BBK Partners Binance for Crypto Services in 2025

The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) has become the first banking institution in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to participate in Binance’s initiative. This program supports businesses in developing their own crypto services by leveraging Binance’s technology, with the bank earning trading fees as commission.

BBK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the Binance Link Program during the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum in Bahrain. The announcement was made in the presence of government officials, investors, and business leaders focused on advancing financial innovation within the GCC region.

BBK plans to integrate Binance’s white-label Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution directly into its mobile banking application. The integration will be facilitated through plug-and-play APIs, allowing BBK customers to buy, sell, and manage their cryptocurrency holdings without needing separate Binance accounts. A dedicated section within the BBK app will enable users to view their digital assets alongside traditional investments.

BBK Embraces Embedded Digital Finance

Bank executives stated that this collaboration with Binance supports Bahrain’s government objective to establish itself as a leading financial center with strong fintech adoption. The initiative is also expected to enhance BBK’s banking systems by incorporating digital assets and other financial products into a single, user-friendly platform.

According to Yaser Alsharifi, BBK’s Group Chief Executive, the bank aims to provide its customer base with secure access to investment opportunities. The General Manager for Binance Bahrain, Tameem Al Moosawi, praised BBK for the MoU, highlighting its contribution to Bahrain’s position as a regional leader in crypto-asset innovation.

Catherine Chen, Binance’s Head of VIP and Institutional business, echoed these sentiments, noting the significant growth in institutional demand for crypto services across the GCC. We are pleased to collaborate with BBK to help them offer these assets to their clients at scale, unlocking new growth potential,” she remarked.

This partnership with Binance follows a similar MoU signed with ATME, a digital asset exchange licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain. This agreement, announced at the FinTech Forward 2025 conference, focuses on exploring tokenization opportunities by applying Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to asset management and investments.

Mohamed Al Rayes, BBK’s General Manager of Treasury and Investment, expressed enthusiasm for the ATME partnership, stating, Digitizing our investment offerings and using tokenization as a tool will create a smoother trading experience and increased liquidity for our clients.

BBK Reports Strong Q3 Financial Performance

The bank recently released its financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2025. BBK reported a net profit of BD 17.9 million attributable to its common shareholders after accounting for all expenses, taxes, and preferred dividends.

Earnings per share saw an approximate 8.5% increase, rising from 9 fils to 10 fils. Total comprehensive income for the bank’s owners surged by 115% to BD 44.5 million, a significant jump from BD 20.7 million recorded in the same period last year.

The growth in net profit was partly driven by a 6.1% increase in net fees and commission income, which grew from BD 4.9 million to BD 5.2 million. This was complemented by a notable decrease in net provisions, which fell to approximately BD 2 million, a decline of 72.6%.

BBK also recorded a profit of BD 0.3 million from associates and joint ventures, contrasting with a drain of BD 0.1 million in the prior year. Total assets expanded by 9.6% to BD 4.6 billion in the nine months ending September, up from BD 4.19 billion at the close of December 2024.