CryptoMondays Successfully Launches MENA Chapter in Dubai with founders, investors, traders and Builders

Dubai, UAE – September 30, 2026 — CryptoMondays formally launched its MENA chapter on Monday, September 28, 2026, convening 190 registered attendees for an evening of panels, networking and community building at the Tacenda Lounge on the 68th floor of the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. The event, billed as a builders-first gathering with “no pitch-only floors,” brought together founders, investors, traders and ecosystem operators from across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Doha and Cairo.

“MENA already has the builders,” said Vaibhavv Ali, co-founder of Cryptonite UAE and lead organiser of the new chapter. “What it has not always had is a regular, no-theatre room that connects Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Doha, and Cairo. That is the job. Not another booth crawl. A chapter.”

The launch featured three focused panel discussions addressing Web3 infrastructure, payments innovation and token trading, along with a keynote from Minds by Animoca Brands and extended networking. The opening panel, Building Web3's Next Chapter From Dubai, was moderated by Vaibhavv Ali and included Aishwary Gupta, Global Head of Business at Polygon Labs; CJ Anand, Director of Advisory at Ghaf Labs; and Khalifa Aljaziri Alshehhi, Managing Director of MalyPay.

Payments and on‑ramps were front of mind in the session titled Crypto Meets Cash: The UAE's Wild Payments Future, which featured Saqr Ereiqat, Secretary General of the Dubai Digital Asset Association and board member at Marmin.ai, alongside Khalifa Aljaziri Alshehhi. A third session, How to Actually Catch a Memecoin in 2026 (Without Getting Burned), provided tactical trading and risk‑management perspectives from trader, investor and content creator Sanjay Saini.

Event partners and reach

• The launch was supported by a broad partner roster including Crypto Mondays MENA, Minds by Animoca Brands, BitAngels, OffChain Global, EcoX Dubai and Cryptonite UAE.
• Other named partners included DATS AWARDS, Proof Of Collabs, D2A2, DSRPTD, Aura8, Singapore Blockchain Week, Venture Week, Washington Elite, Liberland, Access Blockchain Association and CoinEasy.
• CryptoMondays operates 58 active chapters globally and reports over 150,000 members; the MENA chapter will act as a regional hub for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Doha and Cairo.

Organisers emphasised the chapter’s builder-centric rules: no conference badges required, no booth-crawl dynamics, and an explicit goal that participants “leave with more than you brought.” The combination of a prominent venue, three targeted panels, a keynote from Minds by Animoca Brands and extended face-to-face time underpinned organisers’ push to create a sustained, cross-city room for collaboration rather than a one-off networking spectacle.

Looking ahead, the MENA chapter intends to run regular in‑person sessions to maintain ties across the region and catalyse projects and partnerships. With founders, investors and infrastructure providers already participating, organisers said the chapter will prioritise events that surface practical opportunities — from payments rails and on‑ramps to token design and trading practices — and explicitly connect stakeholders in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Doha and Cairo.