Our Experience

Managing Director

Zain is a digital assets & FinTech pioneer who played a central role in building the UAE's digital assets ecosystem, having led the development of virtual asset regulatory frameworks at both the FCA and, as foundational Head of Licensing & Supervision, at VARA.

Currently Managing Director at CFC MENA, Zain supports a global client base across UAE market entry, strategic advisory, regulatory licensing, and helping to establish regulated tokenisation projects in the region. Zain serves as a board member & advisor to global firms across the virtual asset & FinTech sectors.

Director of Licensing

Astghik Avetisyan is a regulatory compliance and financial services professional with over 15 years of experience across traditional banking, audit, AML/CFT, compliance operations, and Digital Assets regulation, with over a decade at HSBC.

As Director of Licensing at CFC MENA, Astghik oversees regulatory licensing and compliance advisory projects for clients, leading and supporting firms through complex regulatory applications and compliance readiness initiatives, helping clients navigate requirements across the UAE & wider MENA region.

Director of Operations

Biraj Paudyal is a blockchain analytics and compliance specialist with deep expertise in transaction monitoring, investigation, Travel Rule, and KYC infrastructure.

Biraj is currently a Director at CFC MENA. He previously built the on-chain monitoring systems for , co-founded XChain (a digital asset analytics firm supporting regulatory authorities) and advises a number of global regulators. He has trained authorities such as the Bank of Ghana and lectured at Cambridge’s Centre for Alternative Finance on digital asset regulation.