Global banks, asset managers, regulators and sovereign-backed institutions gather for the inaugural Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi (DAFME 1), reinforcing the UAE’s emergence as a global hub for institutional digital finance
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — May 13, 2026
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 (DAFME 1) — a new institutional gathering focused on the accelerating integration of digital assets into regulated financial markets.
The launch of DAFME 1 comes at a defining moment for institutional adoption across the Gulf region. The Middle East and North Africa has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing digital asset markets worldwide, supported by sovereign investment strategies, regulatory clarity, and large-scale financial innovation initiatives led by the United Arab Emirates.
As global financial institutions increasingly seek regulated environments for digital asset deployment, the UAE has positioned itself at the intersection of capital formation, technological infrastructure, and forward-looking policymaking.
Following three successful institutional editions of Digital Assets Forum in London — bringing together nearly 2,000 senior executives from banks, asset managers, hedge funds, and market infrastructure providers — the forum expands into Abu Dhabi amid growing global capital migration toward the region.
“Across our London editions, we have seen how regulatory certainty directly unlocks institutional participation,” said Victoria Gago, Co-Founder of Digital Assets Forum.
“What is taking place in Abu Dhabi and across the Gulf represents a structural shift in global finance. Capital formation, infrastructure development, and policy leadership are increasingly converging here. The UAE is demonstrating how governments and financial institutions can actively shape the future architecture of digital markets.”
Institutional Leadership and Confirmed Speakers
Confirmed institutional participants include senior executives from regulators, investment firms, custodians, and global digital asset platforms:
- Christoph Richter, Head of Digital Assets & AI — ADGM
- Sebastian Widmann, Head of Dubai — Komainu
- Karl Naim, Group Chief Commercial Officer — XBTO Middle East
- Yan Ma, Executive Director — Spartan Group
- Catrina Wang, General Partner — Portal Ventures
- Elliot Andrews, CEO — Aspen Digital
- Rachel Conlan, Global Chief Marketing Officer — Binance
Additional institutional speakers and sovereign ecosystem participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
Backed by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
DAFME 1 is backed by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and will take place within Abu Dhabi’s international financial centre ecosystem.
Through its Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), ADGM has established one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for virtual assets, providing structured licensing regimes for exchanges, custodians, asset managers, brokers, and institutional infrastructure providers.
The UAE’s broader national strategy — spanning central bank digital currency initiatives, tokenisation programmes, and public-private innovation partnerships — reinforces the country’s ambition to become a global capital marketplace connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Sovereign wealth funds, regional banking groups, and institutional allocators across the region are actively evaluating:
- Tokenised real-world assets (RWA)
- Stablecoin and payment infrastructure
- Institutional digital asset funds
- Regulated custody and market infrastructure
—all within a government-supported and compliance-driven framework.
Key Institutional Themes
Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi will examine the strategic questions shaping institutional markets, including:
- UAE digital asset regulation in a global context
- Institutional portfolio allocation and alpha generation
- Stablecoins, payments, and CBDC developments
- Integration between traditional finance (TradFi) and DeFi
- Real-world asset tokenisation
- The evolution of crypto ETFs
- Liquidity, custody, and market infrastructure
- Institutional risk and governance frameworks
A Curated, Outcome-Driven Institutional Format
Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi is designed as a highly curated executive-level environment focused on decision-makers rather than retail participation.
The programme includes:
- Institutional main-stage discussions
- Closed-door executive sessions
- Dedicated 1:1 meeting areas
- Private briefing and partnership rooms
The forum’s objective is clear: institutional alignment, capital deployment, and infrastructure coordination for 2026 and beyond.
About Digital Assets Forum
Digital Assets Forum is a global institutional event series connecting traditional financial markets with digital asset innovation.
The Abu Dhabi edition marks the forum’s expansion into the Middle East following established editions in London.
The series is organised by the European Blockchain Convention, launched in Barcelona in 2018, now recognised as one of Europe’s leading platforms bringing together financial institutions, policymakers, and infrastructure providers advancing blockchain adoption in mainstream finance.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No finanow.com journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.