Istanbul Blockchain Week 2025 Draws Global Web3 Leaders

Istanbul Blockchain Week 2025, held on June 26-27 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel, marked its fourth and largest edition, bringing together thousands of global Web3 leaders for high-level discussions, major announcements, and networking. The event, organized by EAK Digital, showcased Türkiye’s growing role in blockchain innovation.

The two-day event featured a variety of sessions, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, roundtables, and workshops. Topics covered ranged from stablecoins and real-world assets to exchanges, investments, AI agents, gaming, and regulations. Notable speakers included Mehmet Çamır, Chairman at OKX TR, Justin Sun, CEO of Tron, Daniele Sestagalli, CEO of HeyAnon and WAGMI, Onur Güven, CEO of Garanti BBVA Digital Assets, John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games, Aaron Teng, CEO of Igloo Asia (Pudgy Penguins), and Marco Dal Lago, VP of Global Expansion at Tether, among others. Executives from venture capital firms, founders of blockchain startups, legal experts, developers, and influencers were also in attendance.

Erhan Korhaliller, CEO of EAK Digital and founder of Istanbul Blockchain Week, highlighted the event’s significance, stating that it brought together a global community of builders and innovators shaping the future of Web3. He noted the event’s growth and new additions, including DefaiCon Istanbul, the RWA Builders Summit, and an AI-Agent led music experience at the BlockDown Festival.

Justin Sun outlined Tron’s global leadership in stablecoin infrastructure and major developments in compliance, institutional partnerships, and real-world adoption, particularly in Türkiye. Mehmet Çamır emphasized the growing importance of regulation in emerging markets like Türkiye, where there are about 14 million retail clients investing in cryptocurrencies. Ali İhsan Güngör, Executive Vice Chairman of the Capital Markets Board of Türkiye, announced an upcoming e-investor platform integrated with the Central Registry Agency, enabling investors to query their crypto asset holdings across multiple regulated institutions via e-Government. He also clarified that NFTs are outside the scope of capital market regulations and must be offered in a separate market.

Christian Thompson, Managing Director at Sui Foundation, announced a boot camp effort aimed at educating 2,000 to 4,000 developers in Türkiye over the next 12 to 18 months. John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games, praised the Turkish market’s potential in gaming and the high energy and organization of Istanbul Blockchain Week. Kostas Chalkias, Co-founder and Chief Cryptographer at Mysten Labs, showcased new use cases at the intersection of AI and blockchain, such as misinformation detection and AI-powered smart contract auditing. Daniele Sestagalli presented HeyAnon, an AI agent for DeFi automation, and its AI-powered trading assistant, HUD.

DefaiCon Istanbul explored the convergence of DeFi and autonomous AI agents, with discussions led by industry experts. The BlockDown Festival, the world’s first AI-Agent led festival, featured interactive AI elements, showcased Web3 culture, and included world-class DJs. Dealflow Den, the flagship investment matchmaking event, attracted top-tier venture capital firms and selected startups for exclusive pitch sessions and networking opportunities. The RWA Builders Summit examined key topics such as intellectual property, tokenized gold and precious metals, and real estate, revealing a clear direction for RWAs to unlock unprecedented liquidity and broaden investor access.

Istanbul Blockchain Week 2025 concluded with a promise to return even bigger in 2026, with more groundbreaking innovations, exclusive networking opportunities, and immersive experiences. The event continues to push the boundaries of Web3, making it a must-attend for founders, builders, investors, and enthusiasts alike. For more information, visit istanbulblockchainweek.com.