Eric Trump Talks Crypto, Real Estate as TOKEN2049 Dubai Reshapes Investor Narrative

Just two weeks before his father’s planned Middle East Gulf visit, Eric Trump was in Dubai slamming the traditional banking system as “broken” and praising crypto as the future of finance.

Eric Trump stands with the crypto industry

Speaking at TOKEN2049—the GCC region’s premier crypto conference—Eric Trump appeared alongside chief executives from some of the world’s largest digital-asset firms and the heads of digital‑asset divisions of asset managers BlackRock and Goldman Sachs. Also in attendance was Zach Witkoff—son of U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff—underscoring the event’s geopolitical resonance. 

The two-day event, hosted in the desert metropolis in late April, drew more than 8,000 blockchain practitioners, policymakers, investors, and media from around the world. of the gathering showcases crypto’s expanding influence beyond financial markets into infrastructure, real estate, and emerging technology.

Highlights from TOKEN2049 Dubai

• Stablecoins in the spotlight:
  A $2 billion stablecoin-only investment into Binance via USD1 was presented as a potential turning point for institutional finance.
• Advancements in user accessibility:
  OKX launched OKX Pay, and Mesh integrated Apple Pay—both contributing to simpler, more direct access to crypto payments.
• Institutional infrastructure builds:
  Custody provider Zodia announced its entry into the Middle East market, reinforcing regional interest in secure crypto storage.
• Web3 tools continue to evolve:
  Fastex upgraded its wallet into a full Web3 control hub, and Solana’s Pipe Network launched PipeQuest to prepare for its decentralized CDN rollout.
• Foundational blockchains gain attention:
  Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana, and Polygon were repeatedly cited as key players supporting scaling, DeFi, and Web3 integration.
• Market outlook:
  Analysts believe these developments could influence short-term trading behaviour while also strengthening long-term investor confidence.

The chatter at TOKEN2049 wasn’t just theory and speculation, it was also focused on application. Buyers of apartments in a new Trump-branded tower, launched recently in Dubai, will be able to pay in Bitcoin. Emirates NBD has introduced crypto trading on its digital arm Liv, and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) –already home to more than 600 crypto firms–is planning to open a “Crypto Tower” by early 2027.