Next Block Expo 2026 (NBX), one of Central and Eastern Europe’s leading events at the intersection of Web3, AI, and digital infrastructure, brought together 2,607 participants from 32 countries in Warsaw on March 24–25.
Now in its fifth year, NBX has evolved alongside the market – gathering over 10,000 participants across previous editions and reflecting the transition of the industry from early experimentation to a more mature, infrastructure-driven phase.
This year’s edition featured 116 speakers and 51 exhibitors, including senior executives from global exchanges, policy-level representation, infrastructure builders, and institutional players, positioning NBX as a cross-sector platform rather than a niche industry event.
From speculation to infrastructure
A central theme throughout the conference was the visible shift in the industry’s focus – from hype cycles toward real-world 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 shifting from speculation to infrastructure that is maturing.”
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-driven conversation on the evolution of digital payments in Poland with participation from key policymakers.
1,500+ business meetings and real dealflow
Beyond the stage, NBX reinforced its role as a business platform.
Over 1,500 meetings were facilitated during the two-day event, enabling founders, investors, and operators to engage in high-signal conversations and initiate new partnerships.
This strong emphasis on networking continues to differentiate NBX from traditional conference formats, positioning it as an active marketplace for ideas, capital, and collaboration.
Key highlights across sectors
The 2026 edition showcased a wide range of perspectives across industries 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), and Vugar Usi (COO, MEXC), Dawid Sendecki (Chief Risk&Compliance Officer at zondacrypto) – discussed the future of market structure, liquidity, and regulation
- Public policy & payments: Policymakers and public figures – including members of the Polish parliament such as Sławomir Mentzen, Krzysztof Bosak, Janusz Kowalski, and Sławomir Ćwik – joined industry leaders to discuss the future of digital payments and financial infrastructure in Europe
- Gaming & distribution: Olivier Avaro, CEO of Blacknut, one of the leading cloud gaming platforms globally, shared insights on distribution and scaling gaming through telecom channels
- Infrastructure & hardware: VVDN Technologies, a global hardware and engineering company employing over 12,000 people, highlighted the growing importance of data center infrastructure
- Real-world assets & tokenization: A fireside chat with Dominik Leszczyński, CEO of DL Invest Group (with assets valued at over €1 billion), explored the future of digital REITs and tokenized real estate
AI becomes a first-class citizen
For the first time, NBX expanded its programming with a dedicated AI Summit, held on March 25, bringing AI infrastructure, agentic systems, and real-time computing into the core narrative of the event.
This reflects a broader shift in the market, where AI is no longer treated as a parallel trend, but as a foundational layer of the next-generation digital stack.
Looking ahead
As the industry moves into a phase defined by regulation, infrastructure, and real-world adoption, NBX continues to position itself as a meeting point for those actively building the next iteration of the digital economy.
The next edition of Next Block Expo is expected to take place in 2027.
More information and the full agenda are available at: https://nextblockexpo.com
About NBX:
Next Block Expo is one of the leading events in Central and Eastern Europe focused on the intersection of Web3, AI, and digital infrastructure.
More than a traditional conference, NBX positions itself as a platform where founders, investors, operators, and infrastructure players exchange insights and build relationships, shaping the next phase of the digital economy.
The post Next Block Expo 2026 Brings Together 2,600+ Participants in Warsaw, Signaling Shift Toward Infrastructure-Driven Web3 and AI appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Source: https://beincrypto.com/nbx-2026-web3-ai-infrastructure/
