Abu dhabi: Marco Santori, Chief Executive Officer of Solmate Infrastructure, the Solana-based crypto infrastructure company based in Abu Dhabi, affirmed that the United Arab Emirates has become one of the world's leading centres for modern finance and cross-chain finance, supported by its strategic location, proximity to capital and business-friendly environment. Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), Santori said the event is an ideal platform for companies focused on infrastructure development in the UAE.
According to Emirates News Agency, Santori added that Solmate is building real infrastructure in the UAE, which distinguishes it from companies that simply place digital assets with third parties, allowing it to implement capabilities in the UAE that were not previously possible. Santori noted that Abu Dhabi Finance Week brings together investors, business partners and even some competitors, describing such gatherings as essential for remaining updated on industry developments and engaging directly with key stakeholders.
Commenting on the UAE's position in the digital finance sector, Santori said the country has distinguished itself and demonstrated a clear vision in the realm of digital assets, the field in which Solmate operates. He explained that the main success factors include the UAE's proximity to capital, which is vital for a company aiming to build a strong digital asset treasury; its strategic geographic location between New York, Europe and Asia, making it a unique hub for digital infrastructure; and low-latency, high-performance digital environments required for building high-throughput blockchain networks. He noted that networks such as Solana can theoretically process 100,000 transactions per second, which requires an ideal environment such as the UAE.
Santori added that from the UAE, and due to its central location, Solmate feels capable of building a new Wall Street and replacing centralised intermediaries with a more efficient financial system. He discussed Solmate's recently announced merger with RockawayX, describing it as the convergence of two sides of the same operation.
According to the announcement, Solmate will acquire RockawayX through an all-stock transaction, transforming Solmate into an integrated entity combining infrastructure, liquidity and asset management under one umbrella. Santori said that having a large treasury of SOL, the native token of the Solana network, enhances the company's ability to operate and validate transactions, while the liquidity division enables services such as market-making, lending and investment in new projects, making the unified entity a strong force in the digital asset market.
Regarding expansion plans in the Middle East or other regions, Santori said Solmate is currently focused on the UAE as its main base but noted that the nature of its business allows it to operate from the UAE while serving global markets without immediate expansion.