The Unchained Summit, a premier Web 3.0 business and networking platform, has announced its return to Dubai for a 2026 edition scheduled for May 1st & 2nd. Organized by the B2B events firm Aeternum, the summit will be held at the W Dubai – The Palm and is expected to attract over 1,500 attendees, including builders, investors, developers, and policymakers.
The event's first wave of speakers has been revealed, signaling a focus on real adoption, regulatory clarity, and institutional scale. The speaker lineup of over 80 leaders includes prominent figures such as Eowyn Chen, CEO of Trust Wallet; David Norris, CFO & CSO of the NEAR Foundation; Andrew Vranjes, Chief Revenue Officer of Blockdaemon; Anthony Bassili, President of Coinbase Asset Management; and Yat Siu, Co-Founder of Animoca Brands. Other confirmed speakers represent Google, Draper Dragon, Hypersphere Ventures, Coin Bureau, and Ritual.
The announcement underscores the United Arab Emirates' established role as a leading global hub for digital assets and Web 3.0, citing its mature regulatory frameworks and active participation from global institutions. The summit is designed to bridge the gap for institutional capital and enterprise innovators by facilitating outcome-driven engagement through structured investor-founder meetings, curated introductions, and focused discussion spaces.
Key quotes from speakers highlight the summit's purpose. Akshay Dalal of Google emphasized the "transformative potential" of Web 3.0 and AI convergence. Yat Siu of Animoca Brands stated that such events "help people understand why the industry exists" and play a key role in pushing the industry forward through collaboration. Nic Puckrin of Coin Bureau noted the industry is in a "defining period" where informed analysis is critical.
Sharath Kumar, Founder and CEO of Aeternum, emphasized that the summit is built to help participants "engage with intent, close meaningful partnerships, and drive real outcomes" in a jurisdiction where significant developments are now being executed.
