Belal Jassoma

Belal Jassoma is the Senior Director of Tech Ecosystems at DMCC, the world’s leading business district and authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.

Belal joined DMCC in 2011 and has been instrumental in scaling up DMCC’s ecosystems and commercial offering, including new products, services and member engagement programmes. In his current capacity as Director for Ecosystems, Belal is responsible for developing key strategic relationships, partnerships and product functions as well as overseeing ecosystem development across several of DMCC’s industry verticals such as crypto, gaming, AI, energy and financial services.

Belal holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah and brings over 18 years of experience in real estate, investment, and government administration.

Scott Thiel

Scott Thiel, CEO and Co-Founder of Tokinvest
Scott Thiel is a fintech entrepreneur and thought leader at the intersection of law, technology, and digital assets. With over 25 years of legal experience, including 11 years as Global Head of IT and FinTech at DLA Piper, Scott has been at the forefront of blockchain innovation since 2017, working on numerous ICO and STO projects.

As CEO and Co-Founder of Tokinvest, alongside Matt Blom, Scott is democratising access to the world's most desirable assets through tokenization. He previously founded and led TOKO, an enterprise-grade tokenisation and digital asset management platform that secured the first full market Broker-Dealer and Exchange Services VASP licenses and helped structure the world's first debt tokenisation transaction.

Scott's industry leadership extends beyond his ventures: he served as a director of Hedera LLC for over five years and as an observer on the Hbar Foundation board for two years, representing Hedera on its governing council. Notably, he won the mandate to develop the legal framework for Dubai's VARA (Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority) regulatory ruleset, helping establish one of the world's most comprehensive digital asset regulatory frameworks.

As a multi-jurisdiction qualified lawyer and responsible officer for a regulated virtual assets business, Scott combines deep regulatory expertise with entrepreneurial vision.

Scott has been the recipient of multiple industry awards and recognition, including:

● One of the Top 20 Performing CEOs in Digital Assets by Unlock Media, 2024
● Recognised as “Most Innovative Lawyers”, Financial Times, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
● Scott Thiel ranked leading individual by Chambers & Partners Fintech Guide 2022
● Scott Thiel ranked by Chambers & Partners, TMT, Greater China Region 2022
● Scott Thiel recognised as a “Leading Individual for TMT”, The Legal 500, Hong Kong 2022

Paul Boots

Head of Sector Development at the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Paul Boots is a senior executive and entrepreneur recognised for his extensive experience in innovation, leadership, and market development. With a career spanning financial services, strategy, and technology, he has played a defining role in shaping the Middle East’s peer-to-peer financing sector. As the founding Group COO of Beehive, he helped pioneer one of the region’s first peer-to-peer lending platforms. His entrepreneurial work also includes co-founding a boutique advisory firm dedicated to leadership development and strategic transformation for major UAE-based organisations, with a particular focus on AI-driven technologies.

Prior to these ventures, Boots served on the executive leadership team at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), where he contributed to establishing Dubai as a global trade hub. During his tenure, he conceptualized and built DMCC’s commodity trade finance platform and secured partnerships with Islamic banking institutions. More recently, he led the creation of a large-scale B2B marketplace for the Investment Corporation of Dubai, further demonstrating his ability to design and deliver innovative platforms that advance economic growth.

A graduate of Babson College, he is deeply committed to leadership, entrepreneurship, and developing high-performance teams. His role at VARA reflects Dubai’s strategic ambitions under the D33 agenda, with his leadership in sector development positioned to help cement the Emirate as a global leader in the virtual assets domain. His blend of strategic vision and operational acumen continues to play a pivotal role as VARA shapes the future of virtual asset regulation and innovation.

Mohammad Ayyob

Mr. Ayyob is the General Manager of SAM Precious Metals, where he oversees the company’s strategic direction, operational excellence, and global market positioning. With extensive experience across the precious metals value chain, he plays a central role in driving SAM’s growth as a fully integrated refinery, delivering high-quality precious metals products to international markets. He works closely with stakeholders across mining, logistics, and financial sectors to streamline supply chains, enhance transparency, and ensure alignment with international standards and regulatory frameworks.

He also supports the company’s forward-looking initiatives in digital innovation, including early explorations into traceability and tokenization frameworks, aimed at enhancing trust and accessibility within the commodities space.

Nelson Mauricio Vargas Rodriguez

Born in Bogotá D.C., Colombia, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and International Business, complemented by advanced studies at the University of Barcelona (Spain). Brings over 20 years of extensive experience in the global logistics sector, with a strong track record across multiple continents and diverse business environments.

Offers deep expertise in international trade, supply chain management, and cross-border operations, consistently demonstrating the ability to adapt to dynamic markets and deliver strategic, result-driven solutions.

Currently based in Dubai, with the past 15 years spent as part of Brink’s management team in the IMENA region playing a key role in supporting the organization’s growth. Widely recognized as a trusted professional, committed to understanding and meeting client and market requirements.