Dubai to host HODL Summit 2025
In a year defined by acceleration across decentralised technologies, Dubai is once again stepping forward – not just as a host city, but as a proving ground. On 14–15 May 2025, the emirate will welcome over 5,000 innovators to HODL Summit 2025, the 30 th global edition of the world's longest-running Web3 and crypto summit. Held at Madinat Jumeirah and organised by Trescon, the flagship event will bring together the ecosystem's brightest minds to examine the frontiers of blockchain, DeFi, digital assets, and more.
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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