IBW 2025 Unites Leading Experts To Shape The Future Of Web3: Sharing An Outlook On Regulation, Innovation, And Public Blockchain Adoption
In Brief
Istanbul Blockchain Week 2025 brought together leading figures from the global Web3 community for two days of discussions, collaboration, and innovation, highlighting major trends, regulatory challenges, and future opportunities.
Istanbul Blockchain Week (IBW) announced that it has successfully held its 2025 edition on June 26–27th at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel, gathering leading experts from the Web3 sector to exchange knowledge and influence the future direction of the industry.
Organized by EAK Digital, the event is structured to support technological development, partnership-building, and capital engagement within the blockchain sector. This year’s issue included roundtable discussions that facilitated in-depth conversations and collaborative problem-solving among industry professionals. VC Connect returned as a networking platform designed to link investors with emerging projects in the blockchain and Web3 fields. The IstanHack hackathon provided developers with an opportunity to collaborate and create innovative solutions addressing real-world challenges through blockchain technology.
Throughout the event, a series of carefully curated keynotes and panel sessions took place focused on important topics such as decentralized science (DeSci), decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePin), stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, and Layer 1 blockchain networks.
The participant list featured Ben Zhou, CEO of Bybit; Kostas Chalkias representing Mysten Labs; Onur Güven, CEO of Garanti BBVA Crypto; Christian Thompson, Managing Director at Sui Foundation; Nenter Chow, CEO of BitMart, among many others. The event attracted founders and CEOs of pioneering blockchain startups, representatives from key blockchain foundations, notable venture capitalists with a focus on Web3 investments, legal professionals specializing in cryptocurrency regulations, as well as developers and technology leaders driving innovation in the space.
Industry Leaders Share Strategic Insights On Web3 Evolution And Future Trends
Among speakers were Burcak Unsal from the information technology law firm Unsal Law Firm, Victor Ji from the modular blockchain project Manta, Cemil Şinasi Türün from Boğaziçi University, Joel Roberts from the Web3 music platform HAiO, and Paul Brody from the accounting firm EY.
During the event, they shared their insights on how the Web3 industry has evolved conceptually over the past five years, highlighted emerging trends that founders should be aware of, discussed strategies for mainstream adoption of Web3, and explored potential major developments to anticipate in the sector. Mpost collected some of the most interesting opinions.
“As a lawyer, I have to emphasize the regulatory transition the crypto ecosystem has undergone in the last five years. Court decisions, supranational regulators such as FATF, and regulatory authorities of sovereign nations have literally molded the ecosystem into its current shape,” said Burcak Unsal, managing partner at Unsal Law Firm.
The regulatory transition has brought both benefits and challenges. It is acknowledged that these developments have contributed to the diversification of crypto assets, their deeper integration with the traditional financial sector, and the emergence of new fintech solutions built around cryptocurrency assets.
“Moreover, this has helped crypto assets become more accessible to the masses, underbanked populations, and less tech-savvy segments of society,” he added.
“I believe this could be an opportunity for serious market players to generate a competitive edge,” Burcak Unsal highlighted.
He further noted that a considerable challenge of this trend is that many Web3 founders and businesses are not yet fully familiar with the stringent legal requirements they must meet. These regulations often involve considerable financial expenses and necessitate additional staffing to fulfill compliance obligations.
Trust stands out as the most crucial and scarce asset within the industry, according to Burcak Unsal. Users, business partners, service providers, and regulatory bodies all seek to place their confidence in Web3 enterprises. Consequently, founders who prioritize compliance and go beyond the minimum requirements can gain a significant competitive edge and enhance the overall value of their organizations.
Web3 Experts Highlight Shift From Hype To Utility And Predict Rise Of Decentralized Credit Systems
Victor Ji, Co-founder of Manta, expressed that one often overlooked reality in Web3 development is the overwhelming focus on gaining attention, with centralized exchanges (CEX) dominating the landscape. This emphasis contrasts with the original expectation of creating solutions that drive genuine adoption beyond simply collaborating with another CEX.
Furthermore, during the event, Cemil Şinasi Türün, a professor at Boğaziçi University, noted which emerging trends in Web3 might be considered distractions and identified opportunities within the space that warrant greater attention and investment.
“Reserve currency in the world may be a token, a product of Web3 technology instead of the US dollar. This new token may be pegged to a commodity like gold or a basket of them,” said Cemil Şinasi Türün. “This is going to be a major disruption. But the real opportunity lies after this step, and that is a new decentralized credit system for the masses, outside of banks,” he added.
User Experience And Public Blockchain Scalability Are Key To Future Adoption
In response to the question about an often-overlooked challenge in building within the Web3 space, Joel Roberts, Founder and CEO of HAiO, noted that an uncomfortable truth about building in Web3 is that Web3 builders underestimate how little users care about decentralization.
“If the product isn’t fun, fast, or rewarding, it doesn’t matter how trustless your backend is,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, in reflecting on the evolving consensus within the blockchain space, Paul Brody, Global Blockchain Leader at Ernst & Young, observed that while hybrid models combining public and permissioned blockchains were widely regarded as the likely path forward just a year ago, the current sentiment has shifted. There is now a broad recognition that public blockchains offer the scalability required for future applications.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
