Manama, November 5, 2025 — The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Binance to join its Link Program, becoming the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) banking institution to integrate crypto trading directly into its mobile banking platform. The agreement was formalized during the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum Bahrain 2025, reinforcing Bahrain’s role as a regional leader in digital finance and crypto innovation.
Through the partnership, BBK will embed Binance’s white-label Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution via plug-and-play APIs, enabling customers to buy, sell, and manage digital assets without leaving the BBK app or opening a separate Binance account. The service will feature a dedicated digital asset dashboard, providing customers with a unified view of their crypto and traditional investments.
Yaser Alsharifi, Group CEO of BBK, said the collaboration supports Bahrain’s national fintech vision and aligns with the bank’s goal of building a secure and inclusive financial ecosystem. Tameem Al Moosawi, General Manager of Binance Bahrain, praised BBK’s move as a milestone for the Kingdom’s leadership in crypto-asset innovation, while Catherine Chen, Binance’s Head of VIP and Institutional Business, noted that institutional demand for digital asset solutions in the GCC is “growing exponentially.”
The announcement follows another MoU between BBK and ATME, a digital asset exchange licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain, to explore tokenization opportunities using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in asset management and investment solutions.
Alongside its innovation drive, BBK reported strong Q3 2025 financial results, achieving a net profit of BD 17.9 million, up 8.5% year-on-year, with total assets rising 9.6% to BD 4.6 billion. The bank’s total comprehensive income also surged 115% to BD 44.5 million, reflecting improved fee income, reduced provisions, and solid investment performance.
Together, these initiatives highlight BBK’s commitment to digital transformation, embedded finance, and wealth management modernization, solidifying Bahrain’s position as a fintech hub for the GCC.
