The startup is the first of its kind in the Middle East where everything from real estate to Islamic art is being digitised via blockchain.

Blockchain tech may have been popularised thanks to the surge of cryptocurrencies on a global scale, a decade after they were created, but the solution is now being adopted in diverse sectors including art and real estate, to create digital tokens of assets which can be marketed to a wider clientele. A secure channel for storing and sharing data virtually, blockchain is also being used for generating virtual contracts, in an age when meetings as well as business-related transactions are going online.

Healthcare has significantly benefited from a connected ecosystem in the UAE, where telemedicine is a click away, and digitised medical records can be seamlessly shared among doctors or hospitals, for informed decision-making that leads to personalised care. To boost the discovery of treatment for ailments affecting the brain through the use of digital innovation, a startup in Dubai is now allowing neuroscience researchers to collect and share data in a secure manner, via blockchain tech.

Cutting down the cost of gathering data along with the time taken it takes for sending it to scientists, the Zarela platform has been created with a focus on recording bio-signals from the heart and brain, which are instrumental for treatment of the mind. Connected to volunteers from any part of the world through the Ethereum network, researchers can get all the data they need in real-time.

Dubai is hosting the startup after establishing its reputation as a regional hub for medical tourism, and overcoming the pandemic using online platforms paired with medtech devices and digital healthcare records. Surgeries to place implants that stimulate brainwaves for addressing seizures have also been carried out in the UAE in the past year.

Speaking of remote collaborations, doctors in the country have also used virtual reality to rope in colleagues from 13 countries to assist on a surgery being conducted in the Emirates. The ability to transfer information without a glitch has also allowed medical practitioners in different parts of the world, to help patients who are traveling.