Muhammad Alhakeim shared his views on crypto, personal risk-taking, and the role of Dubai and the UAE in shaping a digital finance future. In the conversation, he explained crypto in simple terms, reflected on leaving a safe government job, and discussed why he believes the region has already taken major steps toward broader crypto adoption.
He also spoke about partnerships, regulation, wallets, investment behavior, and the importance of taking opportunities without fear. Across the discussion, one theme stayed consistent: progress happens through action, testing, and long-term thinking.
Who Is Muhammad Alhakeim?
Muhammad Alhakeim was introduced as a special guest and friend of the host. He said he had worked in government before and later moved into the crypto world. He described himself as someone who has always been a risk taker.
He said government work was good and taught him how government works. He also said he was very grateful to have worked for the federal government. At the same time, he felt that it was too safe for him and that routine did not suit his personality.
According to him, he spent six years in government to learn, then moved on. He said he is now bridging the digital finance world and the traditional world.
Why He Left a Safe Government Job
Alhakeim said he did not regret taking the risk of leaving government for crypto. Many people told him he would be fired in two months, but he said that did not happen.
He explained that he is not someone who enjoys the same routine every day. He said he did not see himself as a person who wanted only the safety of a title, an office, and a fixed routine. Instead, he preferred a more demanding and dynamic environment.
He connected this attitude to his early life. He said he got his first job at the age of 14 in Australia and lived there for 14 years. He described Australia as the country that created Muhammad. He also credited his mother, saying she always made sure he became a risk taker.
What Happened After the Move
Alhakeim said that in nine months in his new position, many successful things had happened. He mentioned partnerships with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Duty Free, as well as work with the Department of Finance of the Dubai government and with the Dubai Land Department in a tokenization project.
He described these developments as proof that the risk was worth taking. He also said he has more successful days ahead.
How He Explains Crypto in Simple Terms
When asked how to explain crypto to someone brand new in under a minute, Alhakeim said crypto is a digital finance world that people have entered. He described it as money that you control and not anyone else controlling.
He said that with a wallet, you control your money and decide what to spend on. In his explanation, the key point was control: not a bank stopping you from spending, and not a government stopping you from spending because of reserve needs or other reasons.
He also said stable coins are backed by mining codes, and that this gives people a sense that there is value in what they are investing in.
Crypto, Control, and Freedom
A major part of his explanation focused on financial control. He contrasted crypto with systems in which people can be forced to pay bills or can be affected when countries print money. He said that when countries go to war and print money, taxpayers end up paying for it.
He also spoke about situations where governments stop citizens from spending their own money. According to him, when citizens are stopped from spending their own money, economies collapse. He said that when people are given the freedom to spend in the right way, they are free to do so in the right way.
His summary was clear: your wallet, your money, your control.
What About Losing a Wallet?
One concern raised in the discussion was what happens if someone loses access to a crypto wallet. Alhakeim said it is very rare to hear of someone losing their wallet. He added that there are still details connected to users, including proper name, mobile number, and email address, because of compliance and KYC.
He said this does not mean the money simply disappears. He also described multiple layers of verification, including passwords, passcodes, and face recognition. In his view, the crypto world today has been modified with stronger protections.
His Role in Crypto Payments for Government Fees
Alhakeim was asked directly whether he was behind the concept of enabling crypto to eventually be used to pay for government service fees. His answer was yes.
He explained that after the D33 initiative was launched, he kept thinking about what extra he could do. At the time, he was part of the Rashid leadership program, which he said changed his life and actually got him into the crypto world.
He said he spoke with a friend about the D33 initiative and proposed getting into it. He added that it took time, but they got it done and are now in the implementation stage. When asked whether it would be implemented across government very soon, he said yes. He also agreed that eventually every citizen living in Dubai would be able to use Dubai crypto to pay for government service fees.
The UAE, Dubai, and the Future of Crypto
Alhakeim said the future has begun in the region because the UAE took that step. He also said people are saying there is a future for crypto, and that now that the UAE has taken the lead, perhaps tomorrow Dubai could have its own stable coin, or Emirates Airlines could create its own stable coin, or even the government.
He also mentioned a statistic that came out 48 hours earlier and said the biggest Bitcoin holders on a global level are based in the UAE. He described the UAE as a place where safety is the number one thing and said that this matters to crypto users and investors.
Why He Thinks Dubai Stands Out
According to Alhakeim, Dubai is the right place because it offers safety, clear rules, regulations, and laws. He said Dubai started the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority before anyone else in the region, and that the team there is doing an amazing job when it comes to legislation.
He said crypto users find themselves much safer and happier in Dubai. He also said that whenever he speaks with crypto users and traders and asks where they would like to be, they say Dubai.
He added that Dubai is the safest city in the world and said, “You can never beat Dubai.”
Safety and the Appeal of the UAE
Beyond crypto, he said people come to Dubai because it is safe, people are nice, and the welcome creates a lasting memory. He gave an example that someone can leave a mobile phone or bag on a table, walk away, and come back later to find it still there.
He also said that millionaires and billionaires move to Dubai for one reason: safety. In his words, money is protected, and the government is not going to force people to invest in one thing or another.
AED Coin and Stable Coins in the Region
The conversation also covered AED Coin. Alhakeim said it is a virtual launch by Mbank in Abu Dhabi and that implementation would be in Q3 and Q4. He described this as a very great step and said the region is the first to take that out.
When asked whether it is similar to USDT, he said there is a similarity. He said that having a stable coin under the United Arab Emirates name is a big thing. At the same time, he said it is still early to say whether it will fluctuate or be volatile, and that he does not yet have more insight about it.
Still, he described the initiative as a bold step.
Innovation and the UAE Mindset
Alhakeim and the host both emphasized that the UAE and Dubai are always open to innovation and emerging technology. They discussed the idea that while most people say something is impossible, the country tries to make it possible.
They also referred to the concept of “I am possible” and mentioned the Ministry of Impossible. Alhakeim said this reflects how government work is based on teamwork, not one individual doing everything. He described it as a team of leaders and said people follow because they believe in what the city wants to achieve.
The Biggest Myth About Crypto
When asked about the biggest myth people in the Gulf believe about crypto, Alhakeim said it is the idea that crypto means money laundering, terrorism, human trafficking, and similar accusations.
He said people often dismiss crypto with these labels, but he believes they have it wrong. He said changing this image takes time because people easily absorb what others say. Even so, he encouraged people to learn from the UAE, which he described as the best place when it comes to adopting anything.
He also said that when speaking to decision makers and leaders, he does not tell them to do everything right away. Instead, he says to do a pilot and see if it works. If it works, there is major potential. If it does not, people can shake hands and move on.
What Beginners Should Do Before Buying Crypto
His advice for beginners in the UAE was direct:
- Read
- Watch
- Do not go crazy over a YouTube video
He rejected claims such as investing a small amount and becoming a millionaire the next morning. He called that fake. He said people should not put all of their savings into something just because they think there is a future for it.
He gave an example of someone asking whether to invest all their savings in a coin. His response was to question the logic, especially when the coin was not Bitcoin, Ethereum, or USDT. He said that for established currencies, people can go back, read, and see diagrams, but for something newly launched, they cannot build a reliable prediction.
His Own Investment Approach
When asked whether he himself is an investor in crypto, he said yes. He also said he has been in it for two and a half years and has never sold a dime.
He explained that he is there for the long term, not the short term. He compared it to buying gold and keeping it. He said he looks at what he will do after 60, and because he already has a job, income, and stable life, he does not need to go crazy now.
His message was simple: when it comes to cryptocurrency, keep it, because there are better days ahead.
How to Judge a New Coin
Alhakeim said that people should look at good platforms and their announcements. He said no big platform will make an announcement unless due diligence has been done. His guidance was to wait a few days, watch how it goes, and then invest if one chooses to.
He said it is now very rare to hear of a coin disappearing because due diligence is done independently. He also said that pump-and-dump situations were more common a few years ago, but today they are very rare.
At the same time, he warned people not to chase trends just because they are popular. He pointed to examples of trend-driven investing and said that many people invest only when something is already too late.
His View on NFTs
The conversation also touched on NFTs. Alhakeim said NFTs are still there, still have a market, and still have people interested in them. However, he described them as a hype at a certain time.
He also said he personally has not entered the NFT market. More broadly, he noted that in any investment—real estate, currency, oil, commodities, or crypto—people either lose or win.
Cold Wallet or Exchange?
When asked where crypto should be stored, Alhakeim said a cold wallet is always the safest option. He said it is safer than an exchange and that this is exactly why it was called a cold wallet in the beginning.
He added that an exchange can still be useful, but he preferred cold storage as the safer choice.
Is Crypto Still a Path to Wealth?
His answer was yes. He said crypto is still in the beginning. To explain this, he compared the evolution of money over time: silver and gold, then paper money, then checkbooks, and then the move away from those older forms.
He said printing cash will also disappear and noted that the world is heading into a digital world. He connected this to a paperless and cashless direction in Dubai and the UAE, and said this is why he believes crypto is still only at the beginning.
He said that what people will see in the next 50 years is still unknown, but he expects much more success than what has already been seen.
What Keeps Him Awake at Night
Alhakeim said there are a few things in crypto that keep him awake at night. He noted that the crypto world in Dubai is alive at night and quieter during the day, so he tends to stay up late and even wake up around 3:00 a.m. to check the market.
He also follows major developments, such as crypto-related steps in the United States. He said that when geopolitical news comes out, people should often give the market 24 hours because it tends to return to stability.
For people who are not day traders, his approach was to put the money in and forget about it.
Bitcoin as a Long-Term Asset
Throughout the discussion, Alhakeim repeatedly returned to the idea of Bitcoin as a long-term asset. He compared it to gold and described it as something valuable to keep over time.
He shared examples of people who bought Bitcoin years ago at much lower prices and did not sell. He also discussed supply and demand, noting that 21 million is the total figure and that 19 million has already been taken, leaving roughly 2.5 to 3 million.
He said that after that, it becomes a question of supply and demand and that it is still early. He added that he has his own prediction for what Bitcoin will be in the next five years.
His Advice on Success: Be a Risk Taker
At the end of the conversation, Alhakeim was asked for one lesson about success. His answer was: be a risk taker, and never say no.
He said that when opportunity comes, people should just take it and not think twice. If they do not test something, they will never know whether it is good for them or not.
He also told parents to use him as an example. He said he had fallen more than 20 times but always got up on his own, learned from the mistake, and did not regret it. His advice to the generation from university graduation up to age 35 was to take risks because life has only just started.
He stressed that people do not have to work in the exact field they graduated in. He himself said he graduated with marketing and finance, yet works in crypto today. He encouraged people to try once, twice, or three times, and then decide whether to keep going or stay in a stable job with stable income.
Helping Others and Staying Available
Alhakeim said many people reach out to him every week asking what to do. He said he sometimes goes out of his way to sit with random people in coffee shops and advise them. He emphasized that advice is free and that he never had anyone to advise him.
He said people can reach him on social media, including Instagram and LinkedIn, and that he does respond when messages make sense. He added that if a young Emirati came to him saying they were lost in their career, he would take the time to sit down and help.
At the same time, he stressed that not everything can be taught by someone else. Some things, he said, must be taught by life.
Balance Between Work and Life
One final point he made was the importance of balance. He said some young people focus too much on career and not enough on social life. In his view, people must keep a balance between work life and social life or they will miss what is happening around them, especially family.
He said family comes first in every step in life. For him, success is not only about money or career growth, but also about living fully while building for the future.
FAQ
Who is Muhammad Alhakeim?
He is a guest in the conversation who previously worked in government and later moved into the crypto world. He said he is now bridging the digital finance world and the traditional world.
Why did he leave government work?
He said government taught him a lot, but it was too safe for him. He felt routine did not suit him and wanted a path with more risk and movement.
How does he define crypto?
He described crypto as a digital finance world and as money that you control, rather than money controlled by someone else.
Did he say he was behind the idea of using crypto to pay government service fees?
Yes. When asked directly, he said yes.
What partnerships did he mention?
He mentioned partnerships with Emirates Airlines, Dubai Duty Free, the Department of Finance, and work with the Dubai Land Department in a tokenization project.
What is his advice to beginners before buying crypto?
Read, watch, and do not go crazy over videos promising instant wealth.
Does he sell his crypto?
No. He said he has been in crypto for two and a half years and has never sold a dime.
Does he prefer a cold wallet or an exchange?
He said a cold wallet is always the safest.
What is the biggest myth about crypto, according to him?
He said the biggest myth is that crypto is automatically associated with money laundering, terrorism, human trafficking, and similar accusations.
What is his core advice on success?
Be a risk taker, never say no, and take opportunities when they come.
Source Video
John Burnell focuses on Bitcoin infrastructure, wallet security and blockchain technology. He writes educational articles explaining how Bitcoin works and how the technology evolves.
