DUBAI, UAE —The HODL Dubai Summit 2025, a global gathering for blockchain, cryptocurrency, and Web3 innovation, concluded today at Madinat Jumeirah, marking the end of an exhilarating four-day run under the umbrella of Dubai FinTech Summit.
The summit kicked off yesterday with over 5,000 attendees from more than 60 countries.
Read more about the highlights from day 1 here: HODL Dubai Summit 2025 opens with dialogue on blockchain, crypto, and Web3 innovation (May 14, 2025).
Day 2 featured an impressive lineup of speakers and a close to a summit that brought together investors, regulators, tech pioneers, and startup leaders. Notable speakers on day 2 included Corbin Fraser, CEO of Bitcoin.com; Billal Yamak, Head of Growth GCC at The Sandbox; Irina Karagyaur, CEO of BQ9; and Roman J. MA, Managing Partner at Ceras Ventures. Their discussions explored topics in DeFi, metaverse economies, regulatory strategies, and the evolving role of digital assets in enterprise infrastructure.
Other panel discussions included how blockchain is revolutionizing cross-border payments and what are some practical business applications of blockchain. Keynote speaker, Paul Griffin, Associate Professor at Singapore Management University, spoke about the foundations, threats and future of quantum computing and blockchain.
The event concluded with the Startup World Cup, by Pegasus Tech Ventures. Startups from around the world pitched innovative solutions to a panel of judges. VBanq, an online banking platform designed for fast, crypto-friendly global financial management, emerged as the winner.
Offering business account setup in just 48–72 hours, VBanq simplifies traditional banking processes while supporting fiat and digital assets like BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC. With secure multi-currency accounts and international payment support through SWIFT, ACH, and FedWire, the platform stands out for serving businesses across diverse risk sectors.
VBanq will now advance to the Startup World Cup finals in San Francisco this October, competing for a $1 million investment prize.
Organizers announced that the next edition of HODL will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2025.