Future Blockchain Summit x Fintech Surge will return to Dubai Harbour from October 12–15, 2025, bringing together international innovators, startups, regulators, investors, and technology leaders during Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup and investor connector event powered by GITEX GLOBAL.
Hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and organized by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Expand North Star marks its 10th anniversary this year. The four-day gathering offers a unified platform for participants to explore funding, scaling, and deal flow opportunities while showcasing industry best practices and promoting digital growth across global markets.
A key highlight of the 2025 program is Future Blockchain Summit x Fintech Surge, the region’s premier blockchain and fintech event. It serves as a single destination where blockchain, fintech, and Web3 converge with the broader innovation ecosystem. The summit will cover topics from embedded payments and Web3 banking to open finance, AI-driven platforms, and next-generation financial systems.
The centerpiece of this year’s agenda is the Digital Assets Forum, sponsored by YPAY. The forum will bring together regulators, banks, investors, and innovators for a deep dive into central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), stablecoins, tokenized capital markets, cross-border regulation, inclusive payment systems, and the role of AI in risk and compliance.
Supernova Challenge
Participants can expect insights on policy, regulation, and enterprise adoption, along with product showcases and live demonstrations connecting corporate innovation teams with disruptive technologies. Investor matchmaking will offer one-to-one meetings between founders and global capital, while a curated demo program highlights new market breakthroughs.
Startups at Expand North Star will also compete in the Supernova Challenge, the world’s largest startup pitch competition. Finalists will present live before global judges, tech media, and investors, vying for a share of a US$214,000 equity-free prize pool. This year’s sponsors include Ruya as Headline Sponsor, OKX as Gold Sponsor, DKK Partners as Bronze Sponsor, and YPAY supporting the Digital Assets Forum.
Christoph Koster, CEO of Ruya, said: “We’re excited to take part in Fintech Surge and the Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai this year. These events provide an ideal platform to highlight how ethical Islamic Finance, fintech, and blockchain technologies come together to deliver integrated solutions.”
Reinforcing Dubai’s role as a global hub for digital assets, the event will feature leaders from major exchanges, foundations, and Web3 enterprises. Confirmed speakers include Jimmy Su, Chief Security Officer at Binance; Eric Piscini, CEO of Hashgraph; Oliver Stauber, CEO of KuCoin; Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation; and Kevin Lee, Chief Business Officer at Gate.
Future Blockchain Summit x Fintech Surge invites founders, corporates, regulators, and investors to join its sessions, showcases, and structured networking opportunities designed to turn ideas into action.
