How an Emirati who started at the HR ministry ended up at the helm of Crypto.com in the UAE

Mohammed Al Hakim says he was the first GCC national to take on a leading role at the helm of a crypto firm in the region. Before his move to become president and general manager for UAE and Bahrain of Crypto.com, Al Hakim was working at the Human Resources and Emiratization Ministry when Crypto.com’s President Eric Anziani asked him if he would consider joining the digital asset space. His response: “Why not?”

Now, he heads up Crypto.com’s operations in the UAE as it looks to become a financial technology platform and “put crypto in every wallet,” as Al Hakim puts it. The firm became one of the first crypto platforms to receive full operational approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in 2024, and it quickly began to integrate its payments platform across key services like flight payments for Emirates, and to enable stablecoin payments for government services — a first in the industry.

Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. This week, we spoke with Al Hakim (LinkedIn) about how working in the government helped pave the way for his partnerships with the government at Crypto.com, his preference for in-person meetings, and his daily routine. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: Tell us about yourself and your role at Crypto.com.

Mohammed Al Hakim: I oversee Crypto.com’s UAE operations and lead on strategic initiatives to expand its GCC presence. I also collaborate closely with UAE government entities, blockchains, and fintechs to strengthen the region’s leadership in digital transformation and financial innovation.

For example, I spearheaded partnership agreements with the Dubai government’s finance department to allow crypto payments on government portals, websites, and POS systems.

E: How was the experience of pitching the idea of crypto payments for government fees to the Dubai authorities?

MH: The UAE government is really open. It’s part of our hospitality as Emiratis — we always want to make everyone feel welcome and try to open the right doors for people and guide them in the right direction.

When I went to the Dubai government pitching the idea of introducing crypto payments, there were initially some questions, which is natural given that the digital asset space is still relatively new, but now everyone is comfortable with it. We put forward a comprehensive plan, making sure there was no risk on their side and they’d be settling with us the same way they would be with Visa, Mastercard, and banks. We showed them it was much faster and more convenient than using a debit or credit card.

The more traditional financial institutions took a bit more convincing, but I was getting up at 5am to make 7:30am meetings with the Central Bank of the UAE to show we were keen and able to deliver and were following all the regulations. The UAE was the first globally to have a virtual assets regulatory authority, and part of the reason behind Crypto.com’s success today is the UAE government and regulators wanting us to be successful. They believed that it wouldn’t just benefit us but the wider ecosystem itself.

E: What’s the biggest trend in the digital asset space that you’re keeping an eye on?

MH: Right now, tokenization is a massive buzzword, but it’s a phenomenon that is truly happening across the board. It has a huge future given that it’s making investing more affordable for everyone. Before, it would’ve cost a lifetime of savings to buy a studio apartment, but now you’re able to buy a fraction of it, and so everyone can get a slice of the cake.

Our conviction is that all asset classes — from equities and commodities to bonds and funds — will progressively be tokenized on the blockchain. All these technologies have the potential to reshape industries like finance, real estate, logistics, and government services, and we’re still in the early chapters of their story.

E: What does a typical morning and workday look like for you?

MH: Our team is spread across different time zones, so I am used to waking up early. I’ll pray, head to the gym to work out, eat breakfast, and then by 7:30am or 8am, I’m in the office. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are for the office, and then from Wednesday afternoon through Friday, I try to be around the DIFC area so that I can meet with clients face to face.

I’m a believer in the idea that if you want business, you have to go to it. I don’t want clients to have to come all the way to me. I also don’t prefer virtual meetings, and so whenever possible, I’ll pick up the phone instead and say I’m driving over right away. Often, I end up having back-to-back meetings all afternoon.

E: How does everyone at Crypto.com keep up with each other given the large geographical scope of operations?

MH: We speak to each other regularly. If I reach out to our group president or CFO, they’ll respond on the spot. It’s not the kind of place where you need to have an appointment. No matter where you are, you’ll get a response to your message straight away.

One thing about the Crypto.com team is that we all really love our jobs so, even on weekends, if any of us has a question, we’ll reply straight away. It’s a fun sector to be a part of, and we have this family dynamic. Sometimes on the weekend, I’ll just drop someone a message as I miss talking to them.

E: How do you switch off after the workday?

MH: When you’re the GM, there’s a responsibility there, and you need to be willing to take up that responsibility and deliver on your commitments day and night. During the recent challenges with the war, for example, I made sure to put the safety of our employees first and keep everyone updated on the situation.

E: What’s something from your earlier career days that has stuck with you?

MH: From my government days, I learned never to ignore someone — no matter how big or small the company is. It’s important to go out of your way to make time to meet them, even if only for 10 minutes. Having those conversations and showing that respect is what makes us human.

Later on in my career, I remember Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum telling me he was proud of what we’d done in the digital assets space, and he told me to keep going, right after I graduated from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Program.

Mohammed’s favorites

What he reads: I recently read The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains by Anthony Lewis, which is a very interesting read. I also like Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman. The title gives one impression, but the book is actually about something else entirely.

What he watches: I like the movie Catch Me If You Can. A governor at the central bank once compared me to the main character because I’m always running around and can be hard to keep up with.

Favorite piece of advice: One piece of advice that stuck with me was from my grandmother when I just started my first job. She told me to always remember to work with honesty and dignity, which is something I live by. People have told me they put their trust in me because I’ve always been completely honest with them.