SPEAKER’S PROFILE

James Bernard is the Chief Commercial Officer at RAK Digital Assets Oasis (RAK DAO) in the UAE. With a strong focus on blockchain, innovation, AI, and mobility, James has established himself as a thought leader in the field. He is passionate about digital assets and has founded, advised, and invested in numerous businesses across multiple sectors. James has also served as a non-executive board member for global companies, leveraging his extensive experience to help drive success.

James started his career in Europe trading commodities and later joined DMCC in Dubai as their associate director of commodities. He led the next stage of growth for DMCC Free Zone as director of business development until 2020, transforming the business significantly.

In 2014, James began to focus on blockchain and became one of the founding members of the Dubai Global Blockchain Council and Blockchain Innovation Group. He initiated the Crypto Centre in 2020 and developed early proof of concepts in various sectors, including diamond track and trace, launching crypto asset licenses, and contributing to the regional regulatory strategy.

Today, James is heavily involved in the development of RAK DAO and works closely with private and government stakeholders to support the continuous growth of the UAE as a global Digital Asset hub. In addition to being a founder partner of JBLV, James is also an advising partner at UrbanGo and a founding partner of Jade Vault UK and Jade City Dubai. He invests alongside blue-chip tech partners in Web2-3-4 technologies and related projects, leveraging his extensive sector experience.

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