Senior leaders from global finance, digital asset infrastructure, and regulatory bodies gathered in Abu Dhabi on May 13, 2026, for the inaugural Digital Assets Forum Abu Dhabi (DAFME 1). The event signals the UAE's growing prominence as a hub for institutional digital finance.
The forum highlights the rapid integration of digital assets into regulated financial markets, a trend significantly bolstered by sovereign investment strategies and clear regulatory frameworks in the Middle East and North Africa.
Victoria Gago, Co-Founder of Digital Assets Forum, stated, "What is taking place in Abu Dhabi and across the Gulf represents a structural shift in global finance. Capital formation, infrastructure development, and policy leadership are increasingly converging here."
Confirmed institutional participants include executives from ADGM, Komainu, XBTO Middle East, Spartan Group, Portal Ventures, Aspen Digital, and Binance.
DAFME 1 is supported by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which has developed a comprehensive regulatory framework for virtual assets. The UAE's national strategy, encompassing central bank digital currency initiatives and tokenization programmes, aims to position the country as a key capital marketplace.
Key themes discussed included UAE digital asset regulation, institutional portfolio allocation, stablecoins, tokenization of real-world assets, and the evolution of crypto ETFs within a compliance-driven framework.