Gulf Blockchain Week draws up roadmap

Recently attendees and local partners kick-started Gulf Blockchain Week by gathering at the JW Marriott Marquis for CoinAgenda’s Middle East & Africa conference, featuring an appearance of legendary CEO of Binance exchange, Changpeng Zhao aka CZ.

Followed by a grand opening Ecosystem Party evening organized by CV Labs, Gulf Blockchain Week opened the doors of a spectacular NFT art exhibition by NFT BAZL, GDA Capital and Elitium. Thanks to a partnership with the iconic Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, attendees were able to bid on one of the world’s first mural NFTs.

“Blockchain industry today involves so many important topics, and we’re happy to cover the range of themes that the Gulf region is engaged with today during the greatest event of the month, Gulf Blockchain Week” says Juwan Lee, Founder and Chairman of NexChange Group.

He also said, “Dubai’s efforts related to Fintech, NFTs, enterprise blockchain and so many more definitely help to build bridges to international technology and business hubs.”

The day began with Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC’s Executive Chairman and CEO, greeting the event guests and participants to Dubai, the magnificent and bright light on the Middle East’s technical map. After CV Labs’ investment panel, which had a star-studded lineup, crucial issues of having a correct investor’s perspective and navigating the world of blockchain projects were discussed.

Jorge Sebastião, Co-Founder EcoX, Co-Founder, CEO, GBO: “October 2021 was amazing both for start of Expo 2020 in Dubai, Blockchain and Crypto in Dubai with over 50 events Gulf Blockchain Week and EcoX being a key driver in adoption & ecosystem building. Key thought leaders and influencers converged in Dubai to make it a leader in worldwide adoption of this leading technology.”

The afternoon was heated by a panel on DEXs and CEXs, followed by a fireside chat between famous proponents of Bitcoin and tokenized gold. Nick Spanos, Steve Chen, and Michael Terpin delivered inspirational keynotes, and the afternoon was heated by a panel on DEXs and CEXs, followed by a fireside chat between famous proponents of Bitcoin and tokenized gold.

Panelists from throughout the world discussed digital payments, asset management trends, and innovative investment vehicles. The day came to a close with a panel discussion on investment and regulatory efforts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Panels on DeFi, blockchain security, AI and IoT, SDGs, smart government activities, and asset tokenisation difficulties were held on October 12th. The day began with a discussion about community development and genuine traction for blockchain initiatives, followed by an encouraging address by David Do, Co-founder and CEO of 5ROI Global, and an afternoon session on NFTs that drew a full house.

“One of the building blocks of Dubai’s current status as the region’s tech and business hub is its attitude towards blockchain, a technology that now powers the global digital development,” notes Shailen Bhatia, Managing Director of Evolution Group.

He added, “I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who made the recent Gulf Blockchain Summit a success. We had over 1400 people in attendance with a fantastic lineup of speakers and enriching panel sessions. A big shout out to everyone involved in making this a success.”

The panel on UAE Trade Connect, one of the few and most exciting use examples of blockchain for trade finance, with the platform’s CEO, two banks on board, and a representative from Dubai Customs, was a great highlight of the day.

The week’s grand finale event, TK Fight Night’s Social Knockout 2, took place on the evening of October 15th at the Coca-Cola Arena. The boxing event made history by staging dramatic fights between TV personalities, TikTok superstars, well-known social media bloggers, and the first-ever female influencer match.