Speakers

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.

Professor Ronghui Gu is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CertiK, a global leader in blockchain security and smart contract auditing. He is also a Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, where his research focuses on programming languages, formal verification, and systems security. Professor Gu has played a key role in advancing secure and reliable blockchain infrastructure worldwide. In addition to his academic and entrepreneurial work, he serves as an International Technology Advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, contributing expertise on emerging technologies, digital assets, and financial system resilience.

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.

David is CFO & CSO at the NEAR Foundation, supporting the growth and success of the NEAR ecosystem. With close to 20 years hands on experience in scaling and optimising businesses, David brings a blend of data, innovation, structure and hard work to deliver results

Vugar Usi is an award-winning business leader and communications strategist with 15 years of experience across Fortune 500 companies, tech unicorns, and Web3 leaders. As Chief Operating Officer at MEXC, he drives global expansion, international compliance, product innovation, and CSR initiatives. Previously, as COO of Bitget, he scaled the platform from a top-20 exchange to the world’s second-largest, growing users to 120 million. A Harvard and Oxford alumnus, Vugar brings globally attuned, pragmatic leadership to fast-evolving markets.

Balder Bomans is Chief Investment Officer and partner at Maven 11. He holds an MSc in Economics and Finance and brings extensive experience from traditional financial markets. Prior to Maven 11, Balder spent eight years trading European cash equities at boutique investment bank Kempen & Co, where he developed deep expertise in trading strategies and risk management. As CIO, he is known for his decisive leadership. A former top-level hockey player, Balder brings a high-performance mindset to the team, emphasizing focus, accountability, and teamwork while continuously striving for excellence in both strategy and execution.

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.

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.

Gary Sheynkman is a Venture Partner at Further Ventures specializing in product strategy and a seasoned technology investor. He has led software product development for major global media organizations, including Carrot (acquired by VICE) and Piksel (NASDAQ). As the founder of Leyden.vc, Gary also spearheaded Techstars Dubai, the first tier-1 international accelerator in MENA. With over 50 seed-stage investments, he has a strong track record in nurturing early-stage technology ventures.

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.

Kelvin is Co Founder and Partner at Spartan Group, where he serves as Chief Investment Officer of Spartan’s investment arm. He brings over 20 years of experience across investment management and research, spanning multiple asset classes. Prior to Spartan, Kelvin was a Partner at Indus Capital and spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs, where he led research efforts and advised institutional investors across Asia. Throughout his career, Kelvin has been widely recognised for his market insights and investment expertise by Institutional Investor, AsiaMoney, and Greenwich Associates. He is known for combining deep analytical rigour with a long term, conviction driven investment approach.

Brendan Ma is the Head of Investment Strategy for Arbitrum Foundation, focusing on global capital markets and the organization’s overall investment approach. He was previously a fintech investment banker at Goldman Sachs and an investments executive at Immutable.

Richard Wang has been a partner at Draper Dragon Fund since 2011. A three-time entrepreneur turned investor, he focuses on AI, high-tech finance, crypto, and Web 3.0. Before Draper Dragon, he served as CEO of QunZhong E-Commerce and later co-founded OLEA Network, developing wireless intelligent ECG sensors using radar technology. His portfolio includes YEEPAY, Senodia, Nanosic, Innodealing, Hcash, Vechain, Kronos Research, Fusion, IOTex, QuarkChain, XREX, AiDTech, Psy Protocol, Dmail, Ink Financial, Waterfall Network, Ballet Wallet, Anaxilabs, Dotswap, AllScale, and Splashtop. He has also published IEEE papers and co-authored three books.

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.

Nic Puckrin is the Co-founder and CEO of Coin Bureau, one of the world’s largest crypto media platforms trusted by millions for clear, unbiased insights. with a master’s in financial engineering and a background in investment banking, he blends deep technical expertise with sharp market understanding. under his leadership, coin bureau has grown into a global hub for research, education, and accessible crypto intelligence, shaping how audiences navigate the evolving digital asset space.

Bogdan is a seasoned FinTech enthusiast with over 20 years of experience and he has a proven record in building and scaling successful business and consumer products across emerging markets. With a career spanning Amsterdam, Dubai and Singapore, he has held leadership roles at prominent companies including Nike, PayU and Ingenico. Holding an MBA from Amsterdam Business School, Bogdan brings a strategic and analytical mindset, driving innovation and growth in the payments industry.

Alexei Zamyatin, a globally recognized speaker and thought leader, is a co-founder of BOB. He’s been building at the intersection of BTC and ETH for almost a decade, inventing the Hybrid L2 model and co-authoring the official BitVM2 research paper.

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.

Laura K. Inamedinova is an award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and global keynote speaker active in Web 3.0 since 2016. At Gate.com, she serves as CGEO, leading international expansion, while also acting as Principal at Gate Ventures, driving investments and partnerships. Laura previously founded LKI Consulting, an 8-figure Web 3.0 marketing agency, earning her spots among Forbes 30 Under 30 and Entrepreneur’s “10 Women Entrepreneurs.” In 2024, she handed over LKI’s operations but remains the majority shareholder. A seasoned angel investor with 40+ startups, she’s spoken at 150+ events across 25+ countries and formerly contributed to Forbes and Huffington Post.

Eowyn Chen is the CEO of Trust Wallet, the world’s leading self-custody Web 3.0 wallet, serving over 200 million users. Passionate about hyper-scaling crypto adoption, she was previously VP at Binance, where she led marketing during a period of massive user growth. Before crypto, she advised startups on go-to-market strategy and worked in financial services consulting at Oliver Wyman. A Harvard graduate in history with a scientific mindset, Eowyn is driven by a curiosity for fundamental truths about individuals and society.