Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Senior leaders from finance, digital asset infrastructure and regulatory agencies will gather in Abu Dhabi on 13 May 2026 for the first Abu Dhabi Digital Asset Forum – an influential gathering that will discuss the adoption of digital assets in the UAE’s progressive regulatory framework.
The forum takes place against the backdrop of institutional acceleration across the Persian Gulf. The UAE has emerged as a global leader in the regulation of digital assets, providing structured licensing regimes, innovative sovereign-backed programs and a robust ecosystem where banks, asset managers and institutional investors actively leverage capital and form strategic partnerships.
Following the successful edition of the Digital Asset Forum in London, which brought together nearly 2,000 senior participants from global banks, asset managers and infrastructure providers, the forum is now expanding to the Middle East at a pivotal moment.
“Across our successful London editions, we’ve seen how regulatory clarity drives institutional engagement,” said Victoria Gago, co-founder of the Digital Asset Forum. “Abu Dhabi is now at the center of structural change in global finance with capital concentrating, infrastructure building and global companies relocating their headquarters. This forum brings together the decision makers who will shape the future of digital finance and turn strategy into action.”
Confirmed institutional speakers include Christoph Richter, Head of Digital Assets and AI at ADGM; Sebastian Widmann, Head of Dubai at Comainu; Carl Naim, XBTO Middle East Business Group Chief Executive Officer; Yan Ma, CEO of Spartan Group; Katrina Wang, General Partner of Portal Ventures; Elliot Andrews, CEO of Aspen Digital; and Rachel Conlan, Global Director of Marketing at Binance.
DAF Abu Dhabi digital asset regulation of the UAE compared to other jurisdictions, institutional digital asset management and portfolio strategies, stablecoins, payments and CBDC, integration of DeFi and TradFi, tokenization of real world assets (RWA), the state of cryptographic ETFs, institutional and risk structure management and liquidity market, framework – all with a focus on practical results that enable investment, capital allocation and partnership performance.
The Abu Dhabi Digital Assets Forum is designed as a high-quality, executive-level gathering focused on transactions, capital deployment and strategic partnership formation. The format includes main stage panels, closed-door sessions, one-on-one meeting areas and private briefing rooms. The goal is not retail awareness, but to turn the dialogue into real agreements and coordinated investment strategies for 2026 and beyond.
About the Digital Assets Forum
The Digital Assets Forum is a global institutional forum that brings together finance and digital assets.
The Abu Dhabi edition marks its expansion into the Middle East following the established editions in London.
Launched in Barcelona in 2018, the European Blockchain Convention – the organizer of the Digital Asset Forum – has become one of the leading blockchain platforms in Europe for financial institutions, policy makers and infrastructure providers integrating blockchain into mainstream finance.
For tickets and information:
www.eblockchainconvention.com/digital-assets-forum-abu-dhabi/
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