HODL 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai, Reinforcing the UAE’s Role as a Global Leader in Financial Innovation

14 May 2025

HODL 2025, organized by Trescon—the world’s longest-running Web3 summit—officially commenced today at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai — the same Dubai crypto week that drew Coinstore to Token2049 —

The event marks a significant milestone in the ongoing evolution of blockchain technology and decentralized finance (DeFi), further strengthening the Emirates’ position as a global financial innovation hub.

The prestigious two-day event — part of HODL’s wider Dubai and Riyadh roadshow — follows the Dubai FinTech Summit that commenced on 12^th 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 — at an edition that soon concluded as HODL’s 30th global summit — 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, CEO, Hacken
Samir Safar-Aly, MENA FinTech Association
Erwin Voloder, European Blockchain Association
Belal Jassoma, DMCC

“We want to have the best ecosystem for entrepreneurs to run their business.” — Dyma Budorin
“Regulations need to catch up and work together.” — Samir Safar-Aly

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

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: