Major crypto conferences have been postponed amid ongoing drone strikes and airspace restrictions across the Gulf.
Two of the crypto industry’s most prominent Dubai-based events have been cancelled or postponed as the escalating U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict continues to disrupt travel and logistics across the Middle East.
Token2049, one of the world’s largest annual crypto conferences,announced Friday that its Dubai edition, originally slated for April 29-30, would be pushed to April 2027. Organizers cited “ongoing uncertainty in the region and its impact on safety, international travel and logistics.”
The move follows Thursday’s cancellation of Gateway Dubai, an event organized by The Open Network (TON), the blockchain ecosystem affiliated with Telegram. That event, which had been scheduled for May, wasscrapped entirely.
The Token2049 postponement marks a sharp reversal from organizers’ position earlier this week, when a spokespersontold Fortune that preparations were continuing and registrations were tracking toward a sold-out event.
The conference had been expected to draw roughly 15,000 attendees. Scheduled speakers included Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, and Circle co-founder Jeremy Allaire.
The cancellations come as the UAE faces growing disruption from the conflict. Two drones fell near Dubai’s main airport on Wednesday, and Dubai’s media office confirmed Friday that debris from an intercepted missile caused minor damage to a building in the city center.
The UAE has emerged as one of the fastest-growing hubs for the digital asset industry, hosting more than 1,800 crypto companies, according to Cointelegraph.
This article was written with the assistance of AI workflows. All our stories are curated, edited and fact-checked by a human.
