Middle East Becomes the New Frontier for Bitcoin: Bitcoin MENA 2025 in Abu Dhabi Marks a Global Turning Point

Abu Dhabi, December 8 — Bitcoin MENA 2025 officially opened today at the Abu Dhabi ADNEC Center, attracting over 12,000 participants from around the world, including policymakers, sovereign wealth fund representatives, Bitcoin enterprises, developers, and scholars. This year’s conference is seen as a key milestone in Bitcoin’s global narrative, marking the Middle East’s accelerated rise as a strategic stronghold for global digital assets.

One of the most high-profile guests on the first day was Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy). This was his first public speech at a major Bitcoin summit in the MENA region. In his keynote, Saylor stated: “The global energy structure is rapidly being reorganized, and Bitcoin is the most important digital vehicle in this transformation. Capital, energy, and computing power are redefining the financial system, and the Middle East will be the core driving force behind this process.” His remarks are widely regarded as a significant signal of “the institutionalization of Bitcoin shifting toward the Middle East.”

Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, also emphasized Bitcoin’s structural role in the monetary system. He said onsite: “Bitcoin is a global monetary standard that cannot be inflated away, and the Middle East has a far deeper understanding of value preservation than many other regions. As policy and regulatory frameworks mature, the region will become an engine accelerating Bitcoin adoption.” His comments resonated with several financial institution representatives at the venue.

Macroeconomic researcher Lyn Alden took a global economic perspective, analyzing Bitcoin’s role in sovereign asset allocation. Alden remarked: “Sovereign capital is beginning to value Bitcoin not out of sentiment, but because the global monetary system is undergoing structural change. Bitcoin’s cross-border, censorship-resistant, and low-trust transmission features make it naturally suited for the long-term vision of sovereign wealth funds and central banks.” She emphasized that 2025–2027 will be a critical window for Bitcoin’s entry into national asset allocation frameworks.

Former Federal Reserve and Credit Suisse strategist Zoltan Pozsar, speaking at a closed-door roundtable, also noted that the Middle East’s energy advantage and Bitcoin’s computing power structure are naturally complementary. Pozsar said: “Energy-producing nations are seeking new ways to convert resources into globally liquid value, and Bitcoin is providing a brand-new logic for international settlement and value storage. MENA’s role in geo-finance will be redefined as a result.”

This year’s conference has drawn global attention not only for its unprecedented lineup, but also because the Middle East is developing a new policy, energy, and capital environment strong enough to support Bitcoin’s entry into the “sovereignization” stage. In the past two years, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have established clear virtual asset regulatory frameworks, and multiple free zones offer policy support for Web3, mining, and clean energy computing facilities, making the region well-positioned to attract global Bitcoin infrastructure.

On the energy front, several energy company executives publicly expressed their stances at a Bitcoin conference for the first time. A senior executive from an Abu Dhabi energy group stated at a roundtable: “Bitcoin brings not only financial innovation, but also a new way of exporting energy. In the future, energy will be measured not only in kilowatt-hours, but also in computing power and through Bitcoin.” Such statements highlight Bitcoin’s evolution from a “financial asset” to “energy infrastructure.”

Additionally, numerous family offices and institutional funds from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia indicated at the conference that they would reassess the weighting of Bitcoin in their long-term asset allocations. A wealth management executive from Saudi Arabia noted: “The narrative of Bitcoin as a speculative tool is obsolete; institutions are now more focused on its strategic role in global value transfer. The next phase of capital deployment will be faster than the market expects.”

Judging by the first day’s topics, Bitcoin MENA 2025 is more than just an industry conference—it is a strategic dialogue on the future of global finance and energy. Bitcoin is no longer confined to the tech community; it is becoming a key pivot at the intersection of policy, capital, energy, and national strategy. As the Middle East’s regulatory, energy, and capital advantages continue to strengthen, the global Bitcoin landscape may see a new geopolitical shift in the coming years.