HODL 2025 Officially Opens Its Doors, Marking a Pivotal Moment in the Evolution of Blockchain and Decentralized Finance

The prestigious two-day event follows the Dubai FinTech Summit that commenced on 12th May. During the Summit's opening ceremony

HODL 2025, organized by Trescon and the world’s longest-running Web3 event, officially opened today at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. The prestigious two-day event follows the Dubai FinTech Summit that commenced on 12th May.

During the Summit’s opening ceremony, His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), announced the launch of the inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week, scheduled for 2026. This flagship initiative will bring together major financial events—including Dubai FinTech Summit, Future Sustainability Forum, Private Capital Forum, Seamless Middle East, HODL Summit, and Dubai Future District Fund AGM—under a unified theme: “Pioneering tomorrow’s financial landscape: Innovation, sustainability, and global connectivity.”

“Being part of the upcoming Dubai Future Finance Week reflects our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration in the Web3 space,” said Mohammed Saleem, Founder & Chairman, Trescon. "We are proud to contribute to Dubai’s vision of becoming a global financial powerhouse.”

Crypto Rulebook: Toward Global Standards

A day 1 highlight was the expert panel “Crypto rulebook: Global best practices and regulatory measures”, moderated by Saqr Ereiqat, Secretary General, Dubai Digital Asset Association. Speakers included:

• Dyma Budorin, Co-Founder & CEO, Crypterium

• Samir Safar-Aly, Partner, Law Firm, Al Ali, Hassan, سلیمان, وشركاء

The discussion emphasized the need for global regulatory coherence and innovation-friendly compliance frameworks.

Insuring Web3: A $6 Trillion Opportunity

Another standout session, “Insuring the Future of Crypto: Bridging Risk & Innovation in the Digital Asset Economy”, spotlighted the crucial role of insurance in de-risking digital finance.

“Insurance has been a bedrock component of sustainability; it is a $6 trillion market.” – Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO, InsChain

The panel explored how risk-aligned insurance solutions are key to unlocking institutional trust and long-term ecosystem resilience.

During his session, Cristian Ulloa, Co-Founder & CEO of Liquid Loans, Platinum sponsor of HODL 2025, shared valuable strategies for building wealth in crypto while steering clear of common pitfalls that lead to crypto regret.

Global Leaders on the HODL Stage

Day 1 also featured other prominent speakers sharing insights across DeFi, tokenisation, compliance, and blockchain banking including:

• Ben Perkins, Co-Founder & CEO, Coinprise

• David Porter, CEO, Travel Token

• Sameer Mhatre, Global Head - Blockchain Center of Excellence, Tata Consultancy Services

The speakers engaged in insightful conversations on pressing topics shaping the future of Web3.

View the full speaker lineup and agenda:

Ecosystem Support: HODL 2025 Sponsors and exhibitors

Sponsors:

Platinum: Liquid Loans.io After Party: Coinvoyage

Gold: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Gofaizen & Sherle

Silver: Facephi

Bronze: Skygate Network, FMCPay, Pays Solutions, PEP

Exhibitors: SWAG42, Thesaurum, Travel Swap, Any2Pay

Startup Pods: Scintilla, Boston Trading Co, Ace Capital, vbanq

Top Media Partners Covering HODL 2025

HODL 2025 is proudly backed by leading media partnerships to amplify its global reach:

• Radio Sponsor: City 101.1

These partnerships ensure HODL 2025 headlines the conversation on Web3, innovation, and the decentralised future.

About HODL

HODL, born from the legacy of the iconic World Blockchain Summit (WBS) and organised by Trescon, is the world’s longest running blockchain event series with 29 global editions across cities like Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since 2017, HODL has served as a platform for blockchain deal-making, innovation, and connecting disruptive projects with investors, enterprises, and governments. Join HODL Dubai on May 14-15, 2025, to engage with industry leaders, explore cutting-edge blockchain developments, and secure your place at the forefront of Web3 innovation.

For more information visit https://hodlsummit.com/