Warsaw, March 26, 2026
Next Block Expo 2026 (NBX), one of Central and Eastern Europe's flagship events at the crossroads of Web3, AI, and digital infrastructure, drew 2,607 attendees from 32 countries to Warsaw on March 24–25.
Now in its fifth edition, NBX has evolved alongside the market — having accumulated over 10,000 participants across previous editions — reflecting the industry's broader transition from early experimentation to a more mature, infrastructure-led phase.
This year's edition featured 116 speakers and 51 exhibitors, including C-suite executives from global exchanges, institutional policy representatives, infrastructure builders, and institutional players, positioning NBX as a cross-sector platform rather than a niche gathering.
From Speculation to Infrastructure
A defining theme throughout the conference was the industry's visible pivot — away from hype cycles and toward real infrastructure, regulation, and scalable systems.
"AI is becoming a core layer of Web3, not a separate narrative," said Tom Kopera, co-founder of NBX. "We are entering a phase of regulated growth, and the industry is moving away from speculation toward maturing infrastructure."
Key discussions reflected this transition, including a high-profile panel on the future of digital finance featuring leaders from major global exchanges, and a policy-focused conversation on the evolution of digital payments in Poland, with participation from key institutional figures.
For international audiences, Poland's growing role as a Central European crypto hub makes NBX an increasingly important bellwether for the continent — particularly as the EU's MiCA regulation reshapes how exchanges and crypto-asset service providers operate across all 27 member states.
Over 1,500 Business Meetings and Real Dealflow
Beyond the stages, NBX once again proved its worth as a live business platform.
Over the two days, more than 1,500 one-on-one meetings were facilitated, enabling founders, investors, and operators to initiate high-value conversations and new partnerships.
This sharp focus on structured networking continues to set NBX apart from traditional conference formats, positioning it as an active marketplace of ideas, capital, and collaboration.
Sector Highlights
The 2026 edition delivered a broad range of perspectives on the sectors shaping the digital economy:
Digital Finance: Senior executives from leading global crypto exchanges — including Georg Harer (Co-CEO, Bybit EU), Sabina Liu (Managing Director, KuCoin EU), Vugar Usi (COO, MEXC), and Dawid Sendecki (Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, zondacrypto) — discussed the future of market structure, liquidity, and regulation.
Public Policy and Payments: Polish lawmakers and public figures — including Members of Parliament Sławomir Mentzen, Krzysztof Bosak, Janusz Kowalski, and Sławomir Ćwik — joined industry leaders to debate the future of digital payments and financial infrastructure in Europe.
Gaming and Distribution: Olivier Avaro, CEO of Blacknut, one of the world's leading cloud gaming platforms, shared insights on distribution and scaling gaming through telecom channels.
Infrastructure and Hardware: VVDN Technologies, a global hardware and engineering company with over 12,000 employees, highlighted the growing importance of data center infrastructure.
Real-World Assets and Tokenization: A fireside chat with Dominik Leszczyński, CEO of DL Invest Group (assets valued at over €1 billion), explored the future of digital REITs and tokenized real estate.
AI Takes Center Stage
For the first time, NBX expanded its program with a dedicated AI Summit, held on March 25, bringing AI infrastructure, agentic systems, and real-time computing to the heart of the event's narrative.
This reflects a broader market shift in which AI is no longer treated as a parallel trend but as a foundational layer of the next-generation digital stack — a theme resonating strongly in both the US and European tech ecosystems.
Looking Ahead
As the industry enters a phase defined by regulation, infrastructure, and real-world adoption, NBX continues to position itself as the meeting point for those actively building the next iteration of the digital economy.
The next edition of Next Block Expo is expected in 2027.
Further information and the full agenda are available at: https://nextblockexpo.com/
