allows crypto entities to conduct real-time research in a controlled environment but under the surveillance of a regulator.  The development of the Bitcoin payment processor highlights Bahrain’s continued efforts to develop the cryptocurrency sector. In the recent past, the country has also enabled more businesses to set up bases in the region.  For instance, in May 2022, the CBB granted a Category 4 license to cryptocurrency exchange Binance, allowing the platform to offer a wider range of services to users in the country.  At the time, Binance was the first crypto service provider to hold a full Category 4 license in Bahrain.