My interview with Ben El-Baz, Managing Director of HashKey MENA.

- The Asia–Middle East crypto corridor is expanding fast, driven by stablecoin-powered B2B payments.

- Hong Kong’s regulatory clarity has fostered a “financial-grade” crypto ecosystem across banks, brokers, and asset managers.

- Dubai and the UAE are emerging as key partners in bridging East–West crypto flows.

- Real estate tokenisation and cross-border stablecoin use are transforming how individuals and corporates transact.

- Southeast Asia is becoming a vital region for institutional crypto adoption, especially in stablecoin settlements.

- Education and regulated infrastructure remain key challenges for scaling adoption securely.

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My interview with Brett King, futurist and author of Branch Tomorrow.

- How fintechs have overtaken traditional banks in customer reach

- The rise of autonomous banking and tokenized assets

- Why legacy systems can’t support real-time, AI-driven finance

- The critical role of stablecoins and digital payments networks in this transformation

- What bankers must do to stay relevant in the next decade Powered by Phoenix Group

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My interview with Robin Scott, General Manager at AIFT.

- Insurance for digital assets has grown rapidly, with coverage now exceeding $1 billion

- Centralized exchanges and custodians are meeting higher technical standards, making policies viable

- DeFi remains challenging due to frequent hacks, leading to high premiums

- Legacy insurers and reinsurers are warming up to crypto as a diversifier from climate risk exposures

- AI risk is following the same playbook as crypto, starting with cybersecurity and risk management tools

- Smart contracts and AI can streamline the outdated insurance process, reducing paperwork and intermediaries

- The future may bring customers closer to directly covering risks via blockchain-based pools

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My interview with Sunny Lu, Co-Founder and CEO of VeChain, on enterprise blockchain, sustainability, and why adoption is accelerating.

- VeChain has focused on enterprise blockchain since 2015, with use cases from anti-counterfeiting to sustainability

- Regulation and better infrastructure are lowering barriers for corporate adoption of blockchain

- Blockchain is not just about productivity but about relationships between enterprises and individuals

- Enterprises are moving beyond track-and-trace to user engagement and shared sustainability missions

- More than 90% of enterprise blockchain conversations now focus on public chains rather than private ones

- ESG remains a key driver, with VeChain working on carbon credits, food safety, and sustainability management

- Despite China’s cautious stance on crypto, blockchain development remains strong, with Hong Kong acting as a testing ground

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My interview with Michael Bentley, CEO of Euler Labs.

- DeFi adoption surged from zero to $3 billion on Euler in just nine months

- Institutional players such as BlackRock and Apollo are tokenising money market funds on-chain

- Stablecoin growth is driving new lending and borrowing markets in DeFi

- Traditional fintechs are starting to use DeFi rails as back-end infrastructure

- Retail adoption still faces UX and UI hurdles, but fintech integrations may bridge the gap

- Michael predicts explosive growth if even a fraction of traditional finance moves on-chain

- Despite risks like hacks and smart contract bugs, DeFi offers transparency and antifragility compared to traditional finance

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- The UAE emerges as one of the world’s largest sovereign Bitcoin holders

- How Phoenix Group built the first and largest mining firm in the Middle East and Africa

- The intersection of Bitcoin mining, AI, and data infrastructure

- Why sovereign Bitcoin reserves are legitimising the mining industry worldwide

- The rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) and their role in corporate balance sheets

- Why Asia–Middle East corridors and first-mover advantage matter in the next mining cycle

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My interview with Sean McHugh, Head of Market Assurance at VARA.

- VARA has grown from 14 to 36 licensed firms in just over a year

- Biggest applicant mistakes: unclear business plans and shifting models

- How VARA uses AI and blockchain analytics to supervise licensees

- Four regulatory priorities: customer protection, AML/KYC, financial soundness, cybersecurity

- Path toward global harmonisation and passporting of crypto regulation

- The importance of marketing rules and enforcement in Dubai’s ecosystem

- Sean’s personal reflections on moving from Wall Street to regulation

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• Digital banking, supply chain, and tokenised finance are converging faster than expected

• Bitcoin, stablecoins, and tokenised instruments are here to stay

• Institutional adoption needs robust, trustworthy infrastructure

• From lonely beginnings to a maturing, bank-grade digital asset ecosystem

• Partnerships, patience, and discipline are key to building lasting ventures

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