[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 8th, 2023]

The 26th global edition of the World Blockchain Summit, held in Dubai, recently concluded as a resounding success leaving the attendees with enthusiasm and excitement for the future of blockchain in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Held at the Address Dubai Marina on 1st and 2nd November 2023, the two-day event saw top industry experts, blockchain innovators, government stakeholders and investors come together and collectively highlight the practical application of next-gen blockchain solutions.

With over 1500+ C-suite attendees, the event featured insightful discussions, engaging keynote speeches, and thought-provoking ideas, all aimed at accelerating the adoption of transformative solutions and optimizing global industries.

Trescon’s CEO, Naveen Bharadwaj commenced the event with a warm welcome address. The event featured thought-provoking discussions, keynote speeches, insightful keynote speeches that further delved into the current challenges and solutions from the blockchain space.

One such session that generated a lot of attention was the keynote address by Charles Hoskinson, CEO & Founder, Input Output Global, talking about Cardano’s evolution, marked by the introduction of smart contracts during the Shelley era and eloquently explored the interconnected themes of trust, decentralization, participatory governance, and digital assets underscoring their transformative influence on digital infrastructure.

Another key session was the panel discussion on ‘CBDCs and Cross-Border Payments: A Deep Dive into Technical Aspects and Opportunities’. Moderated by Cal Evans, award-winning digital asset lawyer, Gresham International, examined the role of blockchain technology and distributed ledger systems in facilitating efficient and secure cross-border transactions using CBDCs. The panelists, Tone Vays, Analyst, Trader and Founder, The Financial Summit; Kevin Soltani, CEO & Founder, GIMA Group; Matthias Mende, Founder, Bonuz, shared their valuable insights about the technical infrastructure required to support CBDC-based cross-border payments, including the role of central banks, commercial banks, payment service providers, and blockchain networks.

One standout moment during the two-day event was the announcement on the significant investment from Cypher Capital and Master