A key highlight of this year’s edition was the introduction of the IBW Institutional Forum, which brought together stakeholders from banking, financial services, regulatory institutions and technology companies to discuss institutional blockchain adoption, tokenisation, digital asset custody and regulatory frameworks.
The forum featured participation from government and regulatory representatives, including Sanju Yadav, Joint Director, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance; Dr. Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, IFSCA; Maninder Cheema, Executive Director, SEBI; and Dr. Devraj Sanyal, Head of AI & Data Sciences, RBI Innovation Hub.
Discussions examined India’s readiness for institutional blockchain adoption, including the development of tokenised financial instruments, cross-border digital asset markets, investor protection and the infrastructure required to support institutional participation.
The main conference featured conversations with leaders from major global and Indian blockchain organisations, including Binance, the Title Sponsor of IBW 2026, CoinSwitch, CoinDCX, NEAR Foundation, Polygon Labs and Consensys. Key themes included the convergence of traditional and decentralised finance, stablecoin payment infrastructure, real-world asset tokenisation and the evolving role of AI in blockchain development.
Another addition was the Future Asset Forum, which explored emerging opportunities at the intersection of AI, ownership, sports, entertainment and cultural experiences. Discussions examined how AI-driven automation could reshape economic activity and create new forms of value and ownership.
The conference opened with a keynote by Tak Lee, CEO and Managing Partner of Hashed Emergent, on India’s opportunity to shape the emerging global economy. It also saw the launch of the India Web3 Landscape Report 2026.
With the introduction of dedicated platforms for institutional finance and emerging asset classes, IBW 2026 expanded its focus beyond the traditional Web3 ecosystem, reflecting the industry’s growing engagement with mainstream financial markets, enterprise applications and emerging technologies.
Tak Lee, CEO and Managing Partner of Hashed Emergent, said “India is at an important juncture in the evolution of the global digital asset ecosystem. What stood out at IBW 2026 was the growing convergence of conversations around blockchain, institutional finance and AI, with participation from policymakers, financial institutions, investors and builders. Platforms like IBW play an important role in bringing these stakeholders together, fostering collaboration and helping position India as a key contributor to the next phase of the global digital economy.”
The two-day conference concluded on November 2, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between industry, investors, financial institutions and policymakers in shaping the future of blockchain and digital assets in India.
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About India Blockchain Week (IBW)
India Blockchain Week (IBW) is a movement unifying the Indian web3 ecosystem and a platform to connect with the global community. It is India’s biggest pan-industry series of blockchain and web3 events. IBW is a week-long array of 100+ web3 events, including flagship events such as the headline IBW Conference, Devcon, ETHGlobal Mumbai, and many other side-events, networking events, workshops, parties, etc, hosted by Indian & global blockchain industry stakeholders.
About Hashed Emergent
Hashed Emergent is the venture capital arm of Hashed, backing builders from India and emerging markets shaping the on-chain frontier. It invests at the earliest stages of a web3 startup’s journey, using its expertise, experience, and network to amplify their growth and success. The team is rooted in the cultural hubspots of web3 in emerging markets, spanning across Bangalore, Seoul, Singapore, Lagos and Dubai. Hashed Emergent drives web-focused ecosystem and community expansion in these markets through its purpose-built initiatives.
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