Hong Kong’s Ant Digital Technologies hosted the first RWA REAL UP Dubai Summit 2025 on Wednesday, April 30.

The event brought together over 500 participants, including financial institutions, regulators, blockchain developers, and other industry stakeholders, to discuss developments shaping the future of fintech.

Following the recent establishment of its international headquarters in Hong Kong, Ant Digital Technologies selected Dubai as a strategic location to expand into the Middle East.

The move reflects the company’s intention to participate in the region’s fast adoption of Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

A key focus of the summit was the tokenisation of real-world assets, converting physical assets into digital tokens.

This method, particularly through digital fractional ownership, is designed to improve liquidity, broaden access to high-value assets, and reduce reliance on intermediaries.

Ant Digital Technologies introduced Jovay, a Layer 2 blockchain designed for real-world asset fund transactions.

Jovay supports up to 100,000 transactions per second and offers an on-chain response time of 100 milliseconds.

The solution integrates with Layer 1 blockchains to improve scalability and performance.

Jovay forms part of the company’s “Dual Chains and One Bridge” approach, which also includes AntChain-based asset chains and AntChain Bridge. The aim is to enable the global trading of tokenised physical assets.

The company also unveiled its AI-powered DeTerministic Virtual Machine (DTVM) Stack, which is intended to optimise smart contract performance.

The stack includes multi-language SDKs, a core execution engine, and the AI toolkit SmartCogent.

It automates the smart contract lifecycle using large language models and AI agents, and the company claims it delivers execution up to 30 times more efficient than traditional methods.

The DTVM Stack is compatible with the Ethereum ecosystem and has been open-sourced under the Apache License 2.0 on GitHub.

The Dubai summit followed Ant Digital Technologies’ announcement of Hong Kong as its international headquarters.

Both cities are recognised for their regulatory support for digital assets and are home to institutional investors, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds interested in exploring alternative assets such as tokenised securities.

The locations are also positioned to facilitate continuous cross-market activity between Asia and the Middle East.

Ant Digital Technologies also highlighted the potential for tokenising renewable energy assets, particularly in the Middle East’s “solar belt” region.

Solar panels and battery-swapping stations, for example, could be converted into tradable on-chain tokens. The company noted this model could provide new financing options for energy businesses and offer global investors access to sustainable investments.

To date, Ant Digital Technologies has supported the on-chain tokenisation of 14 million new energy devices.

Dr Zhao Wenbiao, CEO of Ant Digital Technologies, said:

“Dubai provides an ideal platform to showcase our latest solutions and engage with a diverse audience seeking innovation in the blockchain and AI space. We’re positioning Ant Digital Technologies as the digital bridge linking Middle East energy transition opportunities to Asia’s markets. By integrating top-tier blockchain solutions into the energy RWA ecosystems of these regions, we aim to cultivate a ‘dual-hub synergy’ between Hong Kong and Dubai, propelling the global shift towards a digital economy.”

With operations now rooted in both Hong Kong and Dubai, Ant Digital Technologies plans to continue its expansion efforts while developing technologies that support more efficient and interconnected global markets.

Featured image: Zhao Wenbiao, CEO of Ant Digital Technologies