Shariah-Compliant Crypto: Booming Demand, But Where's the Supply?

Hang onto your hats, folks! Islamic finance is rocketing toward a whopping $12.5 billion, and Shariah-compliant crypto projects are scrambling to keep up with the needs of two billion Muslims worldwide. But hold up, there's a catch—the supply is trailing way behind the surging demand!

A fresh-off-the-press report by INPUT dives into the skyrocketing need for Shariah-compliant crypto goodies. Yet, the market's struggling to keep pace with the expectations of Muslims everywhere, who are hungry for ethical, interest-free financial services.

Get this: the Islamic finance sector, currently sitting pretty at $8 billion, is on track to hit $12.45 billion by 2028, cruising at a cool 11.7% growth rate each year. That's according to the INPUT report and a hot tip shared with yours truly.

This tidal wave of interest is fueling the fire for platforms that jive with Islamic financial principles—like steering clear of riba (that's interest, for the uninitiated), gharar (uncertainty), and anything tied to haram (forbidden) industries.

Digital Assets That Adhere to Islamic Law

Check out the trailblazers shaking things up: HAQQ Network, MRHB, Sidra Chain, and Goldsand (formerly known as Inshallah Finance). These movers and shakers are crafting DeFi and digital asset ecosystems that play by Islamic law. HAQQ Network's leading the pack, raking in $400 million in funding and serving over 6 million users across its suite of products, including the charity-fueled Islamic Coin, which donates 10% of its token issuance to good causes.

MRHB's bringing the heat with its four-product DeFi stack, featuring TijarX and EmplifAI. Meanwhile, Goldsand's got $4.5 million in staked assets, backing halal staking like a boss.

A tweet from the new INPUT report spills the beans: "In 2025, Shariah-Compliant Crypto Products Fall Short of Demand. Two billion Muslims are on the hunt for financial services that align with their values, but compliant offerings are as scarce as hen's teeth. Islamic finance is set to soar to $12.45B by 2028 (11.7% CAGR), and a whopping 85% of Gen Z Muslims are craving Islamic banking."

And let's not forget Sidra Chain, which has already processed nearly 13 million transactions from over 700,000 users. Talk about making moves!

But here's the kicker: despite these strides, the report's sounding the alarm on a major shortfall in offerings compared to what folks are craving—especially among Gen Z Muslims, with a staggering 85% already diving into Islamic banking products.

The word on the street from the experts? The way forward is all about getting some regulatory clarity and standardized Shariah governance. With Islamic finance poised to hit a mind-blowing $4 trillion globally, Shariah-compliant crypto could be the next big thing in the digital economy—but only if it can scale up to meet that skyrocketing demand.