Global banks, asset managers, regulators, and sovereign-backed institutions are meeting at the first Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi to review institutional adoption under the UAE’s forward-looking rules. Digital Assets Forum is a global institutional series bridging traditional finance and digital assets. The Abu Dhabi edition marks its expansion into the Middle East, following established editions in London.
Senior leaders from global finance, digital asset infrastructure, and regulatory institutions will convene in Abu Dhabi on May 13, 2026, for the inaugural Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi — a highly curated gathering examining the adoption of digital assets under the UAE’s progressive regulatory framework.
The forum comes amid rapid institutional momentum across the Gulf. The UAE has emerged as a global leader in digital asset regulation, providing structured licensing regimes, sovereign-backed innovation programs, and a robust ecosystem where banks, asset managers, and institutional investors are actively deploying capital and forming strategic partnerships.
Following the successful third edition of Digital Assets Forum in London — which gathered nearly 2,000 senior attendees from global banks, asset managers, and infrastructure providers — the forum now expands to the Middle East at a pivotal moment.
“Across our successful London editions, we have seen how regulatory clarity drives institutional engagement,” said Victoria Gago, Co-Founder of Digital Assets Forum. “Abu Dhabi is now at the center of a structural shift in global finance, with capital concentration, infrastructure buildout, and global firms relocating headquarters. This forum brings together the decision-makers who are shaping the future of digital finance and turning strategy into action.”
Confirmed institutional speakers include Christoph Richter, Head of Digital Assets & AI at ADGM; Sebastian Widmann, Head of Dubai at Komainu; Karl Naim, Group Chief Commercial Officer at XBTO Middle East; Yan Ma, Executive Director at Spartan Group; Catrina Wang, General Partner at Portal Ventures; Elliot Andrews, CEO of Aspen Digital; and Rachel Conlan, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Binance.
DAF Abu Dhabi will examine UAE digital asset regulation versus other jurisdictions, institutional digital asset management and portfolio strategies, stablecoins, payments and CBDCs, DeFi and TradFi integration, real-world asset tokenisation (RWA), the state of crypto ETFs, liquidity, custody and institutional market infrastructure, and institutional risk management frameworks — all with a focus on practical outcomes that enable investment, capital allocation, and partnership execution.
Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi is designed as a highly curated, executive-level gathering focused on deal-making, capital deployment, and strategic partnership formation. The format includes main-stage panels, closed-door sessions, dedicated one-to-one meeting areas, and private briefing rooms. The objective is not retail awareness, but to translate dialogue into tangible agreements and coordinated investment strategies for 2026 and beyond.
About Digital Assets Forum
Digital Assets Forum is a global institutional series bridging traditional finance and digital assets.
The Abu Dhabi edition marks its expansion into the Middle East, following established editions in London.
Launched in 2018 in Barcelona, the European Blockchain Convention, organiser of Digital Assets Forum, has become one of Europe’s leading blockchain platforms for financial institutions, policymakers, and infrastructure providers integrating blockchain into mainstream finance.