Registration
Opening Remarks
Crypto in the New Regulatory Reality: Balancing Innovation, Compliance & Cross-Border Growth
Navigating the intersection of innovation and regulation, this topic examines how crypto businesses can thrive while ensuring compliance, managing risks, and expanding across borders in today’s evolving legal landscape
Moderator :
Mohamed Nagia
Founder
The Mayor
Panelists :
Sourabh Kumar
Chief Executive Officer
World Crypto Council OU
Abeer Al-Humaimeedy
Board Member
WASA
Kokila Alagh
Board Member & Co-chair Legal Regulatory Compliance & Governance
Middle East Stablecoin Association
Sohaib Memon
Virtual Assets Supervisory Officer
Capital Market Authority
RWAs and Traceability are Mutually Exclusive
RWAs and traceability pull in opposite directions
Real-world assets require verifiable ownership, custody, and compliance trails, while true traceability often demands visibility that conflicts with the privacy and confidentiality needs of institutional and individual investors.
Cross-border tokenization breaks the traceability chain
As RWAs move across jurisdictions with differing regulatory frameworks, maintaining a consistent, verifiable trail becomes increasingly difficult, creating gaps that undermine the goal of full transparency.
On-chain records can't fully verify off-chain reality
Blockchain offers immutable record-keeping, but current infrastructure struggles to reconcile off-chain asset verification with on-chain traceability, leaving the two goals structurally at odds rather than complementary.
Speaker :
Daniel Friedman
Chief Executive Officer
Zengate Global Limited
From ETFs to Tokenized Markets: How Institutions Are Rewiring Digital Asset Access in 2026
Institutional access to digital assets is shifting in 2026, moving from ETF exposure to direct, on-chain ownership via tokenized markets. As regulatory frameworks mature, institutions are moving beyond pilots into full-scale integration within their core strategies. Tokenization is also redefining liquidity, enabling fractional ownership, 24/7 trading, and faster settlement, prompting institutions to rethink how digital assets fit within their portfolios.
Moderator :
Walid Abou Zaki
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Unlock Blockchain
Speaker :
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Tony Ashraf
Managing Director
BlackRock
AI - Blockchain and Tokenization = The Future of Finance
A vision for the future of finance
Finance is moving toward a system that is faster, more transparent, and more accessible, powered by the convergence of AI, blockchain, and tokenization working together rather than as isolated innovations.
How AI, blockchain, and tokenization will change the future
AI drives smarter decision-making, blockchain enables secure and transparent settlement, and tokenization unlocks new forms of asset ownership and liquidity, together reshaping how financial processes function at their core.
The opportunity ahead for the industry's position in this category
As this space is still forming, companies and institutions that position themselves early, building trust, infrastructure, and standards, stand to shape how the industry adopts and scales these technologies in the years ahead.
Speaker :
Arturo Londoño
Founder
Innverso Technologies L.L.C-FZ
How To Build Crypto Wealth, and Avoid Crypto Regret
Stop Selling
Selling crypto means losing the asset and all its future upside — forever. The wealthy never sell. They borrow
The Wealth Secret of the Ultra-Rich
For centuries, the wealthiest families used one three-word strategy to build generational wealth. It now works for crypto
0% Borrowing for Everyone
No bank. No KYC. No repayment deadline. Decentralised tools are making 0% interest borrowing accessible to every crypto holder on the planet
Speaker :
Cristian Ulloa
Co- Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Liquid Loans
Capital Markets in Transition: Innovation, Liquidity & The Next Investment Cycle
Exploring how technology, evolving market structures, and changing investor behavior are reshaping global capital markets. The session will examine liquidity trends, emerging investment opportunities, and how financial institutions are adapting to the next phase of market evolution
Moderator :
Aditya Chauhan
Founder
Bullish Brew Crew
Speakers :
Herve Francois
Head of Digital Assets Investments
SC Ventures
Derek Dai
Regional Head of MENA
Bybit
Dubai Sovereign Launchpad: Web3 Policy, Tokenisation & Next-gen Finance
Dubai is positioning itself as a sovereign hub for Web3 policy
Clear regulatory frameworks are enabling Dubai to attract global Web3 businesses while setting a benchmark for policy-driven innovation.
Tokenisation is becoming central to next-gen financial infrastructure
From real estate to capital markets, tokenisation is unlocking new liquidity and ownership models within a regulated environment.
Government-backed initiatives are accelerating industry adoption
Sovereign support through structured launchpads is giving Web3 and fintech companies a faster, more credible path to scale in the region.
Speaker :
Belal Jassoma
Senior Director – Tech Ecosystems
DMCC
Real-World Asset Tokenization: Bridging Traditional Markets with Blockchain Infrastructure
Unlocking the potential of tangible assets, this session explores how real-world asset tokenization bridges traditional markets with blockchain, creating liquidity, global accessibility, and innovative investment opportunities
Moderator :
Bilal Farooq
Lead Operations & Development Manager
BanX Network
Panelists :
Anton Golub
Founding Member
RWA Labs
Faraj Abutalibov
Senior Advisor Middle East
Stellar Development Foundation
Aurelie Dhellemmes
Head of RWA Sales
Digital Asset (Canton Network)
Tika Lum
Head of Global Institutional Sales
KuCoin
Estelle Roiena
Institutional Finance & Assets Integrations Lead
Cardano Foundation
Beyond Tokenization: Building the Digital Property Infrastructure for Institutional Real Estate Markets
There is no single global model for real-estate tokenization
Markets are taking different paths, from property-authority integration to institutional security tokens and registry modernization. The technology is global, but property rights remain jurisdiction-specific.
Tokenization does not replace the legal reality underneath the property
In most models, the deed stays within the existing land registry, while the token represents an equity, debt, or contractual interest. Institutional scale requires the legal record, compliance, and token ledger to stay synchronized.
The next phase is Digital Property Infrastructure™
The real opportunity goes beyond creating tokens. It's about building the legal, regulatory, and technical architecture that connects real property to regulated digital capital markets, enabling compliant transfer, servicing, and liquidity.
Speaker :
Giridhar Akkineni
Chief Executive Officer
Meridian Square Global
Lunch Break
From 0 to 1: Building Products That Solve Real Institutional Crypto Problems
Moderator :
Alnura B
Head of Fintech
Input Global
Speaker :
Daniel Ong
Institutional Growth Strategist
Binance
Understanding Crypto Beyond Cryptocurrency
Crypto Is Programmable Value
Crypto goes beyond digital currency. It can represent assets, ownership, access, rights, identity and participation in blockchain ecosystems.
Sustainable Performance Comes From Real Economic Value
A strong crypto asset is supported by utility, adoption, sound tokenomics, liquidity and a functioning ecosystem, not popularity, hype or price increases alone.
Education Is the Investor's First Protection
Regulation can create standards, but every investor remains responsible for understanding the token, its risks, reward structure, liquidity and economic foundation before making a financial decision.
Speaker :
Antony Mlelwa
Consult and Trainer
Inkryptus
From Chaos to Clarity: How Regulatory Frameworks Are Shaping the Next Chapter of Digital Finance
Navigating the future of digital finance requires more than innovation. It requires confidence, accountability, and clear rules. This discussion explores how robust regulatory frameworks can strengthen market integrity, safeguard investors, and support the responsible growth of the virtual-assets ecosystem.
Moderator :
Amir Tabch
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
OFZA
Speaker :
Ruben Bombardi
General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Enablement
VARA
Securing the Tech-Stack: Cybersecurity and Compliance for Crypto, FX, and Fintech Platforms in the UAE
The Convergence Challenge
Crypto, FX, and fintech platforms now share the same threat surface, including custody risk, API abuse, insider threat, and market manipulation. A unified security and compliance architecture beats siloed point solutions.
Compliance as Engineering, Not Paperwork
Practical lessons on embedding KYC/KYB/AML/KYT, Proof of Reserves, and transaction monitoring directly into the platform stack, so audit readiness becomes a continuous state rather than an annual scramble.
The Operator's Playbook for VARA, DFSA, and CBUAE
What regulators actually inspect, where licensed platforms most often fail, and the cybersecurity controls (PAM, SOC/SIEM, smart contract assurance, secure SDLC) that separate sustainable operators from those that lose their licence.
Speaker :
Amir Kolahzadeh
Chief Executive Officer
ITSEC
Institutional Digital Assets in Dubai: Scaling Market Access into Strategic Allocation
Dubai has shifted from early adoption to enabling sustained institutional participation in digital assets. This panel explores real allocation drivers for banks, asset managers, family offices, and trading firms across market structure, custody, liquidity, regulatory clarity, risk management, and the accelerating rise of tokenized products in institutional portfolios worldwide today
Moderator :
Mahmoud Yassin
Blockchain & Digital Assets Independent Consultant
BPM LLP
Panelists :
Federico Tenga
Research and Development
Bitfinex
Jeroen Gillekens
EMEA Lead
LayerZero
Irena Timofeeva
Head of Sales & Institutional Partnerships
1inch
Laura Estefania
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Conquista PR
Networking Break
Fighting Cybercrime in the Digital Asset Era: How Law Enforcement is Stopping Crypto Fraud, Money Laundering & Dark Web Threats
Moderator :
Dr Sharique Raza
Blockchain Security Architecture Lead
ADI Foundation
Speaker :
Professor Hossam Mohamed Nabil AlShenraky
Professor in Criminal Investigation
Dubai Police Academy
AI-Powered Crypto Trading: How Automation Is Transforming Market Strategies
How artificial intelligence and automated trading tools are transforming crypto market strategies by improving speed, accuracy, and risk management, while addressing the opportunities and challenges of using AI to enhance trading efficiency and decision-making in volatile digital asset markets
Moderator :
Yax Sheth
Chief Executive Officer
ChainClave
Panelists :
James Richmond
Crypto Key Opinion Leader
The Cryptex Group
Trinidad Aguirre
Chief Technology Officer
Innverso Technologies L.L.C-FZ
Irena Timofeeva
Head of Sales & Institutional Partnerships
1inch
AI Agents & Private AI Infrastructure — What they are, Why they matter, and Where the industry is actually heading
AI agents are moving from hype to infrastructure
Autonomous AI agents are shifting from experimental chatbots to core operational tools, requiring robust, purpose-built infrastructure rather than off-the-shelf cloud APIs.
Data privacy and sovereignty are non-negotiable
Private AI infrastructure lets businesses run powerful AI models without exposing sensitive data to third parties, a critical requirement as regulations tighten globally.
The next wave belongs to builders, not just adopters
Organizations that invest early in owning their AI stack, rather than renting it, will control cost, security, and competitive advantage as the agent economy matures.
Speaker :
Andres Meneses
Vice Chairman of Colombian Business Council in Dubai and Co-Founder
Super Humans by Mechanica
The Role of Venture Capital in Driving Web3 Adoption and Community Growth
Explore how venture capital firms support Web3 innovation by funding early-stage projects, nurturing ecosystems, and accelerating user adoption. The highlight will be how strategic investment and community-building initiatives are shaping the long-term growth of the decentralized economy
Moderator :
Sheikh Shahabuddin
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Sheikh Studios LLC
Speakers :
Karnika E Yashwant
Founder & VC
KEY Difference
Rayka Moradi
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Gaply
Closing Remarks
Registration
Opening Remarks
Trust, Access and Opportunity — Why the UAE Is the World's Preferred Destination for Bold Capital
Trust Through Stability & Regulation
How the UAE’s regulatory clarity, institutional credibility, and business-friendly environment create confidence for investors deploying capital.
Access to Global Markets & Capital
Why the UAE’s strategic location, international connectivity, and growing investment ecosystem provide access to global opportunities and diverse markets.
Opportunity Through Innovation & Growth
How the UAE is creating an environment where emerging sectors, technology, and ambitious businesses can attract capital and scale internationally.
Speaker :
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Dr. Dunston Pereira
Group Chief Executive Officer
Office of Sheikh Ahmed bin Faisal Al Qassimi
From Innovation to Infrastructure: How Regulated Crypto and Digital-Asset Ecosystems Are Emerging Globally
Tracing the journey from early experimentation to robust infrastructure, this topic highlights how regulated crypto and digital-asset ecosystems are taking shape globally, and the role of governance, compliance, and market frameworks in driving sustainable growth
Moderator :
Raghav Chopra
Managing Editor
The Coin Headlines
Panelists :
Alex Scott
Middle East Growth Lead
Solana
Amir Tabch
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
OFZA
Dr. Mohamed Al Abdulla
Head of Financial Crimes Division
Ministry Of Interior - Bahrain
Simon O'Brien
Executive Director- Markets
Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM
AbuBakar Mujahid
AVP Digital Assets and Cybersecurity
RAK Bank
Is the Prediction Market Ready for AI?
Prediction Markets Are Built for AI
Prediction markets rely on data aggregation, probability assessment, and rapid processing, exactly where AI excels, making them a natural fit for AI-driven participation.
From Manual Trading to Autonomous Execution
As AI agents learn to analyze signals and execute trades independently, prediction markets are shifting from manual positions to autonomous, AI-driven execution.
AI Will Become the Infrastructure of Global Truth Markets
Beyond trading, AI is set to become the core infrastructure powering information verification and truth discovery across global prediction markets..
Speaker :
Alex Miclaus
Chief Executive Officer
Orca
Building Institutional-Grade Digital Asset Infrastructure
Institutional trust is engineered, not assumed
Institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure requires bank-grade custody, robust governance, audited smart contracts, and full regulatory alignment. Without this foundation, scale is irrelevant.
Interoperability and compliance are the true enablers of liquidity
Fragmented ecosystems limit institutional participation. The future belongs to infrastructure that connects fiat rails, crypto markets, and tokenized real-world assets, while embedding compliance at the protocol level.
Infrastructure precedes innovation and defines market leaders
Before new products or use cases can succeed, the underlying rails must be resilient, scalable, and secure. Institutions that invest early in compliant infrastructure will define the digital asset economy.
Speaker :
Mohammed Al Fardan
Chief Executive Officer
Al Fardan Corporation
The Future of Regulated Cross‑Border Payments: XRP, Stablecoins, and Institutional Adoption
Discover how global money movement is entering a new era as regulated digital assets gain institutional trust. XRP and stablecoins are driving speed, transparency, and cost efficiency in cross-border payments, while evolving regulatory alignment shapes their path toward widespread institutional adoption
Moderator :
Anton Golub
Founding Member
RWA Labs
Speaker :
Luke Judges
Partner Director
Ripple
Bridging Web2 and Web3: How FinTech Is Driving Mainstream Digital Asset Adoption
Crypto is a core part of our vision of banking without borders
Revolut sees crypto as a fundamental pillar of borderless banking, enabling customers to move and manage value seamlessly across markets and currencies.
Revolut is helping onboard millions of customers to Web3 in a safe and compliant way
By integrating crypto within a regulated, familiar banking app, Revolut lowers the barrier to entry, making Web3 accessible without unfamiliar wallets or platforms.
Customer safety is at the core of our product strategy
Every crypto feature is built with security, compliance, and user protection at its foundation, ensuring innovation never comes at the cost of trust or safety
Speaker :
Mazen ElJundi
Global Business Head of Investments
Revolut
Stablecoins, Regulatory Clarity & Cross-Border Payments - What’s Next for MENA & Global Finance
Redefining payments and financial access, this topic examines how stablecoins are driving cross-border efficiency, promoting financial inclusion, and navigating regulatory and operational challenges for businesses, banks, and fintechs
Moderator :
Ghadeer Ibrahim
Business Producer and Forex Expert
CNBC
Panelists :
Lasbery Oludimu
Group Vice President of Operations
YELLOW CARD FINANCIAL INC.
Max Lighter
Partner
MaxCapital Fund
Shamvil Raza
Global Head of Sales
Fuze
The Institutionalization of Digital Assets: Ethereum's Role in the Next Financial Era
Why Ethereum has emerged as the default settlement layer for institutional adoption today
Ethereum's security track record, deep liquidity, and growing regulatory familiarity have made it the natural starting point for institutional blockchain settlement.
What credible risks could challenge that position as competition and regulatory pressures evolve
Competition from other Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks, evolving regulations, and scalability concerns could all pressure Ethereum's current position.
What it will take to move from pilots to scaled, production-grade deployments across global financial institutions
Scaling institutional adoption requires stronger interoperability, clearer regulations, robust custody, and proven operational resilience beyond controlled pilots..
Speaker :
Marius Smith
Co-Founder
Ethereum Institutional
Bitcoin: Future Utility and Adoption
Bitcoin is evolving beyond a store of value
While Bitcoin has long been viewed primarily as digital gold, emerging use cases in payments, decentralized finance, and layer-2 scaling solutions are expanding its utility well beyond simple value storage.
Institutional adoption is accelerating mainstream acceptance
Growing participation from institutional investors, corporate treasuries, and regulated financial products is helping legitimize Bitcoin as a mainstream asset class, driving broader trust and long-term adoption.
Infrastructure development will determine the pace of future adoption
The next phase of Bitcoin's growth depends on continued advancements in scalability, interoperability, and user-friendly infrastructure, ensuring it can support real-world utility at a global scale.
Speaker :
Corbin Fraser
Chief Executive Officer
Bitcoin.com
Lunch Break
On-Chain Finance: Building Transparent and Efficient Asset Markets
Moderator :
Roman Liubanevich
Growth Manager
Tangem
Speakers :
Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta
Chairman
Middle East StableCoin Association
Cristian Ulloa
Co- Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Liquid Loans
Regulating Innovation: The Role of Stablecoins in Bridging Traditional Finance and Web3
Stablecoins are becoming the connective layer between traditional finance and Web3
By combining price stability with blockchain efficiency, stablecoins enable seamless value transfer between conventional finance and decentralized ecosystems.
Regulation is shaping how stablecoins can scale responsibly
Clear frameworks around reserves, transparency, and issuer accountability are essential to building trust and supporting large-scale financial activity.
Balancing innovation with oversight will define the next phase of growth
The challenge lies in fostering innovation in payments and remittances while working within regulations that protect users and maintain stability.
Speaker :
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar
Managing Director - International
Circle
The Evolution of Finance
Web3 and DeFi are reshaping the future of finance
Blockchain technology is creating a more open, efficient and decentralized financial ecosystem, giving individuals and businesses greater control, transparency and direct access to global financial opportunities.
Financial access is becoming faster, more global and more inclusive
From stablecoins and tokenized assets to decentralized payments and crypto banking, financial transactions can increasingly happen across borders in seconds, with fewer intermediaries, lower costs and greater accessibility for underserved communities.
The future is a convergence of traditional finance and decentralized technology
The next decade will not simply be about crypto replacing banks. It will be about traditional institutions, blockchain, AI, digital assets and regulatory frameworks working together. Those who understand and embrace this transformation early will be best positioned for the new financial era.
Speaker :
Dr. John Sachtouras
Entrepreneur and Investor
When TradFi Meets DeFi: Who Wins, Who Loses and What Gets Built in Between
The boundaries between traditional finance and decentralised finance are rapidly dissolving. From liquidity and settlement to custody and compliance, this session will cut through the noise and deliver a frank, forward-looking perspective on who stands to gain, who risks being left behind, and what the financial system will look like when the dust settles
Moderator :
Yiannos Ashiotis
Managing Partner - Founder
Pnyx Hill
Panelists :
Amira Soliman
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Time Guardian | Athar
Nataly Medici
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner
Medici Expert
Katerina Zemskova
Chief Digital Asset Officer
Pay10
Demetris Taxitaris
Chief Executive Officer
Complyport EU
Beyond the Bull Market: Building the Infrastructure for the Next 3 Billion Digital Asset Users
Regulation is the foundation for sustainable adoption:
Clear regulatory frameworks build trust, strengthen institutional participation and create the conditions for digital assets to scale responsibly across MENA.
TradFi and digital assets are converging:
Tokenisation and digital-native infrastructure are expanding access to traditional markets, giving users more flexible, always-on ways to participate in global finance.
Stablecoins are becoming core financial infrastructure:
Their role is expanding beyond trading into savings, payments, settlement and broader financial access, with MENA emerging as one of Binance’s fastest-growing regions for stablecoin adoption.
Speaker :
Tarik Erk
Head of MENAT & Senior Executive Officer Abu Dhabi
Binance
Digital Assets as Collateral: Unlocking the Next Generation of Capital Markets
This discussion examines how digital assets are being adopted as collateral to unlock liquidity and improve capital efficiency in financial markets. It will address risk management, custody infrastructure, and regulatory developments, while showcasing how institutions are using blockchain-enabled collateral to strengthen lending, trading, and capital market innovation
Moderator :
Vilen Gulian
Director of Integrated Marketing & Strategy
LunaPR
Panelists :
Yiannos Ashiotis
Managing Partner - Founder
Pnyx Hill
Nabil Arnous
Chief Commercial Officer
The Innovation City
Cristian Ulloa
Co- Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Liquid Loans
Anton Feingold
Director - Institutional
Hypertracker.io
The Billion-Dollar Attack Surface: Why Blockchain Bridges Keep Getting Hacked
The blockchain may be secure, but the bridge can still fail
Bridges introduce new trust points such as validators, private keys, smart contracts, off-chain servers, events and front ends. The paper identifies 12 distinct attack surfaces across those components.
Most catastrophic bridge hacks are failures of trust and verification
Compromised validator keys, broken signature checks, faulty proofs and logic errors have led to incidents such as Ronin, Wormhole and Nomad.
Bridge security must be designed as an end-to-end system, not just a smart-contract audit
Strong key management, validator security, permission controls, transaction monitoring, withdrawal safeguards and off-chain infrastructure security all matter.
Speaker :
Dr Sharique Raza
Blockchain Security Architecture Lead
ADI Foundation
Women Building Trust in Crypto: Governance, Security, and Market Confidence
Explore the vital role women leaders play in strengthening governance, enhancing security, and promoting transparency across the crypto ecosystem. The discussion will highlight how diverse leadership contributes to building investor confidence, ensuring responsible innovation, and supporting sustainable growth in digital asset markets
Moderator :
Maria Tunikova
Global Market Team Lead & Project Lead
Women Leading the Way
Panelists :
Lasbery Oludimu
Group Vice President of Operations
YELLOW CARD FINANCIAL INC.
Lisa Cameron
Former UK Memeber of Parliament/Crypto Group Chair
UKUS Crypto Alliance
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Anna A. MacMillan
Founder
Women in Investment Network
