Emirates Airline signed a memorandum of understanding with crypto exchange Crypto.com on 9 July, paving the way for customers to pay for flight tickets and in-airport purchases using Bitcoin and other digital assets via the Crypto.com Pay platform. The Gulf carrier said the technical integration is expected to be completed next year, subject to security and compliance reviews. The agreement was signed in Dubai by Emirates deputy president and chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim and Crypto.com’s UAE president Mohammed Al Hakim in the presence of Emirates chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Kazim said the move is aimed at attracting “younger, tech-savvy customer segments who prefer digital currencies.” By embracing cryptocurrency payments, Emirates aligns itself with the United Arab Emirates’ broader push to position the country as a global hub for digital assets. Dubai set up the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in 2022, and the city’s DMCC free zone now hosts more than 650 crypto companies. Regional peer Air Arabia began accepting the UAE dirham-backed stablecoin AE Coin earlier this year. If launched as planned in 2026, Emirates would become one of the world’s largest airlines to accept cryptocurrency, extending a growing list of sectors in the UAE—ranging from property to public services—that now offer digital-asset payment options.