- Decentralized Finance Trends in Turkey
- Custodial Solutions in Web3
- Macro Investments in Blockchain
- Driving Mass Adoption
Istanbul Blockchain Week stands as a premier annual event, nestled in the vibrant heart of Istanbul — a city that bridges continents and cultures, where cryptocurrency and web3 already play a key part in the lives of its people.
IBW is a melting pot where the brightest minds in the web3 space — from founders to executives of leading companies and emerging projects — converge to share insights and shape the industry’s future.
Veteran technology entrepreneur/investor Yat Siu is the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, a global leader in blockchain and gaming with the goal to provide property rights for virtual assets. Yat began his career at Atari Germany, then established Hong Kong Cybercity/Freenation, the first free web page and email provider in Asia. In 1998 he set up Outblaze, an award-winning pioneer of multilingual white label web services. After selling one of its business units to IBM, he pivoted Outblaze to incubate digital entertainment projects. One of those projects is Animoca Brands. Yat has numerous accolades, including Global Leader of Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum, Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the DHL/SCMP Awards, and recognition as one of Cointelegraph’s top 100 notable people in blockchain. A classically trained musician, Yat is a member of the advisory board of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and a director of the Asian Youth Orchestra.
Miguel Morel is a technology entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Arkham, a data analytics company that is deanonymizing the blockchain, backed by Bedrock Capital and founders of Palantir and OpenAI.
John Patrick Mullin is a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and builder, focused on DeFi, blockchain technology, digital assets, and Web3. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of MANTRA and SOMA.finance. John has been investing/building in the crypto and digital assets space for over 10 years, having worked in decentralized finance and exchange/brokerage businesses.
John helped found MANTRA, a Layer 1 blockchain for RWA tokenization, and SOMA.finance, a US-regulated decentralized finance application. He has raised tens of millions of dollars for these ventures and works with a dedicated team of 50+ builders worldwide.
Ömür Çataltepe, based in Istanbul, Turkey, is currently leading Global Business Development efforts for the TON Foundation, bringing experience from his previous works at Binance, Gate.io, Stacks.
Taha Ahmed is the Chief Growth Officer at Forbes, a globally recognized business media brand. In his role, Taha oversees corporate development, strategic investments, and new business incubation, while spearheading the innovative Web3 division. Under his leadership, ForbesWeb3 is dedicated to developing cutting-edge Web3 native products, platforms, and communities, with a mission to drive widespread Web3 adoption through entrepreneurial ventures. Today, ForbesWeb3 is a leader in the blockchain space, nurturing one of the largest communities of Web3 entrepreneurs, builders, and creators. Additionally, it owns the Forbes Legacy Pass, comprising of 1,917 soulbound NFTs for builders, entrepreneurs and creators in Web3. This limited collection includes exclusive invitation to Forbes events, accessing ForbesWeb3 community and partnering with ForbesWeb3 on Web3 ventures. Taha’s visionary approach and commitment to innovation continue to position Forbes at the forefront of the digital transformation era.
Nilay Özmen completed her undergraduate education in Computer Engineering and her master’s degree in Business Administration at Istanbul University. She started her career as the Manager of the Advantage card Project, Turkey’s first installment and multi-brand card, and than she worked as a Data Warehouse Software Senior Engineer and Customer Loyalty and Campaign Management Programs Manager at HSBC Bank.
In 2003, she led the Platinum loyalty campaign and large customer segmentation projects at the leading operator Turkcell, as Business Intelligence Projects Manager in the Individual and Corporate Marketing departments, Customer Management, Campaign and System Infrastructure Projects Technical Program Manager, Health and Education Products Senior Architect and Program Manager. served. She worked as Cloud Computing, Mobile Device Management Products Manager, Education and Public Sector Solution Architect and Business Development Manager in the New Technologies, Information Services, Corporate Sales Department. Özmen, who was appointed as Marketing Director of BELBİM AŞ in 2020, managed the Business Development, Channel Management, Contract Management and Corporate Communications teams.
Özmen, who was appointed COO responsible for the group’s education and technology investments at Demirören Media in 2021, created the “Kolay Kampus” brand and created a new generation education marketplace with a content ecosystem suitable for users of all ages. Nilay Özmen, at the end of 2021; She served as CMO at Global Borsa Bitay, which carries out Blockchain and financial technology activities in Estonia, America, India, the Netherlands and Turkey.
She has been working as Project Management and Technology Governance Director at BELBİM Company, a subsidiary of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, since 2022. She continues her passion for the crypto world by providing management consultancy to global companies and launchpad projects entering the Turkish and Middle Eastern markets.
Heading up PSGs activities within Web3 and Metaverse. Broad and deep experience of Metaverse, Web3, Crypto Successfully listed a crypto exchange on the Nasdaq First North. Advising national, global law and military agencies on IT, crypto and blockchain Advising national banks and EU regulatory bodies on crypto currencies for sound legal framework (MiCA) Writing books about Web3, Metaverse as well as how Tesla and SpaceX is doing Agile at Scale.
Istanbul Blockchain Week isn’t just another event – it’s your strategic gateway to Europe’s fastest-growing Web3 market, with government support fueling innovation. Accelerate deals, forge partnerships, and discover the next wave of projects in a city where cutting-edge ambition meets timeless wonder. Istanbul offers unmatched networking, cultural vibrancy, and a clear return on investment. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of Web3 – secure your place now.
Merkez, Silahşör Cd. No:42, 34381 Şişli/İstanbul, Türkiye
Your expertise and insights would be invaluable in shaping the future of Web3, not just in Turkey but on a global scale. Whether it’s through speaking engagements, panel discussions, workshops, or any other form of collaboration, we’re eager to explore how we can align our efforts and contribute to the advancement of this transformative industry.