Dubai to host HODL Summit 2025
Formerly known as the World Blockchain Summit, HODL has evolved into more than a conference – it's a marketplace of ideas, capital, and connection. Over two packed days, attendees from more than 60 countries will engage in over 40 curated sessions featuring 50+ speakers at the forefront of the decentralised economy.
A high-level agenda built for builders
Expect deep dives into the technology and policy shaping tomorrow's decentralised world. Confirmed speakers include Corbin Fraser (CEO, Bitcoin.com), Nils Andersen-Röed (Global Head of FIU, Binance), Gracy Chen (CEO, Bitget), Rifad Mahasneh (CEO MENA, OKX), and Hasan Fardan Al Fardan (CEO, Al Fardan Exchange). From real-world asset tokenisation and modular blockchains to next-gen DeFi and enterprise-grade NFTs, the summit's themes go beyond the buzzwords and into the infrastructure of digital transformation.
The exhibition floor will spotlight the latest solutions in DeFi, security, infrastructure, and AI-integrated Web3 systems. Live demos, new product launches, and start-up showcases will offer investors and enterprises direct access to what's next.
The $1 million moment
A standout moment of HODL 2025 will be the UAE Regional Round of the Start-Up World Cup, hosted in partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures. Promising start-ups from across the region will pitch their projects to an audience of VCs, accelerators, and global investors, competing for a chance at a $1 million investment. It's a rare moment where real innovation meets real capital.
A legacy of outcomes
Since launching in 2017, HODL has staged 29 global editions – from Dubai to Singapore to Bangkok – fuelling connections between governments, investors, start-ups, and Fortune 500s. And in 2025, as the global conversation around blockchain governance, interoperability, and AI convergence intensifies, HODL's role as a forum for clarity and collaboration has never been more relevant.
Why Dubai, why now?
Dubai isn't just the venue. It's part of the story. With a regulatory framework that's become a benchmark for digital asset governance – and an ecosystem that includes major crypto players and sovereign-level innovation initiatives – Dubai is fast becoming the capital of the decentralised future.
HODL Summit 2025 is more than a tech event. It's a signal: that the future of blockchain, crypto, and Web3 is global – and that Dubai is where the next chapter begins.
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