Fintech startup Asterium has begun preparing for an international rollout and opened hiring in the United Arab Emirates. Over a year and a half of domestic operations, the company built a digital asset infrastructure and now plans to scale this model for a foreign audience.
The industry Telegram channel Skartariss reported the move. Asterium is currently looking for specialists in the Emirates with experience in the local fintech and Web3 market, as well as knowledge of local media and potential partners. The company has not yet officially announced any new product launches abroad.
The project has been operating in the Uzbekistan market for about a year and a half. During this time, the team launched a crypto exchange, a proprietary depository, a blockchain, a wallet, crypto cards, and an acquiring service. This suite covers users’ basic digital asset needs within a single platform.
The channel’s author attributes the choice of the UAE as the first expansion point to high local demand. According to the publication, nearly 30% of the country’s population owns crypto assets, and the volume of crypto payments grew by 88% over the past year. Asterium will likely enter the new market with basic services like the exchange, gradually integrating the rest of its ecosystem.
A successful launch in the Middle Eastern market could set a precedent for Uzbek startups, which rarely scale their own tech products beyond the country.
Until now, tech companies from Uzbekistan have largely limited themselves to exporting IT services. Entering the MENA region or Southeast Asia could signal the growing potential of local fintech teams.
