Binance Blockchain Week, or BBW 2025, has finally set off, blowing the trumpet of success. The Coca-Cola Arena was already packed by the time the first keynote began, with founders rushing between sessions, journalists comparing notes over coffee, and Web3 builders excitedly talking about whatever they’re launching next.
On Day 1, the event began with a free hot cup of coffee and a bag full of freebies sponsored by Binance, and Raj Timothy Nandwani hosting the stage for the day. Richard Teng, Binance’s co-CEO, took the stage to further brighten the environment, reinforcing the Binance brand, and recalling the history of money while highlighting the importance of crypto for quicker settlements. He didn’t stop with that.
The stage witnessed the announcement of two big steps for the future of Binance:
- Binance Junior—an app designed for kids and teens with full parental control to nurture the future of blockchain technology.
- Binance co-founder Yi He, who previously led the company as the chief of customer service, has taken on a new position as co-CEO.
Teng said that Binance always prioritizes their users first, and that is why a segment of the discussion witnessed the stage set for Binance users. He also mentioned that Binance Pay merchants rose from 12,000 early this year to 21 million by December 2025.
In the UAE, where skyscrapers rise from the desert and innovations grow faster than anywhere else, blockchain has found the perfect stage for innovators and experts. His Excellency, Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, spoke about the global financial landscape.
He said that their collective journey is to make the UAE the most favorable place for blockchain.
“A country that has efficiently shown an interest to innovation,” Teng said about the UAE, as the country welcomed crypto enthusiasts from across the globe.
Major Highlights of the event
- The Saylor Talks: Michael Saylor took the stage to discuss the reasons why Bitcoin is the foundation of economic markets. He stated:
This is not rhetorical—you have advocates in the cabinet, even the head of the FBI, and a president supporting this asset class, and that’s a big deal.
- The Formula 1 racer BWT Alpine Pierre Gasly made a special pitstop at BBW, sharing his personal journey in the crypto space as a curious mind. He drew many similarities between crypto and Formula 1, stating both require him to control many things at the same time.
- Canadian NBA basketball player Tristan Thompson joined the crowd to witness the magic of BBW.
Panels that shape tomorrow
Lily Liu, the president of the Solana Foundation, Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, and Teng addressed the panel on ‘moving forward’.
They discussed digital asset treasuries, or DAT, regulations, and the role of stablecoins. When asked to predict where they see Bitcoin by 2026, Brad forecasted “180,000 by December 2026.”
Eli Sassin, co-founder and CEO of StarkWare Industries, spoke to the former CTO of Coinbase and the founder of Network School, Balaji Srinivasan, about Zero-Knowledge Nations, touching upon privacy and digital citizenship. “ZK is to cryptography as a transformer is to AI,” Balaji said while speaking to Sassin on the main stage.
The event had many intriguing attendees. The fellow KOL, Shark Boy, tattooed CZ on his arm and says that he sees CZ as a role model and hero.
Some came for the freebies and the food, while others were attending to network with people of similar interests. However, today, every word resonated with the buzz of crypto in the air.
From free pancakes to attendees winning a free iPhone 17 Pro Max, the event saw it all. Blockchain technology has transformed from something people questioned to something people genuinely want to be part of. Day 1 of BBW effectively captured the spirit of community building, with something for everyone.
From stablecoins and regulation to real-world adoption and on-chain finance, the conversations today felt less like hype and more like the industry finally coming of age.
