As City Centre Deira marks three decades at the heart of Dubai’s retail landscape, its legacy reads like a timeline of how modern shopping culture took shape in the region. From pioneering the concept of the integrated family mall in the mid-1990s to evolving into a community-first destination anchored in data, sustainability and experience, the mall’s journey mirrors Dubai’s own transformation.

In this interview with Gulf Business, Khalifa Bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, reflects on the pivotal decisions that built City Centre Deira into a regional retail reference point, how it shaped Majid Al Futtaim’s wider mall strategy across five countries, and what the next generation of retail destinations in the Middle East will demand.

City Centre Deira celebrated its 30th anniversary in November. Looking back, what were the pivotal decisions and moments that helped establish it as a regional retail leader?

City Centre Deira wasn’t just a mall that opened three decades ago; it it reshaped how Dubai and the region shop, gather, and experience retail. It set a new benchmark for integrated destinations and became the blueprint that every Majid Al Futtaim asset has built on since.

When it opened on November 28, 1995, it introduced the UAE’s first truly integrated shopping, dining, and entertainment experience. This was a groundbreaking concept at the time, redefining what a modern, climate-controlled, family-oriented destination could be, and ultimately catalysing the region’s retail revolution.

Several pivotal decisions shaped its success from the start.

Location was the first strategic choice: positioned at a natural crossroads linking old Dubai, the airport, and Sharjah, it was intentionally designed to be “the mall for everyone.” This made it an essential daily touchpoint for surrounding communities and helped it build strong, long-standing relationships with residents.

City Centre Deira also integrated a hypermarket and key everyday services, ensuring it was not only a place for fashion and leisure, but also a hub for weekly essentials. The combination of practicality, convenience, and entertainment turned it into a full-day destination where people could shop, dine, and spend meaningful time together.

This blend of a visionary location, multifunctional design, and a community-first philosophy is what established City Centre Deira as the region’s retail pioneer. Its legacy continues to influence every new Majid Al Futtaim destination, shaping the future of retail across the Middle East.

How has City Centre Deira shaped Majid Al Futtaim’s broader strategy and vision for retail expansion across the Middle East over the past three decades?

City Centre Deira fundamentally shaped Majid Al Futtaim’s vision for retail by proving early on that people wanted more than a place to shop, they wanted destinations that added value to their daily lives. Its role as a community hub became the foundation for our long-term strategy.

From its first days, City Centre Deira demonstrated that integrated, community-first destinations resonate most with consumers. This insight became our blueprint for expansion, influencing every City Centre, Mall of the Emirates, and mixed-use development that followed. It showed us that success comes from creating places that combine retail, dining, entertainment, and essential services within a space people feel conn

ected to.

City Centre Deira also taught us the importance of long-term partnerships. Carrefour began as a single hypermarket in Deira and has since evolved into a regional anchor across our portfolio. Likewise, many international brands that entered the UAE through Deira are now part of our wider retail ecosystem, reinforcing the value of being a gateway destination.

A key lesson that continues to guide us is relevance. As consumer behaviour shifts, so must our offering. Continuous reinvestment, refreshing experiences, and staying close to our communities remain central to our strategy – principles that originate from Deira’s legacy.

Today, Majid Al Futtaim operates 29 shopping malls across five countries, along with a growing portfolio of mixed-use communities, hotels, and leisure destinations. All are built on the core idea that City Centre Deira proved: when you create places for life, not just places to shop, you build destinations that evolve, endure, and stay meaningful for generations.

Consumer expectations have evolved dramatically over the last 30 years. How has the mall adapted to changing shopper behaviours and the rise of digital retail?

Over the past 30 years, consumer expectations have shifted from simply visiting a mall to wanting a seamless, personalised experience that moves effortlessly between physical and digital touchpoints. At City Centre Deira, we’ve adapted by becoming smarter, more connected, and more responsive to how people live today – while doubling down on what physical retail does best: human connection, discovery, and shared experiences.

A major part of this transformation is the integration of City Centre Deira into our SHARE loyalty ecosystem, which now connects millions of members across our malls, communities, hotels, cinemas, leisure destinations, and Carrefour. Through SHARE, guests are recognised and rewarded wherever they interact with Majid Al Futtaim, allowing us to link in-mall activity with digital behaviours and provide more personalised offers and seamless journeys.

At the same time, we’ve continually enhanced the physical experience so digital complements – rather than replaces – the visit. This includes upgraded interiors, refreshed dining and social spaces, improved accessibility such as the direct Metro connection, and investments in sustainability and intuitive wayfinding to keep the destination fresh, relevant, and easy to navigate.

While data and digital capabilities will continue to elevate how we personalise the journey, the heart of every City Centre remains community and human connection. Whether watching the latest blockbuster, discovering a new restaurant, or finding the perfect outfit, our aim is to create meaningful moments that turn into lasting memories – experiences no online channel can replicate.

With 29 malls across the region and new projects like Ghaf Woods and the Dhs5bn Mall of the Emirates expansion, how do you balance growth, innovation and operational excellence?

We operate our destinations as a unified portfolio rather than isolated assets. This scale allows us to incorporate essential non-negotiables – exceptional guest experiences, strict safety, energy efficiency, advanced digital features, and strong brand partnerships across our 29 malls. While upholding these principles, each mall is carefully developed for its community, habits, needs, and character, ensuring a high standard that respects local nuances rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Central to balancing these elements is our use of data and analytics. A unified data infrastructure allows us to monitor footfall patterns, dwell times, spending behaviours, category performance, and emerging lifestyle trends across our entire portfolio. These insights inform our leasing strategies, experience curation, and reinvestment decisions, helping us adapt to evolving preferences.

For example, the Dhs5bn redevelopment of Mall of the Emirates reflects this adaptive approach, responding to precise consumer demands for more luxury, cultural offerings, wellness options, and indoor–outdoor spaces. Similarly, shifts towards nature-inspired living influence developments like Ghaf Woods, making lifestyle trends and consumer preferences central to our planning.

In parallel, operational discipline ensures all these efforts are cohesive and sustainable. We apply globally recognised frameworks for customer experience, health and safety, and sustainability across all assets. We rigorously monitor energy consumption and operational performance with the same diligence as we do financial results, creating a consistent standard that extends across our network.

This disciplined approach not only enhances the potential of each destination but also reassures guests and partners that safety, reliability, and quality are upheld uniformly, wherever they encounter our brand.

Sustainability and community engagement are increasingly important for retail developments. How has Majid Al Futtaim incorporated these elements into its malls and long-term strategy?

For Majid Al Futtaim, sustainability is not a parallel workstream; it is the way we run the business. Over the past decade, we have embedded clear environmental targets into the way our malls are designed, operated and upgraded. As a result, Majid Al Futtaim Malls have achieved 11 LEED EBOM certificates at the Platinum level and one at the Gold level, with flagship assets such as Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, City Centre Bahrain and City Centre Muscat operating to LEED Platinum standards for operations and maintenance.

This approach has also been recognised externally, with consistent Green Star ratings from GRESB and multiple honours at the 2025 MENA Green Building Awards, including Sustainable Developer of the Year, as well as awards for our sustainability training, Ghaf Woods and our “Strategically Green” retail framework. Together, these milestones confirm that environmental performance is built into our model, not added afterwards.

City Centre Deira is a clear example of how this translates into a living asset. Nearly 30 years after opening, the mall now operates to a modern platinum standard thanks to continuous retrofits, smarter building systems and a data-driven focus on energy, water and emissions. Most of these changes are invisible to customers, but they ensure the mall remains efficient, comfortable and resilient. Just as importantly, they have been implemented.

Aside from the environmental aspect of sustainability, a core pillar for us at Majid Al Futtaim is giving back to the communities we operate in. For example, City Centre Deira has stood as a cornerstone of the community for over 30 years, tailoring moments and celebrations for our key demographics. This includes everything from celebrating Philippines National Day, Onam, Christmas and more – to free yoga and karaoke. Our commitment to supporting local stories and entrepreneurs is evident through engaging campaigns, charity initiatives, and pop-up collaborations that celebrate the community’s rich culture.

To ensure inclusivity, we have also adopted the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Programme across our malls, training staff to discreetly assist guests with non-visible disabilities, creating a welcoming and accessible environment for everyone.

Looking ahead, what are the key trends or innovations you see shaping the future of retail in the region, and how is Majid Al Futtaim preparing to lead?

Across the Middle East, retail is moving decisively toward experience-led destinations, where shopping is just one part of a much richer day out. Increasingly, guests expect places where they can discover new brands, connect with culture, focus on wellness, learn, and be entertained – often in a single visit.

At the same time, AI and data are reshaping how we understand and serve those expectations. Through our digital platforms and loyalty ecosystem, we are already able to recognise preferences, anticipate needs, and personalise each journey – whether someone is with us for ten minutes to pick up an item or for an entire day with their family. The next chapter of retail will belong to those who can combine this level of intelligence with a deeper sense of responsibility and human-centric approach.

That is why sustainability now sits at the core of how we think about the future of our destinations. Customers, regulators, and partners are no longer asking whether we are responsible – they are asking how far and how fast we can go. Our ambition is that every new project and every significant reinvestment should simultaneously elevate the guest experience, reduce our environmental footprint, and future-proof the asset. This alignment of expertise, technology, and sustainability is the backdrop against which we are marking 30 years of City Centre Deira and, with it, rethinking what a Majid Al Futtaim destination should be for the next generation and beyond.

Rather than asking how to build “another mall”, we are asking what excellence looks like for tomorrow’s guests and communities. That mindset is driving flagship initiatives such as Ghaf Woods – our next-generation community concept – and the transformation of Mall of the Emirates, where we are honouring a strong legacy while redesigning every element through the lens of experience, digital enablement, and sustainability. Having helped shape modern retail in the Middle East over the past three decades, we are now focused on leading its next era: creating destinations that are unmistakably experience-driven, intelligently data-powered, and uncompromisingly environmentally responsible for many years to come.

McLaren driver Lando Norris was crowned the 2025 FIA Formula One World Champion, following the season–ending round at the 17th edition of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.

Sheikh Theyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan handed him the trophy.

Sheikh Theyab also presented the race winner’s trophy to Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, who claimed victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, state news agency, WAM reported.

Norris secured the overall championship by finishing third in the race, edging out Verstappen by just two points in the final standings.

Norris is 11th Brit driver to clinch F1 Drivers’ Championship title

The 2025 season finale marked a dramatic conclusion to one of the tightest championship battles in recent years. Norris, 26, becomes the 11th British driver to claim the title and the first McLaren champion since 2008.

Verstappen’s win in Abu Dhabi was his eighth of the year — the most by any driver this season — and extended his streak of Grands Prix victories for a fifth straight year. However, despite dominating the race, the Red Bull driver fell short in the season-long points tally.

iSolution has grown significantly since its inception. Take us through the company’s journey: from the early days to the business you are leading today.

Years ago, iSolution began as a small but ambitious startup with just one employee — me as the founder — driven by a bold vision to accelerate digital transformation across the region. We were among the first companies to leave meaningful footprints in the Middle East’s technology landscape, adopting cloud technologies at a time when the market was still in its early stages.

From that humble beginning, iSolution has evolved into a leading technology powerhouse, now home to more than 250 experts operating across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt.

Our purpose from day one has been consistent: to be early adopters of transformative technologies, to lead the cloud movement in the region, and to empower organisations to innovate and grow through the right technology solutions. Over the years, we have supported enterprises, government entities, and SMBs, earning a strong reputation for delivering measurable business outcomes. The journey has not been easy, but every challenge became motivation to push harder and strengthen our market presence.

Digital transformation is a key driver of growth across the Middle East. What role is iSolution playing in helping organisations modernise their IT infrastructure?

Digital transformation is not just about adopting technology — it’s about enabling agility, resilience, and continuous innovation. At iSolution, we help organisations achieve this by modernising their infrastructure, data, and applications through secure, scalable cloud solutions.

We have played a major role in moving enterprises from legacy systems to intelligent, cloud-native architectures that unlock better collaboration, advanced analytics, and AI-driven decision-making. What differentiates us is that we follow global best practices and act as advisors, providing tailored recommendations that ensure long-term success.

Vendor partnerships are central to your growth strategy. How have these collaborations shaped your competitive edge?

Partnerships are at the core of iSolution’s DNA. We were the first local partner for Google Cloud to achieve their highest level of partnership, reflecting our early cloud adoption and deep technical capabilities.

Our rapid advancement with IBM further demonstrates the strength of our technical team. These relationships reinforce our position as a trusted multi-vendor integrator and enable us to deliver world-class solutions designed for the region.

The IT workforce is evolving rapidly. How is iSolution developing its talent pool?

Our people are our greatest asset. We invest heavily in continuous learning and certifications, ensuring our engineers and consultants remain aligned with the latest cloud, AI, and cybersecurity advancements.

Cross-functional collaboration enables our teams to deliver business-driven outcomes, not just technical solutions.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 places technology at the heart of diversification. How is iSolution aligning with the Kingdom’s agenda?

We see Vision 2030 as both an inspiration and a roadmap. Our work helps organisations build smarter, more efficient digital ecosystems that align with national priorities — from AI enablement to data sovereignty.

Looking ahead, what’s next for iSolution?

The next chapter is centred on scale, innovation, and long-term regional impact. We are strengthening partnerships, expanding into new sectors such as fintech, and shaping how businesses operate in an AI-driven world.

Our focus remains clear: empowering clients, enabling innovation, and delivering sustainable, measurable impact across the Middle East.

Two decades ago, in 2005, Coffee Planet began its story with little more than a single coffee machine and a bold ambition: to bring world-class specialty coffee to the UAE. Today, the company stands as one of the region’s most respected roasters, a brand with international recognition and deep local roots.

Marking its 20th anniversary this year, Coffee Planet is not only celebrating the journey so far but also looking firmly toward the future. At the center of this story is the dynamic partnership between chairman Allan Jones and his son, CEO William Jones, two leaders whose different approaches have shaped the company into what it is today. Their shared belief in quality and innovation has been the foundation for Coffee Planet’s steady growth, its entry into international markets, and its expansion into retail outlets across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

From a small start to a coffee powerhouse

Coffee Planet’s beginnings were humble. Allan Jones and his co-founder, Matthew Yorke Smith, first introduced the idea of specialty coffee in a market that was still finding its appreciation for high-quality brews. What started with 30 cups a day from a single machine inside a petrol station quickly grew into something larger, driven by the rising demand for better coffee experiences.

Today, Coffee Planet operates a state-of-the-art roasting facility in Dubai, sourcing beans from more than 23 origins around the globe. Its coffees now reach consumers not only in the UAE but also in multiple international markets, proving that a local idea can grow into a global name while staying true to its heritage.

“From those early days to now, the scale of what we’ve achieved is extraordinary,” Allan reflects. “But what matters most is that we’ve remained true to our principles, Coffee Planet has always been a UAE brand with international ambition.”

The strength of two perspectives

What sets Coffee Planet apart is not just its coffee but also its leadership. Allan Jones brings with him decades of business experience and a deep respect for tradition. For him, the essentials of business, integrity, reliability, and longterm relationships, are non-negotiable.

“Businesses that endure do so because they stay consistent with their values,” Allan notes. “Quality and trust have kept us here for 20 years, and they’ll keep us going for decades more.”

His son William, however, represents the other half of Coffee Planet’s strength: innovation and adaptability. Since stepping into his role, William has pushed the company toward digital transformation, embraced new consumer trends, and explored international opportunities.

“The way people experience coffee today is very different from 20 years ago,” William explains.

“Our customers are informed, adventurous, and expect more from their cup. My role is to ensure Coffee Planet continues to lead with innovation, whether that’s through technology, sustainability, or creative new products.”

This balance, Allan’s focus on heritage and William’s focus on reinvention, has become Coffee Planet’s signature advantage, ensuring the business remains both grounded and progressive.

Blending tradition with progress

Coffee Planet’s operations reflect this philosophy of balance. On one hand, the company maintains long-standing ties with coffee farmers, supporting traditional methods of cultivation and ethical sourcing. On the other hand, it invests in cutting-edge roasting equipment, barista training, and product development to stay ahead of changing customer tastes.

Allan explains it simply: “We’ve always believed that great coffee should not be an exclusive luxury. Our goal has been to make specialty coffee accessible, and that belief has guided our innovation every step of the way.”

William builds on that: “For us, innovation doesn’t mean ignoring tradition. It means celebrating the history of coffee while finding new ways to connect with today’s and tomorrow’s consumers.”

Expanding the coffee planet experience

In addition to supplying hotels, restaurants, and retailers, Coffee Planet has made significant strides in its own retail presence. Over the past few years, the company has opened 12 coffee shops across the UAE through its trusted partners DASH Hospitality.

These outlets have allowed the brand to create direct connections with customers, offering them a taste of Coffee Planet’s craftsmanship in carefully designed spaces.

The company has also looked beyond the UAE, with exciting growth in Saudi Arabia. In partnership with HB Brands, Coffee Planet recently opened its 5th coffee shop in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), one of the capital’s most prestigious business hubs.

These ventures highlight Coffee Planet’s ability to adapt its model to new markets while keeping its identity consistent.

The next 20 years

While the anniversary is an opportunity to look back, the Jones family is focused on what lies ahead. For Allan, the priority is legacy. “Reaching 20 years proves that our foundations are strong. The next step is ensuring those values endure as we continue to expand.”

For William, the vision is about growth and reinvention. “We want Coffee Planet to be more than a roaster. Our ambition is to shape how people experience coffee globally. That means pushing into new territories, exploring sustainability in deeper ways, and delivering experiences that surprise and delight.”

More than just coffee

Ultimately, Coffee Planet’s story is not only about coffee beans and machines. It is about family, perseverance, and the strength of combining different perspectives. Allan and William’s contrasting philosophies sometimes pull in different directions, but together they have given the company resilience, character, and staying power.

As Coffee Planet celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is clear that its success has come not just from great coffee but from human values, integrity, vision, and the belief that a family-run business can thrive on the world stage.

Allan sums it up: “At the heart of everything we’ve done is the fact that we are, and always will be, a family business. That’s what makes Coffee Planet special. It’s why we’ve lasted 20 years, and why we’ll continue to grow.”

With two decades behind it and an exciting future ahead, Coffee Planet is ready to continue its mission: to honor coffee’s traditions while constantly innovating for a new generation of drinkers.

The journey that began with one machine now spans countries and cultures, and this is only the beginning.

We sat down with renowned serial entrepreneur Alex Reinhardt to unpack the vision behind his ‘digital economic highway’: a blockchain ecosystem built to be fast, simple and invisible to everyday users.

Read more-Not just for traders: How Ultima Chain is bringing blockchain to the people

From anxiety-free UX to real-world payments and rewards, Reinhardt explains why the UAE is the ideal launchpad for mass adoption. What follows is an in-depth Q and A on trust, regulation, real utility, and the future of decentralised tech.

For readers who use a smartphone every day but don’t follow blockchain at all: how do you personally explain what your current blockchain initiative is about, and what an ordinary person can actually do with it in daily life?

If I strip away all the jargon, I would say we are building a kind of digital economic highway that quietly runs in the background of everyday life. In my view, a good blockchain shouldn’t feel like “technology” at all. For an ordinary person it’s just a way to send assets across borders as easily as sending a message, to pay in a shop with a regular card while everything on the back end is settled automatically, to earn rewards for supporting the network or using certain apps, and to move value between different tools without friction.

From my own experience, when people first interact with what we build, they don’t say, “What a clever consensus algorithm.” They usually say, “It’s fast, it’s simple, and I feel in control.” For me, that is the real definition of a next-generation blockchain.

You’ve chosen the UAE, and Dubai in particular, as your home base. From your own experience building tech companies here, what does this region give you and your team that Europe or the US couldn’t?

I’ve lived and worked in different cities, from Germany to different European hubs, and I’ve learned that where you build can be just as important as what you build. Dubai, and the UAE more broadly, give us a combination that is very hard to find elsewhere. There is a real willingness from regulators to sit down, listen, and say, “Explain what you’re building and let’s find a responsible framework.” For a young and often misunderstood industry, that attitude is priceless.

At the same time, the UAE is a natural bridge between Europe, Asia, and Africa. Our users, partners, and community members come from all of those regions, and this is one of the few places where their paths cross constantly. On top of that, the culture here is extremely entrepreneurial. As someone who spends a lot of time with founders and investors, and has been recognised in regional business rankings, I feel that energy every day, and it pushes our team to move faster and think bigger.

When you and your team design products, who do you really have in mind beyond traders and early blockchain enthusiasts? Can you share a couple of concrete stories from your own projects of how people or businesses already use your solutions in everyday life?

I never wanted to build technology only for traders and early blockchain enthusiasts. In every project we start, we ask a simple question: how can this make life easier for as many people as possible? For me it’s about simplifying everyday payments, removing borders from the way value moves, and giving people additional ways to grow their capital in a disciplined and transparent way. If someone can send transactions, pay, save and get extra profit inside one clear system, then the technology is doing its job.

Today your ecosystem includes a non-custodial wallet, payment cards linked to digital assets, automated trading bots, and reward tools where users freeze tokens and receive rewards. From your point of view, which of these turned out to be the real “game changer” for mass adoption, and why?

When I explain what we are building, I usually describe it in layers. At the foundation there is the network itself, the chain that is responsible for security, consensus, transaction speed, and the economic rules of the system. On top of that sits what I call the blockchain utility layer: the non-custodial wallet in your pocket, payment cards that connect digital assets to the traditional payment world, and automated trading tools that let people participate in markets without staring at charts all day.

Above that there is the experience layer. This is where you find games, loyalty programmes, marketplaces and other applications that make the technology tangible. From my perspective, a well-designed tap-to-earn game or a very simple subscription product can teach more people about blockchain than a stack of whitepapers. Inside the team we constantly test how these layers interact. Can a reward earned in a game end up on a card? Can profit from a bot be used directly for everyday purchases? For me, this fluid movement of value between layers is where the real magic happens.

On the technical side, you work with delegated proof-of-stake, short block times and the ability to process thousands of transactions per second. In your own projects, how do you personally balance speed, security and decentralisation so that the system stays robust, but doesn’t become a black box for users?

My background is in economics rather than pure computer science, so I always look at technology through incentives and trade-offs. On the consensus side, we use a delegated model that allows the network to confirm blocks in a few seconds and process a very large number of transactions while consuming only a fraction of the energy that traditional mining would require.

Many people still think blockchain means high fees and a painful onboarding. Based on your team’s experience, what are the two or three concrete design decisions that actually made things simpler and cheaper for first-time users, for example, here in the UAE?

If I’m completely honest, the main user-experience problem in blockchain is not speed but anxiety. People are afraid of pressing the wrong button, losing funds, or suddenly paying a fee they didn’t expect. That’s why inside our projects we treat UX almost like aviation safety. We try to minimise the number of critical decisions a user has to make, we reduce the amount of risky actions, and we build guardrails around fees and transactions.

You often say that without clear rules there is no mass adoption. How do you and your companies work with regulators, banks and payment partners in the region today? And what were the toughest lessons for you personally on the regulatory side?

We operate at the intersection of digital technologies, data, and modern blockchain infrastructure, so regulation is simply part of the game.In our team we work with specialised legal partners in the region and internationally to make sure that what we do fits into existing frameworks.

In practice this means building proper KYC and AML flows where they are needed, clearly separating technology providers from regulated entities, and maintaining an ongoing dialogue with regulators as the rules evolve. I’ve learned that it is much easier to design products with compliance in mind from day one than it is to retrofit them later. It can slow you down in the short term, but in the long term it builds trust with users, institutions, and governments, and that trust becomes a real competitive advantage.

You’ve spoken about global fintech partnerships, merchant integrations, multi-token support, and an NFT marketplace.

Which of these is your immediate priority, and how do you plan to scale adoption across the Middle East?

I often say that a blockchain without an ecosystem is just an expensive database. Our strategy is to build what I call a virtuous cycle, where users, developers, merchants, and partners all reinforce each other. On the one hand, we focus on payments and everyday utility: cards, merchant tools, and integrations that let people actually spend and receive value instead of just holding it. On the other hand, we develop automated trading tools, so that users can put their assets to work through structured strategies rather than emotional manual trading.

Around this core we grow developer and partner programmes that offer grants, technical help, and go-to-market support to teams that decide to build with us. In the GCC, for example, I see particularly strong potential in remittances, travel, and solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. My view is that ecosystems grow fastest where they solve real, painful problems, not where they simply chase the latest narrative on social media.

You often talk about making blockchain understandable for ordinary people, not just developers. What are the biggest barriers to adoption from a community perspective, and how are you and your team addressing them through education and communication?

Education has never been a side activity for me. Long before this particular blockchain initiative, I spent years speaking and teaching in different countries, and that experience strongly shaped how I think about community today. Together with my team, we put a lot of effort into creating materials that make blockchain and its tools understandable for anyone, not only for people with a specialised professional background.

My philosophy is simple: if people don’t understand what they are using, they will not trust it. So we focus on very clear, human language, without unnecessary buzzwords. We produce guides, videos, live sessions and in-app explanations that show how things work step by step, and what the real benefits are in everyday life. We also rely heavily on local community leaders and ambassadors who know their culture, their language and their audience, and can adapt our message to their reality.

In my experience, the best promotion for this industry is not hype, but a well-informed community member who can explain, in their own words, how this technology made something in their life simpler or more convenient.

The splitting technology (rewards model you use can offer rewards to users who freeze their assets), very attractive in the short term. Many people, however, still associate blockchain rewards with energy-hungry mining farms and environmental concerns. How do you make sure your approach to rewards remains sustainable from an energy and environmental perspective in the long run?

As an economist, I am naturally sceptical of any model that promises high rewards forever without a clear source of value. Over the years I’ve seen several cycles where systems collapsed the moment the hype faded. That’s why, in our projects, we design rewards around a few principles that I always come back to.

First, over time the rewards have to be increasingly backed by real economic activity: transaction fees, services, spreads, and not just new tokens printed out of thin air. Second, the rules around supply need to be transparent and long-term, so people understand that today’s incentives are a trade-off with tomorrow’s. And third, we try to reward actions that genuinely strengthen the ecosystem, such as running infrastructure, providing liquidity, or using trading strategies responsibly. For me, a sustainable model is one that can survive a multi-year bear market without collapsing and where users feel they are helping to build something durable, not just chasing the flavour of the month.

What are your near-term goals for user growth, transaction volume, and
merchant adoption? Can you share any current milestones or numbers that
demonstrate momentum?

Price will always dominate headlines, but for me it is actually the least interesting metric. When I look at our internal dashboards, I’m much more focused on how many people are active every week across the different parts of the ecosystem, how quickly the number of accounts in the network is growing, how many smart contracts and tokens are being created and used, and how many independent teams choose this infrastructure for their own products. I also pay a lot of attention to the health of the ecosystem around us: how many independent teams are building products on top of this infrastructure, how many merchants decide to accept it in their daily operations, and how many developers choose to commit their time and creativity here. If, in five years, we can show that millions of people use this infrastructure every week without even thinking about it, they just pay, save, and run businesses, that will be a much bigger success in my eyes than any single price chart going vertical.

If we fast-forward five years, what would have to happen for you to say: “Yes, this was worth decades of work”? And what is, in your view, the single biggest obstacle between today’s blockchain industry and that future?

If I had to put my vision into one sentence, I would say that I want blockchain to become invisible. In five years, I don’t want people to walk around saying, “I used a blockchain today.” I want them to say, “I sent transfer home instantly,” or “I launched a product and got paid from three continents,” or “I joined a game and my in-game items really belong to me,” and only later discover that all of this was powered by decentralised infrastructure.

The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is rebuilding trust after the scandals and failures that the industry has gone through, while still moving quickly enough to stay relevant. That requires a very delicate balance between technological ambition, regulatory maturity, and a genuinely human-centred approach to product design. If my team and I can help show that this industry can be both bold and responsible at the same time, then I will feel that we’ve used this decade well.