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Emirates NBD Weighs 0.5%–1% Bitcoin Allocation After CIO Calls It 'Digital Gold'

The remarks signal a cautious move toward regulated digital-asset exposure in the UAE under VARA oversight.

Overview

  • Group CIO Maurice Gravier told CNBC the bank is evaluating Bitcoin for balanced portfolios in a 0.5% to 1% range, with no purchase decided yet.
  • Emirates NBD’s internal models estimate Bitcoin’s 12‑month fair value near $100,000, a view presented as an outlook under review rather than a commitment.
  • The bank is focusing exclusively on Bitcoin as a monetary asset and is not considering other networks for this potential allocation.
  • Sizing remains uncertain: the asset management arm reportedly oversees about $16 billion, while a hypothetical 0.5% applied to the $272 billion balance sheet would exceed $1 billion.
  • Separately, analyst reports say the Lightning Network topped $1 billion in monthly volume in November, pointing to growing payment usage even as price volatility persists.