Paribu Makes $240M Power Move: Acquires CoinMENA in Major MENA Expansion
Turkish crypto giant Paribu just dropped a quarter-billion-dollar bet on the Middle East.
The Strategic Play
Forget dipping a toe—Paribu is diving headfirst into the MENA region's digital asset pool. The acquisition of CoinMENA, a platform licensed by Bahrain's central bank, isn't just a purchase; it's a masterclass in regulatory arbitrage. Paribu bypasses the grind of securing its own licenses by buying a ready-made, compliant gateway. It's the corporate equivalent of cutting the line.
The $240M Signal
That price tag speaks louder than any press release. It screams conviction in a market flush with petrodollars and hungry for digital diversification. While traditional finance fiddles with spreadsheets, crypto players are writing checks that reshape entire regions overnight. One cynic might note it's cheaper to buy a regulated exchange than to lobby for favorable laws back home.
Redrawing the Map
This move fractures the old geographic silos. A Turkish firm now controls a key Bahraini-regulated on-ramp, setting the stage for a liquidity surge across borders. Watch for talent wars, feature battles, and a scramble for partnerships as the competitive landscape gets a violent shake-up.
The message is clear: in the new finance, growth isn't just organic—it's acquired.
First big fintech purchase
Paribu said this is Türkiye’s biggest fintech deal to date and also the country’s first cross-border purchase of a regulated crypto platform. CoinMENA was started in 2020 by Talal Tabbaa and Dina Sam’an. The platform is approved by Dubai’s VIRTUAL Assets Regulatory Authority and the Central Bank of Bahrain.
It serves more than 1.5 million users across 45 countries and offers over 50 cryptocurrencies. It also supports many local currencies in the region. Over the years, CoinMENA has raised almost $20 million from investors such as BECO, Arab Bank Switzerland, Circle, and Bunat Ventures.
Yasin Oral, Paribu’s Founder and CEO, commented on the acquisition, stating, “This transaction is a turning point not only for Paribu but also for the digital asset and broader finance ecosystem in Türkiye and the MENA region.”
He added, “With this acquisition, we have expanded our licensed operations to a wider geography, becoming a regulated player in one of the world’s most crypto-adoptive markets.” Oral also explained that this step opens a new chapter for Paribu as it grows in other countries.
Tabbaa and Sam’an said that the mix of CoinMENA’s local experience and Paribu’s technology will help them offer better digital-asset services for users across Türkiye and MENA.
Why the region matters for crypto growth
Paribu has also been growing its services in Türkiye. In 2024, the company launched Paribu Custody, the country’s first digital asset custody service using its own ColdShield security system. In 2025, the Capital Markets Board approved Paribu to set up a brokerage company, which allows it to enter the capital markets sector.
This acquisition comes at a time when crypto use in the region is rising. According to a report from Chainalysis, Turkey became the leading crypto market in MENA in 2025, handling nearly $200 billion in transactions. MENA overall saw more than half a trillion dollars in crypto activity, led by growth in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan.
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