Dubai crypto event cancelled amid Iran conflict

By Elizabeth Howcroft and Federico Maccioni

DUBAI, March 13 (Reuters) – A major Dubai crypto conference scheduled for the end of April has been cancelled, the organisers said on Friday, citing “uncertainty in the region”.

The annual TOKEN2049 conference will be “postponed” until April 2027, the organisers said in a statement on their website, with tickets carried over to next year’s event.

The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has caused widespread disruption across the region, putting Dubai’s status as a tourism and business safe-haven at risk.

Two drones ‌fell near Dubai’s main airport on Wednesday, and debris from a successful interception caused minor damage to the facade of a building in the centre of Dubai, the emirate’s media office said on Friday.

TOKEN2049’s announcement did not explicitly mention the war but said the decision was because of “ongoing uncertainty in the region and its impact on safety, international travel, and logistics.”

Last year’s event featured U.S. President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump and Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.  

The United Arab Emirates has become a key location for crypto traders and companies. The world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, deepened its ties to the UAE last year.

“Dubai remains one of the most important hubs for the digital asset ecosystem. We remain confident in the city and its continued leadership as a global center for innovation and digital assets,” TOKEN2049 said.

The conference attracts 15,000 attendees, its website says, and the CEOs of Binance, stablecoin Tether and messenger app Telegram had been due to appear.

Various sports events in the wider region have also been affected.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft in Paris and Federico Maccioni in Dubai, additional reporting by Tom Wilson in London; Editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes)