Dubai, UAE, May 14, 2025
HODL 2025, organised by Trescon, the world’s longest-running Web3 event, officially opened today at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi).
The prestigious two-day event follows the Dubai FinTech Summit that commenced on 12th 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.”
Crypto Rulebook: Toward Global Standards
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
Insuring Web3: A $6 Trillion Opportunity
“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:
Corbin Fraser, CEO, Bitcoin.com
Nils Andersen-Röed, Global Head of FIU, Binance
Gracy Chen, CEO, Bitget
Rifad Mahasneh, CEO MENA, OKX
Robert Crossley, Global Head, Franklin Templeton
Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO, Relm Insurance
Ecosystem Support: HODL 2025 @ponsors and exhibitors
Sponsors:
HODL 2025 is proudly backed by leading media outlets amplifying its global reach:
Official Media Partner: CNN Business Arabic
Exclusive Media Partner: Khaleej Times
Ecosystem Partner: Entrepreneur Middle East
Business Media Partner: Arabian Business
Digital PR Partner: ZEX PR Wire
These partnerships ensure HODL 2025 headlines the conversation on Web3, innovation, and the decentralised future.