Fasset, a Dubai-based fintech platform, has appointed Mehtap Onder as Managing Director as the company accelerates its growth across Asia and Africa following its digital banking license approval earlier this month.
The firm said in a statement on Thursday that Onder will lead the company’s institutional, operational, compliance and legal strategies to strengthen its regulatory credibility across the Islamic Belt and beyond.
In her role, she will work closely with the founders to lead Fasset’s strategic growth and expansion agenda, driving strategic partnerships and market entry initiatives as Fasset prepares to launch Own, its real-world asset (RWA) focused Ethereum Layer 2 network.
The platform aims to expand institutional and retail access to compliant, asset-backed finance on-chain bridging traditional financial infrastructure with the efficiencies of blockchain technology.
With over a decade in traditional and digital finance, Onder brings deep expertise in bridging regulatory compliance with strategic business growth.
She joins Fasset from GCEX Dubai, the digital prime brokerage, where as Managing Director she led the company to secure the first broker-dealer license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and established Dubai’s first client-money account for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) – both major milestones in the region’s evolving virtual asset ecosystem.
“Fasset represents the future of finance – where innovation meets integrity,
“I’m thrilled to contribute to this next chapter, expanding access to real-world assets and building a more inclusive, transparent financial ecosystem that empowers individuals and institutions across emerging markets,” said Mehtap Onder, Managing Director of Fasset.
Onder began her career at the FCA-regulated CFH Clearing (now Finalto), later serving as Regional Director for Turkey, and has also held compliance roles with Waystone UAE.
Her appointment also marks a significant milestone for representations and leadership diversity in the region’s fintech and digital-asset sector, where women currently represent around 11 percent of executive-level positions across Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to Backbase.
Onder’s leadership not only reinforces Fasset’s commitment to inclusion and empowerment but also highlights the growing influence of female executives shaping the future of finance and innovation in the region.
“Onder brings a rare combination of regulatory expertise, strategic vision and commercial acumen – her track record in navigating regulatory frameworks, paired with her commercial mindset to drive sustainable expansion, makes her the ideal leader for Fasset’s next chapter of growth,” said Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder of Fasset.
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