In August, Arkham Intelligence published data that reshaped the understanding of the geography of state crypto reserves. The United Arab Emirates ranked fourth globally by the volume of Bitcoin under government control. Around 6,333 BTC — roughly $740 million at the current rate — were recorded on state addresses.
Unlike the U.S., China, or the U.K., whose crypto reserves were largely formed through confiscations and seizures from private players, the Emirates took a different path. Their Bitcoins were mined industrially. Behind this stands Citadel Mining, part of the Royal Group and IHC — structures directly linked to the Abu Dhabi ruling family. Thus, this is a state-backed strategic mining project, not incidental inflows into the treasury.
According to Arkham, the total volume of assets mined by Citadel Mining reaches 9,300 BTC, of which about 6,300 remain in wallets identified as state-owned. These figures are recorded on-chain and confirmed by independent sources, including satellite images of data centers and matches with energy consumption reports.
The UAE’s entry into the “top 4” largest Bitcoin holders shows that the oil power is deliberately transforming part of its resources into digital assets. This is no longer a one-time operation but a systemic policy: the Emirates are creating a new layer of sovereign wealth by building a crypto reserve independent of confiscations and geopolitical collisions.
Source: Forklog
