Emirates Airlines & Crypto.com Forge Landmark MoU—Crypto Payments Take Flight in 2025
Sky-high ambitions meet blockchain as Emirates Airlines inks a game-changing deal with Crypto.com. The MoU paves the way for crypto payments—because nothing says 'luxury travel' like settling your champagne bill with Bitcoin.
Why it matters: The aviation giant's pivot to digital assets signals a broader corporate embrace of crypto—even as traditional finance bros clutch their spreadsheets.
The fine print: No rollout date yet, but expect turbulence. Regulatory hurdles and volatile markets could ground this initiative faster than a Heathrow delay.
Bottom line: When legacy airlines and crypto exchanges hold hands, either the bull run is real—or someone's hedging against fiat's inevitable collapse.
Strategic Partnership Details: Millions of Users Can Now Pay With Crypto
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, and Mohammed Al Hakim, President of UAE Operations at Crypto.com, formalized the partnership at Emirates Headquarters in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Beyond payment integration, the MoU encompasses strategic collaborations, including joint marketing campaigns and customer engagement programs, designed to leverage the strengths of both organizations.
“This MoU underscores our commitment to innovation and to providing greater convenience and choice for our customers,” Cidambi stated, emphasizing how this crypto payments integration will add significant value for Dubai Duty Free’s diverse international customer base.
Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com, shared similar excitement. He highlighted the partnership’s role in expanding everyday crypto use cases, stating it will “bring real momentum to the digital asset industry” while enabling both companies to offer genuine innovative finance solutions.
Dubai Duty Free aims to provide a robust foundation for implementing crypto payments, driven by its strong financial performance during the first half of 2025, with a turnover of AED 4.118 billion (US$1.128 billion), representing a 5.34% year-over-year increase.
The collaboration builds on the company’s history of embracing cutting-edge payment technologies, having previously integrated solutions like Alipay and TerraPay to create a future-ready ecosystem for global travel retail.
Both parties will now begin feasibility studies and detailed planning to implement crypto payment solutions and roll out collaborative initiatives under the agreement.
Growing Momentum in Global Crypto Adoption
Dubai Duty Free’s crypto integration complements the UAE’s digital transformation strategy, which has already yielded a successful partnership with Crypto.com for government service payments and Dubai’s Islamic Bank for Sharia-compliant products.
Dubai has signed an agreement with global crypto exchange @cryptocom to enable cryptocurrency payments for government services.#Dubai #Cryptohttps://t.co/Ei4F5lpzAI
The timing coincides with growing global momentum for crypto payments in travel, as demonstrated by Bhutan’s recent implementation of a national-level crypto tourism payment system in partnership with Binance Pay.
Dubai’s regulatory clarity and pro-crypto stance are attracting businesses amid the EU’s stringent MiCA regulations, which have prompted crypto firms to seek more favorable jurisdictions.
The UAE’s vision of achieving 90% cashless transactions by 2026, as outlined in its Cashless Strategy, creates an ideal environment for the adoption of cryptocurrency payments.
Government officials estimate that the digital payment transition could add at least 8 billion dirhams to the local economy.
However, security concerns remain a significant barrier to widespread cryptocurrency payment adoption, with 37% of users citing hacks and fraud as the primary obstacles, according to recent industry research.
As Dubai Duty Free serves millions of international travelers annually, the partnership could further accelerate mainstream cryptocurrency adoption by demonstrating practical, everyday use cases that extend beyond current applications.
