The way UAE residents manage and understand their credit is undergoing a major transformation with Etihad Credit Bureau (ECB) rolling out sweeping reforms designed to give customers more control over their financial data and a clearer view of how their credit behaviour shapes opportunity.

For many people‭, ‬2025‭ ‬felt like a year the crypto market should have soared and didn’t‭. ‬Markets lagged‭, ‬prices disappointed and we started to rethink once sacred rhythms like the four year cycle‭. ‬Some analysts suggested a 5.4‭ ‬year pattern‭ (‬with hope for a final run at the bull market after all‭), ‬while others argued cycles might be replaced‭ ‬altogether by a market shaped more by institutions than solo traders‭. ‬At the same time‭, ‬by the end of the year my social media‭ ‬feeds were filled with people talking about how 2025‭ ‬was the year of the snake in Chinese zodiac‭, ‬and that in February‭, ‬we pass‭ ‬into the year of the Fire Horse‭. ‬So what if 2025‭ ‬was an important transition year‭, ‬where crypto shed its Wild West reputation like a snake sheds its skin‭, ‬in the direction of structural maturity and widespread adoption‭, ‬under the auspices of the Fire Horse’s energy‭, ‬enthusiasm and speed‭? ‬Either way‭, ‬markets are up despite geopolitical uncertainty‭, ‬an interesting development‭, ‬considering the impact of incidents in the past‭. ‬And 2026‭ ‬is shaping up to be very interesting indeed‭. ‬Here are six things I’m looking forward to‭:‬