Series Speakers

Ronghui is a technology consultant for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and a member of the Hong Kong Web 3.0 Development Task Force. He developed CertiKOS and SeKVM, pioneering verified OS systems. Gu’s awards include the OSDI Jay Lepreau Best Paper Award, Amazon Research Awards, and SOSP Best Paper Award.

Ella is the founding head of Binance Labs and is now building YZi Labs with CZ. A Kleiner Perkins-trained investor and Stanford GSB alum, she co-founded two AI startups specializing in supply chain and customer service. Ella values visionary founders who can execute, believes in value investing, and appreciates Munger’s wisdom (except his views on crypto). She is also the wife of a driven founder, mom of two, and a ballet lover.

Kostas Chalkias is the Chief Cryptographer and Co-Founder of Mysten Labs, driving cryptographic innovation and product development. With a distinguished career at Meta and R3 as Lead Cryptographer, he has shaped security frameworks for major tech ecosystems. A three-time Best Paper award recipient, he has filed eight US patents and consistently ranked among the top in academia and national innovation contests.

Founder of Greece’s largest Big Data Meetup, he continues to foster a thriving tech community. His expertise spans advanced cryptographic research, security protocols, and scalable blockchain infrastructure.

Sreeram Kannan is the Founder of EigenLayer, a pioneering blockchain scalability protocol that enhances network security by repurposing staked assets. Under his leadership, EigenLayer leverages Ethereum and other ecosystems to secure both emerging and established networks without additional energy costs.

His work focuses on redefining blockchain scalability through innovative mechanisms, ensuring a more efficient and secure decentralized infrastructure.

"May Zabaneh is the Vice President of Product for Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currencies at PayPal, shaping the product vision, strategy, and market delivery for crypto and remittances. Previously, she served as VP of PayPal’s Global Professional Services organization, driving business growth through global solutions, partner implementations, and revenue protection.

With a strong background in fintech and product leadership, May plays a pivotal role in advancing PayPal’s digital currency initiatives and expanding its impact in the evolving blockchain landscape."

Greg Scanlon is the Vice President of Quantitative Blockchain at Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, specializing in data science, blockchain applications, and portfolio optimization. With 15 years of experience, he focuses on blockchain infrastructure, interoperability, and its impact on various sectors, including music.

A CFA charterholder, he holds a BBA in Accounting and an MS in Data Science. Prior to Franklin Templeton, he was a senior quantitative trader at Citadel. Passionate about innovation, he also mentors at NYU’s Entrepreneurial Institute, guiding the next generation of blockchain and fintech entrepreneurs.

Keone Hon is the co-founder of Monad, the parallel and performant EVM L1. Prior to Monad, Keone built high-frequency trading systems at Jump Trading for eight years.

Sandeep Nailwal is the co-founder and executive chairman of Polygon Labs, guiding the long-term growth of the Polygon protocol and ecosystem alongside CEO Marc Boiron and fellow co-founders. His blockchain journey began with Bitcoin in 2013, but took off after building his first Ethereum dApp. In 2017, he co-founded Matic Network now Polygon with Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun, later joined by Mihailo Bjelic. A serial entrepreneur with an MBA from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Sandeep is known for being extremely humble, yet madly ambitious.

Yat Siu is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, a global leader in blockchain and gaming. A veteran entrepreneur and investor based in Hong Kong, he is dedicated to advancing digital property rights for gamers and Internet users.

Under his leadership, Animoca Brands is pioneering play-and-earn economies, creating a new asset class, and shaping a more equitable digital landscape. His vision contributes to building the open metaverse, redefining how value and ownership function in the digital world.

Andrew is the Chief Revenue Officer at Blockdaemon, leading global revenue strategy and alignment. Previously VP & GM for APAC, he drove regional growth and strategic partnerships. Before Blockdaemon, he held leadership roles at AWS, Cisco, and Singtel/Optus—building go-to-market teams for startups, fintech, and cloud, and leading sales for key acquisitions and software solutions.

Lennix leads business strategy and operations for OKX internationally. With 15 years of experience in crypto and financial services, he has played a key role in OKX’s evolution from a centralized exchange to a global hub for DeFi, NFTs, blockchain gaming, and crypto trading. As one of the company’s earliest employees, Lennix has championed financial inclusion from day one, driving OKX’s mission to remove barriers to wealth creation and empower individuals through secure, decentralized innovation.

Michael is the Founder of 0G Labs (0g.ai), leading the development of the first decentralized AI operating system. A serial entrepreneur, he has built two unicorn companies, generated over $200 million in revenue, and raised $200 million in venture capital.

With experience managing 650+ employees through market challenges, he brings a track record of scaling innovation. Educated at Stanford, Harvard, and UC Berkeley, his insights have been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Entrepreneur, solidifying his influence in AI and blockchain.

Hubertus Thonhauser is a seasoned founder, board member, and early-stage investor in gaming and digital assets. In 2011, he co-founded Babil Games, a leading Arabic mobile games publisher acquired by Stillfront Group in 2018. He is currently Partner & Chairman at Ghaf Capital Partners, a board member at Bitpanda MENA, and an advisor to the SUI Foundation. Hubertus also serves on multiple boards in Europe's regulated casino industry, bringing deep operational and investment expertise across Web3, gaming, and frontier tech sectors.

Akshay Dalal is the Head of Regional Risk & Compliance at Google, covering the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. He helps global organizations grow responsibly by designing and implementing scalable compliance strategies that navigate complex regulatory landscapes. With experience across multiple industries and markets, Akshay enables secure operations, protects revenue, and supports multi-billion-dollar business growth. He operates at the intersection of regulation, innovation, and strategy—driving trusted engagement and long-term value in some of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving regions.

Katherine Dowling is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, bringing extensive legal and financial expertise to the firm’s executive leadership. Previously, she held senior roles in private equity and financial services, including as Co-Founder, Managing Director, and COO of Luminate Capital Partners.

A Harvard Law School graduate, she spent over a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, prosecuting insider trading, fraud, and money laundering cases. She also serves on the boards of two non-profit organizations.

Abdulla Al Dhaheri is the CEO of The Blockchain Center in Abu Dhabi and a pivotal figure in blockchain and Web 3.0. He holds two blockchain-related patents and authored Into the Future of Technologies. Abdulla has pioneered concepts like digital identification and offline payment systems and advised companies with a total market cap of millions. A prominent speaker at global forums, he is committed to advancing the UAE’s leadership in blockchain, Web 3.0, and AI.

Jack Platts is the Co-Founder of Hypersphere Group, an investment firm driving blockchain network utility through on-chain treasuries, decentralized governance, and ecosystem growth. Previously, he led business development for the Polkadot project in Zug, Switzerland, and began his career as an analyst at Bain Capital.

Hypersphere goes beyond traditional venture capital, actively contributing to protocol development, community building, and Web 3.0 expansion. Committed to deep engagement, the firm plays an integral role in supporting and scaling blockchain projects as a trusted partner in the decentralized economy.

Sam Kim is a Managing Partner at Big Brain Holdings in London, bringing a wealth of experience in engineering, project management, and investment strategy. With a background in instrumentation within the petrochemical and oil & gas industries, he has worked with leading firms like Shell and Arrington Capital.

Known for his strong leadership and analytical expertise, Sam has a proven track record in research and high-impact investments, driving innovation and strategic growth in emerging technologies.

J.J. Siler is Chief of Staff at Input Output, where he plays a crucial role in driving the company’s strategic and commercial initiatives forward. He manages key projects, liaises with high-level stakeholders, and ensures seamless execution of IOG’s mission to develop decentralized technologies and products. J.J. has an academic background at the University of Kansas and the University of Cambridge, and has participated in the cryptocurrency space since 2010. His expertise helps bridge the gap between business strategy and science communication, fostering innovation in the blockchain space.

Christian is a Web 3.0 Advisor and Founding Member of Mind Labs, focused on leveraging trustless value-transfer technology to separate money from the state and democratize data ownership.

Viktor Fischer is the founder and CEO of RockawayX – investment and engineering firm with $2 billion AUM. Previously, Viktor worked at McKinsey & Company, focusing on corporate finance and M&A. Before that, Viktor co-founded Innovatrics, a biometric identification startup recognized as ‘Leading Technology Company’ by Deloitte Technology Fast 50. Viktor is a computer science graduate, holds MBA from INSEAD and Master's degree from HEC Paris.

Ben holds a PhD in Computer Science, specializing in the evolutionary optimization of deep neural architectures for computer vision applications.

A seasoned entrepreneur, he previously co-founded a data privacy and sovereignty startup, bringing a strong foundation in AI research and practical innovation to his work.

Dyma Budorin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hacken, a leading blockchain security auditor. He also serves as Co-Chair of EEA DRAMA, contributing to DeFi risk assessment and industry standards.

A key figure in shaping crypto security frameworks, Dyma is a co-author of multiple industry standards and a Vice President of the Blockchain Association of Ukraine, advocating for stronger security and regulatory advancements in the blockchain ecosystem.

Mark has spearheaded Aethir’s explosive growth, scaling the company from 5 to 157 employees and reaching a $3 billion FDV in just two years. A trailblazer in DePIN, he has redefined decentralized cloud infrastructure for gaming and AI, backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, Super Micro, and Foxconn.

Beyond Aethir, Mark lends his expertise in blockchain, mining, and investments as an advisor at Flux Capital and Gas Global, shaping the future of decentralized computing.

Ben Lakoff, CFA, is a General Partner at Bankless Ventures, an early-stage Web 3.0 Venture Fund. He is also currently mentoring at a few popular Web 3.0 incubators and advising a number of companies in the space.

Alex Scott is the Middle East Lead at Solana Superteam UAE, where he spearheads hackathons, developer workshops, and networking events to foster Web3 talent and innovation. With a strong focus on blockchain adoption in the Middle East, Alex is dedicated to driving deal flow, community growth, and technological advancements within the Solana ecosystem.

Sébastien Borget is the Co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, a virtual platform where players can create, play, own, govern and monetize their experiences using NFTs & SAND, the main utility token of the platform. In addition to his role at The Sandbox, Sébastien serves as the President of the Blockchain Game Alliance in 2020, a non-profit organization comprising 600 key members within the industry.

Leeor Groen is a Managing Director at Spartan Group, a leading digital asset management and investment banking firm dedicated to dealmaking in the blockchain industry, managing over $500mn. With a career in finance and technology, Leeor is a recognized thought leader on emerging tech's role in global finance and a frequent speaker on the future of finance, private equity, and capital markets. Based in Switzerland, he holds several board positions and has international experience, having worked across the UK, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Singapore, and Australia.

Karan Gandhi is a Partner at Cypher Capital, a $100M blockchain-focused VC fund in Dubai. Previously, he was a senior venture architect building tech startups for the UAE’s largest licensing authority.

With extensive experience scaling startups, he has advised numerous tech ventures on fundraising, business models, and market strategy. A crypto investor since 2017, Karan is a passionate blockchain evangelist. He is a CFA charterholder with over nine years of experience across private equity, venture capital, and banking

Clara Tsao is a founding officer of Filecoin Foundation and co-founder of the Trust & Safety Professional Association. She previously served as Senior Advisor for Emerging Technology at DHS and CTO focusing on foreign influence and security issues. With a decade of tech industry experience across Microsoft, Apple, Sony, AT&T, Google, and Mozilla, she's also Board Chair of the White House Presidential Innovation Fellows Foundation and Senior Advisor at Tech Against Terrorism.