Dubai set up the world's first independent regulator dedicated to virtual assets, and VARA has since issued more than 50 licences and built out dedicated rules for exchanges, derivatives and token issuance. This panel looks at what a specialist regulator has made possible for firms building in Dubai, how licensed firms are finding the regime in practice, how it works alongside the UAE's other financial regulators, and what cross-border recognition with Asia, Europe and the wider GCC is needed for Dubai to act as a bridge between the world's digital asset markets.
The UAE now has several Central Bank-licensed dirham stablecoins, banks are moving live payments on tokenised deposits, and the Digital Dirham is edging towards full launch – while dollar stablecoins are restricted to buying virtual assets. This panel looks at which form of digital dirham will win for corporate payments, trade and cross-border settlement, and whether AED can become a settlement rail for the Gulf, South Asia and Africa corridors.
24/7 trading and atomic settlement are among blockchain's most-cited promises for traditional finance – but are they actually needed? The UAE may have the strongest case: a time zone bridging Asian and European trading hours, a working week that differs from many of its partners', and a Digital Dirham designed for instant, final settlement. This panel asks who benefits, which asset classes are best suited, and what has to change in banking, liquidity and risk management for always-on markets to work.
Dubai is one of the first cities to link tokenised property directly to its official title deed registry, and the Dubai Land Department's pilot has now moved into a live secondary market. This panel examines what has worked, what liquidity really looks like and how investor protection is being handled – and asks what Dubai should tokenise next, from gold and commodities to trade finance and private credit, under VARA's new issuance rules.
Gulf sovereign investors now hold bitcoin ETFs, regional families are building digital asset allocations, and treasury teams hold large dollar liquidity balances. Tokenised treasuries and money-market funds now let that cash keep earning on-chain, around the clock, and be used as collateral rather than just held. This panel asks where Gulf capital is going next in finance, and what allocators need to see to scale their exposure.
Global custodians and international banks are now building regulated digital asset custody and trading in the UAE, alongside a growing field of VARA-licensed specialists. This panel asks what institutional-grade custody means in the UAE, how bank and crypto-native providers will divide the market, and what still needs fixing in on- and off-ramps.
Sukuk already depend on asset-backing, transparency and clear ownership – qualities tokenisation is built to deliver. With Gulf sukuk issuance running strongly, this panel explores whether tokenised sukuk and Shariah-compliant digital assets can move from pilots to mainstream issuance, what scholars and standard-setters need to see, and whether the Gulf can lead global Islamic capital markets on-chain.
With more and more assets coming on-chain, many see embedding DeFi's composability and efficiency into regulated workflows as the next evolution of finance. This panel asks what compliant DeFi looks like in practice, which use cases institutions will adopt first, and what builders and institutions need from the framework to take it to scale.
Dubai now has a dedicated regime for virtual asset exchanges, including exchange-traded derivatives, with clear rules on leverage, suitability and risk management. This panel looks at what it takes to run institutional-grade trading venues under that regime – from liquidity and market making to surveillance, client protection and risk controls – and what institutions need to see before moving more of their trading flow to Dubai.
As the UAE strengthens its position as a global hub for digital assets and financial innovation, investment in tokenisation and stablecoin infrastructure is creating new opportunities across capital markets. This session will explore where institutional and strategic capital is being deployed, the technologies and business models attracting investment, and the role of banks, investors and infrastructure providers in driving adoption, and which bets are most likely to define the next phase of growth.
