Author: Art Ryan

At HODL 2025 in Dubai—a global gathering for visionaries in blockchain, artificial intelligence, and decentralized finance—Marcello Mari, Founder and CEO of Singularity DAO, delivered a visionary forecast that extends far beyond crypto markets. As a trailblazer in the convergence of AI and blockchain, Mari revealed his latest endeavor: AI Dojo, a platform built to evaluate and certify the emerging AI agent workforce. With a background deeply rooted in decentralized technology, including his foundational role in SingularityNet and the Artificial Super Intelligence Alliance, Mari is no stranger to frontier innovation. But at HODL 2025, he pushed the conversation forward, arguing that…

As the digital era enters a new chapter driven by artificial intelligence and blockchain, Khurram Chishti, CEO of Habib Bank Zurich, brought a thoughtful and philosophical lens to HODL 2025 in Dubai. A seasoned banking executive who has witnessed decades of technological transformation, Chishti emphasized the urgency of understanding, regulating, and riding the AI wave—before it becomes a force too powerful to control. From Cartridges to AI: A Generation of Unparalleled Transition Chishti opened with a reflection on technology’s exponential progression. Having lived through the shift from cartridges to desktops, palm tops to mobile devices, he underscored that today’s millennial…

At HODL 2025, Dubai’s premier gathering for fintech and blockchain leaders, Erick Astramecki, CEO of Coin Voyage Inc, delivered a powerful message: the future of commerce lies in frictionless crypto payments, and it’s arriving faster than most businesses think. Coin Voyage Inc is leading this charge by providing a one-click solution that allows merchants to accept cryptocurrency payments from any chain and settle directly into their preferred stablecoin. The mission is clear: remove the complexity and stigma from crypto transactions and make them as seamless as tapping a card at the checkout. A Live Demo That Cut Through the Noise…

In an era where digital threats evolve faster than most defenses, Dyma Budorin, Co-Founder and CEO of Hacken, took the stage at HODL 2025 in Dubai to share a powerful message: cybersecurity is not just a technical issue—it’s a critical foundation for the future of Web3, digital finance, and global trust. Representing Hacken, a Web3 cybersecurity company, Budorin brought an urgent yet optimistic tone to the summit, highlighting how proactive regulation, public-private collaboration, and AI integration are shaping the next chapter of cybersecurity. Hacken: On the Front Lines of Web3 Defense At its core, Hacken is more than a security…

At HODL 2025, where crypto, fintech, and decentralized finance converged in the heart of Dubai, Andrey Diyakonov, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Vault and Vbanq, offered a deep dive into how his companies are building the future of global banking. His insights revealed not just where the industry is heading, but how Vault and Vbanq are actively shaping that direction through next-generation digital infrastructure. Dual Engines of Innovation: Vault and Vbanq Diyakonov’s ventures serve two interconnected but distinct pillars of the fintech world: Together, they form a powerful ecosystem enabling businesses—from meme coin projects to social media platforms—to launch…

Amidst the tech-heavy discourse of blockchain, fintech, and Web3 at HODL 2025 in Dubai, Alina Novik, Business Development Manager at SWAG42, brought a fresh, creative perspective—one rooted in tangible, branded experiences. Representing a company that’s turning corporate merchandise into a statement of identity and culture, Novik shared how SWAG42 is helping businesses worldwide stand out through premium, customizable merch. Beyond Branding: The Rise of Premium Corporate Merchandise Headquartered with a global outlook, SWAG42 specializes in end-to-end customized merchandise solutions—from design to delivery. “Our first value is quality,” Novik said proudly. “We manage the entire process ourselves—branding, design, production, logistics—all under…

At HODL 2025 in Dubai, a hotspot for fintech and blockchain innovation, Maksin Gasanbekov, Associate Partner at Gofaizen & Sherle OU, delivered a candid perspective on the firm’s international strategy, specialized service offerings, and commitment to building compliant, scalable businesses in the digital asset space. From Estonia to the World: A Story of Strategic Evolution Gofaizen & Sherle OU was born from the merger of two organizations and launched operations in Estonia, once regarded as a pioneer in crypto regulation. Initially focused on establishing licensed entities for blockchain ventures in this burgeoning hub, the company quickly adapted as regulations evolved.…

At HODL 2025, held in the innovation capital of Dubai, Sabrina Gross, Global Account Director at Facephi, delivered a compelling presentation on the critical role identity verification plays in the emerging world of tokenized assets. Her talk underscored a future where biometrics and blockchain converge to unlock unprecedented access to asset ownership for people across the globe. Facephi: Powering Trust in Digital Finance Facephi has positioned itself as a leading identity platform, enabling end-to-end solutions that include facial recognition, fingerprint and voice biometrics, onboarding, and continuous authentication. This technology ensures that individuals accessing financial platforms are not only legitimate but…

Day 2 of HODL Begins Now! Step into the blockchain’s most influential event, where top visionaries, industry leaders, and the hottest projects converge to shape the future of Web3. Here’s everything you need to look out for! Must-attend sessions A power-packed session featuring top speakers who will illuminate the blockchain world, diving into the latest trends, critical challenges, and game-changing solutions.Click here to check the Agenda HODL proudly hosts the UAE Regional Round of the Startup World Cup, powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. Top startups will battle it out for a shot at the Grand Finale and a $1M investment prize. This is…

Dubai, UAE – May 15, 2025 — As HODL Summit 2025 wraps up today at the iconic Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai has once again affirmed its status as a global powerhouse for blockchain, decentralized finance (DeFi), and artificial intelligence (AI). Over the past two days, the summit — hosted by Trescon in its landmark 30th global edition — welcomed more than 5,000 innovators, investors, and policymakers shaping the decentralized future. Previously known as the World Blockchain Summit, HODL has matured into a premier global forum for institutional adoption and technological convergence. With Dubai’s dynamic tech ecosystem as its stage, this edition…

OpenAI is releasing its GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini AI models in ChatGPT, the company announced in a post on X Wednesday. The GPT-4.1 models should help software engineers who are using ChatGPT to write or debug code, OpenAI spokesperson Shaokyi Amdo told TechCrunch. GPT-4.1 excels at coding and instruction following compared to GPT-4o, according to OpenAI, but is faster than its o-series of reasoning models. The company says it’s now rolling out GPT-4.1 to subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team. Meanwhile, OpenAI is releasing GPT-4.1 mini for free and paying users of ChatGPT. As a result of this update, OpenAI is…

AI startup Stability AI has released Stable Audio Open Small, a “stereo” audio-generating AI model that the company claims is the fastest on the market — and efficient enough to run on smartphones. Stable Audio Open Small is the fruit of a collaboration between Stability AI and Arm, the chipmaker that produces many of the processors inside tablets, phones, and other mobile devices. While a number of AI-powered apps can generate audio, like Suno and Udio, most rely on cloud processing, meaning that they can’t be used offline. Stability also claims that Stable Audio Open Small’s training set is made up entirely…

Google’s AI R&D lab DeepMind says it has developed a new AI system to tackle problems with “machine-gradable” solutions. In experiments, the system, called AlphaEvolve, could help optimize some of the infrastructure Google uses to train its AI models, DeepMind said. The company says it’s building a user interface for interacting with AlphaEvolve, and plans to launch an early access program for selected academics ahead of a possible broader rollout. Most AI models hallucinate. Owing to their probabilistic architectures, they confidently make things up sometimes. In fact, newer AI models like OpenAI’s o3 hallucinate more than their predecessors, illustrating the challenging nature of the…

Data analytics platform Databricks said on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Neon, a startup building an open source alternative to AWS Aurora Postgres, for about $1 billion. Databricks said acquiring Neon’s tech would let it combine the startup’s serverless relational database management system with its own data intelligence services to let its customers deploy AI agents more efficiently. Founded in 2021 by CEO Nikita Shamgunov and software engineers Heikki Linnakangas and Stas Kelvich, Neon offers a managed cloud-based database platform (with free and usage-based paid plans) that lets developers clone databases and preview changes before they go to production. The platform automatically scales…

Dubai, UAE – The halls of Madinat Jumeirah pulsed with the future of finance, creativity, and decentralized technology as Day 1 of HODL Dubai 2025 delivered a spectacular kickoff to one of the year’s most anticipated blockchain events. From visionary keynotes to trailblazing panels, global innovators, founders, regulators, creators, and investors came together to reimagine the digital economy. With wall-to-wall energy, cutting-edge ideas, and electric networking moments, the message was clear: Web3 is here to stay—and it’s just getting started. A Stage for Visionaries The opening day saw some of the industry’s most respected voices step into the spotlight. From…

Dubai, UAE – In an era where creators are demanding more control, transparency, and value from their work, the panel “Innovating Tomorrow: AI, Blockchain, and the Future of the Creator Economy” at HODL Dubai 2025 delivered a powerful roadmap for what’s next. Featuring a visionary lineup — David Norris (NEAR Foundation), Marcello Mari (CEO, SingularityDAO), Dr. Ayesha Binlootah (VARA), and Jorge Carrasco (FTI Consulting), moderated by Ahmed Refaie (Global Partners Investments Limited) — the discussion explored how emerging technologies are not only transforming content creation but redefining creative ownership, monetization, and community dynamics. From Creators to Owners: The Web3 Shift…

Dubai, UAE – In an increasingly digital economy, where customers demand speed, transparency, and global access, businesses face a critical question: Why aren’t you accepting crypto yet? At HODL Dubai 2025, Erik Astramecki, CEO of Coin Voyage Inc, took the stage to answer that challenge head-on in a compelling session titled “What’s Stopping Your Business from Accepting Crypto?” Backed by real-world strategies and adoption frameworks, Astramecki’s talk served as both a wake-up call and a playbook for businesses still sitting on the sidelines of the crypto revolution. Crypto Payments: Not a Trend—A New Standard “Crypto payments aren’t a passing trend—they’re…

Dubai, UAE – As the financial world races toward decentralization and digital transformation, one fireside chat at HODL Dubai 2025 emerged as a standout moment of clarity and conviction. Titled “Smarter Finance with Tokenization,” the session featured Sabrina Gross, Global Accounts Director at Facephi, offering a compelling exploration of how tokenization is rewriting the rulebook of global finance. From identity verification to liquidity creation, Gross unpacked the potential of tokenized ecosystems—delivering an insider’s look at the technologies reshaping financial systems for the better. Tokenization: The Smart Core of Future Finance At its heart, tokenization is the process of converting real-world…

Dubai, UAE – At HODL Dubai 2025, a landmark event for the blockchain and Web3 community, one keynote cut through the noise and defined the future of digital transformation in no uncertain terms. R Vivekanand, President of BFSI Products & Platforms at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), took the stage to deliver “Enterprise Intelligence: Scaling Blockchain and AI for Real-World Impact”—a keynote that was as visionary as it was actionable. From Digital Transformation to Enterprise Intelligence In an era where most enterprises are still wrestling with fragmented digital strategies, Vivekanand made a powerful case for the next evolution: Enterprise Intelligence. Rather…

Dubai, UAE – In the wake of devastating hacks, market scandals, and growing regulatory scrutiny, the global crypto industry faces a pivotal question: Can it regain the trust of its users? At #HODLDubai, one of the premier gatherings for blockchain and Web3 leaders, a powerhouse panel set out to answer exactly that. Gracy Chen (Managing Director, Bitget), Nils Andersen-Röed (Head of Law Enforcement Training, Binance), and Oliver Stauber (Chief Legal Officer, KuCoin EU) took the stage, moderated by Nic Watson of the Encrypted Podcast. Their conversation was less a typical industry roundtable and more a strategic post-mortem—unflinching, urgent, and above…