Figment,the leading independent provider of institutional staking infrastructure, is deepening its presence in the Middle East as digital asset adoption accelerates across the region.
Aspartofthisexpansion,Figment has appointed Christoph Richter as its first Head of Business Development in the Middle East and announced a key partnership with UAE-based custody provider Tungsten, a trusted name in institutional digital asset services. This collaboration leverages Tungsten’s well-established industry position and existing licensing within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), enabling them to offer enhanced, non-custodial staking options to clients via Figment’s infrastructure.
The move marks a major step in expanding compliant staking access across the UAE and the broader MENA region and Christoph will be Figment’s first on-the-ground hire in the region.
“Staking can be understood as earning the risk-free rate on proof-of-stake networks like ETH and SOL,”saidChristophRichter.“Withinflationbeatingrewards and rising institutional digital asset allocations, staking is becomingacorestrategy
-and the MENA region is ready.”
A Strategic Regional Push
Figment’sformalentryintotheregionisdrivenbygrowingdemandforcompliant, reward-generating solutions aligned with long-term digital asset investment strategies.
“The Middle East is uniquely positioned to benefit from institutional staking,” said EvaLawrence,Figment’s Head of EMEA & Regional MD.“With Christoph’s deep background in traditional finance and digital assets, he’s perfectly placed to lead our growth in this high-potential market.”
Christoph will lead business development and strategic partnerships, reporting to Eva Lawrence, the Head of EMEA. He brings nearly two decades of TradFi derivatives experience, including senior roles at JP Morgan, Barclays, BNP Paribas, and UBS. In his most recent TradFirole, he led derivative solutions for Southern Europe and DACH at MUFG. Since entering the digital asset industry in 2017, he has advised top-tier firms and co-founded the proprietary BTC & ETH trading venture Vol Capital, building market neutral quantitative investment strategies.
Christoph brings a wealth of experience of working on major infrastructure Public Private Partnerships transactions across the Middle East, particularly in Saudi, building strong ties to the region’s major players and capital markets. Now based in the UAE and fluent in five languages, he brings a truly global perspective to Figment’s regional growth.
Continued Global Investment, Local Leadership
This move builds on Figment’s global expansion across EMEA, the Americas, and APAC, reflecting increased institutional demand for secure and regulatory-aligned staking solutions and cementing Figment’s leadership as the most trusted institutional staking provider. Christoph’s appointment and the partnership with Tungsten underscore Figment’s commitment to investing in local leadership and strategic infrastructure tailored to the needs of the region.