Coming back from Dubai, it was a good moment to compare this event with our previous experience at Token2049 Singapore. Singapore had set the bar very high, so Dubai helped us see what kind of event Blockchain Life actually is, what it does well, and where it stays more local.
1. Scale: Nowhere Near Singapore
Token2049 Singapore practically turned the whole city into a Web3 hub for a week, with up to 700 side events. In Dubai, although the main conference also lasted two days, the total number of side events was around 30–50 at most. So the overall ecosystem density and city-wide buzz were not comparable.
2. Attendee Profile: Heavy Russian & Local Participation
One of the most striking things about Blockchain Life Dubai was the attendee mix. Around half of the participants were Russian-speaking, and most of the remaining attendees were already Dubai-based. Participation from outside Russia and the UAE was probably only 10–15%. This gave the event a “local/regional conference” feeling.
In that sense, it was similar to Istanbul Blockchain Week, where the majority is local. In Singapore, it was the exact opposite: Singaporeans were maybe 5–10%, and 90% of the people had flown in from all over the world.
3. Thematic Focus: Bitcoin Mining Everywhere
Another clear difference: in Dubai, Bitcoin mining was extremely dominant. A large portion of the booths and companies were about mining hardware, mining services, or mining influencers. You could say around 30% of the event was mining-related. This is most likely because of the strong Russian presence and the fact that Russia is still very active in mining.
4. The Pavel Durov Moment
One of the peak moments of the whole event was the appearance of Pavel Durov (founder of Telegram). When he went on stage, the hall was packed to the point of overflowing. People were standing, and the crowd extended outside the hall. Because of the high number of Russian attendees, it almost felt like a national hero moment.
5. Speakers and Influencers
It was nice to see that well-known names from the crypto space, like Carl Moon, were there. Since he’s someone we already follow, seeing him live added value. Besides that, the conference sessions themselves were well organized and generally good quality. So from a “content and panels” perspective, Blockchain Life delivered more than its size might suggest.
6. Limited Networking on the Show Floor
One downside: the main expo area was not very networking-friendly. Most of the companies at the booths were in pure sales/demo mode, so it was harder to have deeper, strategic conversations. Unlike Singapore, you didn’t get that “everywhere you turn you meet a new VC, founder, L1 rep, or fund” feeling. It was more transactional.
7. Venue & Logistics: Festival Arena Was a Bit Tough
The event took place at the Dubai Festival Arena. It’s a good and well-known location, but it’s inside a wider park/open-air area, so you end up walking a fair bit. In Dubai’s heat, this is tiring.
Another issue: the event ended around 6:00 PM and there was no shuttle or public transport arranged from the venue. Since that area doesn’t have a good public transport connection, everyone had to get a taxi. This created a very long taxi queue (up to 1 hour). So from a logistics point of view, this was a weak spot.
8. Transport Costs Add Up in Dubai
Dubai basically has one main metro line, and if the event is not on that line, you are more or less forced to use taxis. And taxis in Dubai are not very cheap. So over several days, the transportation cost becomes a real expense item, especially if you attend multiple side events.
9. Some Side Events Were Questionable (Scam-like)
Another thing worth mentioning: among the side events listed on the official Blockchain Life website, we spotted at least two events that looked like scams. These were targeting startups, telling them “you can pitch to investors / top VCs” but asking for USD 1,000–2,000 participation fee. There was no real investor presence to justify that. This shows that the curation and verification of side events could be improved.
10. Weaker Project–Investor Matchmaking than Singapore
One of the strongest aspects of Token2049 Singapore was the constant and organic founder–VC–fund interaction. You could meet investors in hotel lobbies, at side events, at the main venue, everywhere. In Dubai, this part was noticeably weaker. There was no strong, structured matchmaking layer that brought projects and capital together. It felt more like a conference + expo, less like a fundraising hub.
11. Accommodation: Dubai Was Easier Than Singapore
When we went to Singapore, the event overlapped with the Formula 1 weekend, so hotel prices were very high and availability was low. In Dubai, it was the opposite: there were plenty of hotel options and the prices were actually lower than expected. So from an accommodation perspective, Dubai was more comfortable.
12. Food & Drinks at Side Events
In Singapore, almost every side event had free food, drinks and even alcohol. That makes networking very fluid and natural. In Dubai, only some side events offered free catering. Others were discounted but still paid. This also contributes to the total cost of attending the event.
13. RWA & AI: The Hype Was Not the Same
In Singapore, RWA (Real World Assets) and tokenization were everywhere. You kept hearing “tokenizing real-world value”, “bringing RWAs on-chain”, “institutional adoption” in almost every track.
In Dubai, RWA and AI were mentioned, but they were not the central theme. You didn’t feel the same wave of excitement. The conference in Dubai was more about mining, infrastructure and payment/financial products than about the next narrative.
14. Crypto Cards & Payment Solutions Were Very Visible
One thing Dubai did showcase a lot: crypto payment cards and services where you load crypto and then pay via Visa/Mastercard rails. There were multiple companies offering exactly this path: “top up with crypto, pay anywhere.” For the MENA region, where people want to bridge crypto to daily life, this makes sense.
15. Dubai’s Events Are More Cross-Vertical
Dubai constantly hosts crypto and tech events throughout the year. During the Blockchain Life week, some of these regular Dubai events were “plugged into” the conference as side events. But these were often not 100% Web3-native. You could meet people from fintech, real estate, general software, or AI. So the vibe was more “Dubai tech scene + crypto” than “pure Web3”.
In Singapore, on the other hand, the whole city smelled like Web3 that week.
16. Startup Pitch Competition (But No Investment)
The main event included a startup pitch competition. Some startups, after paying a fee, got the chance to pitch on stage in front of a jury. However, there was no direct investment or funding prize. It was more like a visibility opportunity for founders to get on stage and be seen by potential investors.
Short Comparison with Istanbul Blockchain Week
In terms of “where did people come from,” Blockchain Life Dubai was actually closer to Istanbul Blockchain Week than to Token2049. Both Dubai and Istanbul versions had a strong local/regional core. Singapore was the truly global one.
Conclusion
So, what’s the verdict?
- Dubai Blockchain Life is a solid, regional, business-driven event with strong Russian and MENA participation.
- It is very good for mining, for crypto-to-fiat/card products, and for meeting Dubai-based players.
- It is not (yet) at the level of Token2049 Singapore in terms of global reach, trend-setting power, or investor–startup matchmaking.
- Logistics (transport) and curation of side events are areas that could be improved.
Still, for teams active in MENA, for mining companies, and for projects that want to tap into the Russian-speaking crypto crowd, Blockchain Life Dubai is worth attending.
