DUBAI, UAE / ACCESS Newswire / May 16, 2025 / HODL 2025 concluded its highly anticipated Dubai edition today at Madinat Jumeirah, bringing together a powerful mix of blockchain pioneers, Web3 innovators, DeFi leaders, regulators, and institutional investors from across the globe. The summit, held in alignment with the Dubai FinTech Summit as part of the broader effort to shape the future of finance in the region, reinforced HODL’s position as a leading platform for collaboration and innovation in the decentralized economy.
This edition marked a major milestone in the HODL journey—its 30th global edition and the first to take place following the brand’s transition from the World Blockchain Summit to HODL. The new focus is on deeper engagement, broader ecosystem alignment, and global market relevance.
Exploring the Future of Decentralized Finance and Web3 in the MENA Region
Over two days, the summit featured 50+ sessions that explored next-generation themes like:
-
Blockchain Market Trends 2025
-
Innovative Governance for Virtual Assets
-
AI x Blockchain: Converging Technologies
-
DeFi Evolution and Banking Disruption
-
Tokenization of Real-World Assets
-
NFTs and the Metaverse Frontier
Attendees included key decision-makers from governments, blockchain networks, crypto exchanges, venture funds, and DAOs, along with founders, CTOs, developers, and asset managers.
“HODL 2025 in Dubai brought together a powerful mix of visionaries shaping the future of digital finance. As we head to Riyadh, we aim to build on this momentum and further accelerate Web3 and blockchain innovation across the region,” said Mohammed Saleem, Founder & Chairman of Trescon, the organizers of HODL.
During the Crypto Rulebook: Global Best Practices & Regulatory Measures panel discussion, Dyma Budorin emphasized that “We want to have the best ecosystem for entrepreneurs to run their business.” In the same session, Samir Safar-Aly stated, “Regulations need to catch up and work together.”
In the Insuring the Future of Crypto: Bridging Risk & Innovation in the Digital Asset Economy session, Joseph Ziolkowski noted that “Insurance has been a bedrock component of sustainability; it is a $6 trillion market.”
HODL 2025 also hosted high-level networking sessions and investor roundtables, providing fertile ground for deal-making and strategic partnerships. The event was supported by an impressive roster of sponsors and featured in leading media publications. HODL 2025 is proudly supported by leading media outlets, including CNN Business Arabic as the Official Media Partner, Khaleej Times as the Exclusive Media Partner, Entrepreneur Middle East as the Ecosystem Partner, Arabian Business as the Business Media Partner, and ZEX PR Wire as the Digital PR Partner, collectively amplifying its global reach.
