Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao to Open Proof of Talk at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Following four editions at the Louvre Palace in Paris, the Abu Dhabi edition marks the first time Louvre Abu Dhabi has opened its doors to a summit dedicated to digital assets and AI.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao will open Proof of Talk’s inaugural Gulf summit at Louvre Abu Dhabi on December 3–4, 2026. The Summit brings together executives from global banks, asset managers and digital-asset companies to examine how tokenization, stablecoins and artificial intelligence can be deployed in financial markets. Hosted in the Saadiyat Cultural District, the event positions Abu Dhabi as a bridge between global capital, cultural exchange and the technologies reshaping finance.
Global Finance Meets Digital Assets
The participants lineup includes Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton; Richard Teng, CEO of Binance; Brett Tejpaul, Co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional; and Kim Hochfeld, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Cash, Digital and Securities Lending at State Street Investment Management.
Regional institutions will also be represented by Maurice Gravier, Group Chief Investment Officer at Emirates NBD, alongside representatives from Wio Bank and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council. The mix of traditional financial institutions, crypto-native firms and regional capital providers reflects the summit’s focus on the practical integration of digital assets into mainstream finance.
AI, Stablecoins and Startups
Digital assets and AI will run across both days of the programme. A principal AI block on December 4 will examine the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence in financial services and the requirements for institutional adoption.
StableDay will bring leaders from Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered and Emirates NBD into closed-door roundtables on how stablecoins connect with banking, payments and settlement. Participation is limited to C-level executives, with no audience: every seat is a speaking seat.
Proof of Pitch, the summit’s startup competition, has received more than 200 applications. Its jury includes investors from Pantera Capital, Spartan Group, dao5, RockawayX and Dragonfly, adding a venture perspective to a programme spanning established institutions and emerging technology businesses.
Application-Only Access
Attendance is capped at 2,000 participants, with the stage limited to 120 speakers. Admission is by application only, with no tickets or speaking slots for sale; applications close on November 22.
The June 2026 Paris edition brought together 2,500 decision-makers and more than 120 speakers from institutions representing $25 trillion in assets under management, providing the benchmark for the Gulf edition.
“In Paris, the Louvre stands for heritage. In Abu Dhabi, it stands for the bridge between cultures. And now it welcomes the future of finance,” said Zohair Dehnadi, Co-Founder and CEO of Proof of Talk. “That says a lot about how far digital assets and AI have come, from the fringe to the core. The people who decide what comes next will be here.”
The Next Vertical is a media partner of Proof of Talk.
Proof of Talk Abu Dhabi takes place December 3–4, 2026, at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Attendance applications and further information are available at this LINK.
