Dubai Digital Asset Association (D2A2) Announces Major Advancements and Leadership Transition in Pivotal Year

The Dubai Digital Asset Association (D2A2) has entered a new phase of growth and strategic focus in 2025, unveiling leadership changes, a board overhaul, and an expanded role in regulatory and industry engagement as Dubai continues to position itself as a global hub for digital assets.

Since the start of the year, the association has undertaken a broad internal restructuring aimed at sharpening its mission and increasing its influence across policy, industry collaboration, and thought leadership. The changes come amid accelerating institutional interest in digital assets and growing regulatory activity across the UAE.

At the leadership level, D2A2 appointed Saqr Ereiqat as Secretary General and welcomed Paul Boots as a new board member. The executive team was further strengthened with the appointment of Shyamala Janahan as Chief of Staff, alongside Sebastian Melz and Hiteshwar Bhakhri, who will focus on scaling operations, partnerships, and ecosystem engagement.

The association has also completed a board restructure and mission realignment, narrowing its focus toward regulatory dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and positioning Dubai as a center for responsible digital asset innovation.

Expanding global and regulatory footprint

Throughout 2025, D2A2 has increased its presence in both local and international digital asset discussions. The association has participated in high-level roundtables on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and broader Web3 themes, while hosting multiple international delegations seeking closer engagement with Dubai’s digital asset ecosystem.

Regulatory engagement has been a central pillar of D2A2’s activity. The association has submitted formal industry feedback to both Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), contributing practitioner-led insights to the development of regulatory frameworks governing virtual assets in the emirate.

Partnerships and thought leadership

D2A2 has also expanded its network of strategic partnerships across the region and beyond.

New alliances include collaborations with Equiti, Karm Legal, DMCC, Crypto Oasis, the Web3 Alliance of Saudi Arabia, Fintech Tuesdays, and the Middle East Fintech Association, alongside international partnerships with the Crypto and Blockchain Association of Middle East Africa and Asia (CBA MEAA) and the Kyiv IT Cluster.

Parallel to its policy and ecosystem work, the association has positioned itself as a go-to industry voice for digital assets, regularly engaging with regional media to provide expert commentary and analysis on market developments and regulation.

“This year has been transformative for the association,” said Gaurang Desai, chairman of D2A2. “With a stronger structure, a clearer mission, and deeper partnerships, we are better positioned to ensure the digital asset community has a meaningful voice in regulatory discussions and that Dubai continues to lead in responsible innovation.”

D2A2 says it plans to build on this momentum in 2026, focusing on collaboration, policy alignment, and sustainable growth across the digital asset sector.