HODL 2025 Opens in Dubai, Fostering Web3 Innovation and Collaboration

HODL 2025, the world’s longest-running Web3 event, officially opened on May 14, 2025, at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Organized by Trescon, this two-day event marks a significant milestone in the advancement of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi).

The event follows the Dubai FinTech Summit, which began on May 12, 2025. 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 initiative will unite major financial events under the theme “Pioneering tomorrow’s financial landscape: Innovation, sustainability, and global connectivity.”

Mohammed Saleem, Founder & Chairman of Trescon, expressed his pride in contributing to Dubai’s vision of becoming a global financial powerhouse. He emphasized the event’s role in fostering innovation and collaboration in the Web3 space.

One of the highlights of the first day was the expert panel “Crypto rulebook: Global best practices and regulatory measures,” moderated by Saqr Ereiqat, Secretary General of the Dubai Digital Asset Association. The panel included Dyma Budorin, CEO of Hacken; Samir Safar-Aly of the MENA FinTech Association; Erwin Voloder of the European Blockchain Association; and Belal Jassoma of DMCC. The discussion underscored the importance of global regulatory coherence and innovation-friendly compliance frameworks.

Another notable session was “Insuring the Future of Crypto: Bridging Risk & Innovation in the Digital Asset Economy,” which explored the role of insurance in de-risking digital finance. Joseph Ziolkowski highlighted that insurance is a $6 trillion market and a bedrock component of sustainability. The panel discussed how risk-aligned insurance solutions are crucial for building institutional trust and long-term ecosystem resilience.

Cristian Ulloa, Co-Founder & CEO of Liquid Loans, a Platinum sponsor of HODL 2025, shared strategies for building wealth in crypto while avoiding common pitfalls. Other prominent speakers included Corbin Fraser, CEO of Bitcoin.com; Nils Andersen-Röed, Global Head of FIU at Binance; Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget; Rifad Mahasneh, CEO MENA at OKX; Robert Crossley, Global Head at Franklin Templeton; and Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO of Relm Insurance. These leaders shared insights across DeFi, tokenization, compliance, and blockchain banking.

HODL 2025 is supported by a range of sponsors and exhibitors, including Platinum sponsor Liquid Loans.io, Gold sponsors Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Gofaizen & Sherle, and Silver sponsor Facephi. The event also features exhibitors such as SWAG42, Thesaurum, Travel Swap, and Any2Pay, as well as startup pods from Scintilla, Boston Trading Co, Ace Capital, and vbanq.

HODL, born from the legacy of the World Blockchain Summit and organized by Trescon, has been a platform for blockchain deal-making, innovation, and connecting disruptive projects with investors, enterprises, and governments since 2017. With 29 global editions across cities like Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok, HODL continues to lead the conversation on Web3, innovation, and the decentralized future.