At the 2025 blockchain conference in Dubai, I witnessed a pretty surreal scene.

Wherever the two founders of a leading exchange went, a crowd followed behind them—just like fans chasing celebrities at a concert. Some people were standing on tiptoe holding up their phones, others were shouting “excuse me, excuse me,” and after finally squeezing to the front, they’d blurt out after holding it in for a while: “Can I take a picture with you?”

After the event, social media blew up, filled with group photos and captions like: “So lucky today.”