DGFI Organizes DEF-AI 2025, Bringing Global Web3 & AI Leaders to Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia, September 8th, 2025, Chainwire
DGFI is hosting DEF-AI 2025, a conference that will convene leading voices in Web3, artificial intelligence, and digital finance at Republic Event Hall on September 19–20. The program brings 50+ speakers, hands-on workshops, and a full day of official side events to the heart of Tbilisi, with themes spanning the intersection of AI and DeFi, stablecoins, and the tokenization of financial markets.
Georgia is increasingly recognized as a practical launchpad for next-generation finance. The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) operates a public Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) regime and an active Regulatory Laboratory (sandbox) that allows innovative financial services to be tested in supervised, real-world conditions. These are signals of a jurisdiction working to connect traditional finance with blockchain-driven products.
Recent policy updates further strengthen the business case for founders. Amendments to the Law of Georgia on Innovations introduce a three-year income-tax exemption on salaries paid by firms that obtain “innovative startup” status (with additional preferential rates in years four to six), alongside broader measures to stimulate R&D and investment.
That public-sector momentum complements a growing private-sector footprint. Confirmed partners and speakers for DEF-AI 2025 include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Tether and Bybit, alongside leading Georgian institutions such as Bank of Georgia (including its SOLO premium brand) and Silk Bank.
Corporate activity on the ground continues to validate the market. Tether has invested in CityPay.io to expand crypto-enabled payments across Georgia and neighboring markets, endorsing local talent and an ecosystem that is increasingly comfortable with digital assets.
DGFI’s agenda is designed to turn Georgia’s innovation advantages into outcomes. The first day will unpack the intersection of AI and DeFi and the tokenization of financial markets: covering programmable money and stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets (RWA), digital identity and compliance, and practical AI use in financial services. The second day extends across Tbilisi with official side events focused on hands-on collaboration, partner showcases, founder-investor matchmaking, and deal-making.
Speakers already listed on the program include representatives from Tether (global expansion), AWS (solutions and regional leadership), Bybit EU, the National Bank of Georgia (FinTech and SupTech development), and founders and investors active across Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The mix of public- and private-sector voices will examine how responsible innovation, grounded in clear safeguards, can accelerate the region’s digital finance growth.
“DEF-AI 2025 is about building bridges between AI and Web3, startups and institutions, innovators and policymakers,” said Marie Giorgobiani, CEO of DGFI. “Georgia offers one of the most practical, forward-looking environments for digital finance: a clear VASP framework, an active regulatory sandbox, and meaningful incentives for founders. Tbilisi is the right place, right now, to launch and scale the next decade of financial technology.”
The venue underscores the event’s scale. Republic Event Hall is an elegant, multi-functional complex in the historic center that hosts conferences of up to ~800–1,000 guests across flexible spaces, making it ideal for plenaries, workshops, and premium networking.
DGFI’s mission extends beyond a single event. Through partnerships with accelerators and agencies (including ongoing national programs like Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA) Startup Matching Grants and accelerators), DGFI positions DEF-AI as a catalyst for year-round collaboration, investment, and product launches rooted in the Caucasus but built for global markets.
About DGFI
DGFI is a leading platform for Web3 and AI international events in the Caucasus region. Since 2022, they have organized large-scale conferences, hackathons, and community meetups that attract global innovators and connect them with local ecosystems. The project’s mission is to create meaningful bridges between ideas, people, and industries to drive collaboration and opportunities across borders. With every event, DGFI continues to strengthen its role as the region’s trusted stage for technology and innovation.