The Maldives is set to host an international summit focused on digital ownership and real-world asset tokenisation, as the country explores how emerging financial technologies could open new avenues for tourism investment, infrastructure development and access to global capital.
Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has partnered with Switzerland-based CEGStake AG to organise the inaugural Digital Ownership Summit 2026 on December 12 at CROSSROADS Maldives. The event will bring together global leaders from financial technology, investment, hospitality, digital finance and the real-world asset sector.
Attendance will be capped at 100 participants, with organisers positioning the summit as a focused platform for policymakers, regulators, investors, technology providers and asset owners to examine the opportunities and challenges surrounding digital ownership.
A major focus will be the potential tokenisation of tangible Maldivian assets. Discussions are expected to cover resorts, overwater villas, islands under development, marinas, renewable energy projects, aviation infrastructure and blue-economy ventures.
Real-world asset tokenisation generally involves digitally representing rights or financial interests linked to physical assets. Such structures could potentially provide new ways to finance projects or broaden investment access, although their implementation depends heavily on securities laws, regulation, governance and investor protections.
The summit comes as the government advances its Maldives 2.0 digital transformation agenda under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. The initiative seeks to modernise government services and develop a secure and innovation-driven digital economy, covering areas including trusted digital transactions, cybersecurity, data governance, sovereign digital infrastructure and modern legal frameworks.
VMC CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shiuree said the Maldives has historically progressed by remaining open to new ideas and connecting its tourism assets with international capital, talent and innovation.
He said the partnership aims to establish a credible platform where regulators, policymakers, investors, technology providers and asset owners can assess how digital ownership and real-world asset tokenisation could contribute responsibly to the next stage of the country’s tourism industry and wider economy.
Shiuree stressed that the summit is intended for exploration, education and constructive dialogue rather than the promotion of any particular token or investment product. Any future applications, he said, would require clear regulation, transparency, strong governance, investor protection and demonstrable long-term value for the Maldives.
The initiative also forms part of VMC’s strategy to attract high-value international events and strengthen the country’s position in the global meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market.
The Maldives has already emerged as a testing ground for tokenisation concepts in luxury tourism. In November 2025, DarGlobal and The Trump Organization announced Trump International Hotel Maldives alongside what they described as the world’s first tokenised hotel development.
In February 2026, World Liberty Financial, DarGlobal and Securitize announced plans for a regulated tokenised offering linked to loan revenue interests associated with the Trump International Hotel & Resort Maldives project. According to the VMC release, the proposed structure is intended for eligible investors and remains subject to relevant securities, compliance and investor qualification requirements.
Against that backdrop, the Digital Ownership Summit will examine issues including regulation, governance, liquidity, custody, valuation, cybersecurity and consumer protection.
Kai Zimmer, Client Relationship Manager at CEGStake AG, said the Maldives combines internationally recognised tourism assets and development opportunities with an ambitious national digital vision.
He said the summit aims to move beyond theoretical discussions by bringing real-asset owners and developers together with regulators, institutions and technology companies working on digital ownership infrastructure.
The programme is expected to include keynote addresses, policy discussions and sessions examining practical applications for tokenised tourism and island assets. A curated deal room, project presentations, technical working sessions, site visits and one-to-one meetings between asset owners and prospective investors are also planned.
CEGStake AG, headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, operates across real estate, international investment, company formation, brokerage, fractional ownership and digital assets. Its CEG Stake platform focuses on models connecting tangible property and business ownership with digitally recorded investment structures.
The company is also a Premier Sponsor of the Visit Maldives Creators Summit and Creators Awards.
VMC said the Digital Ownership Summit forms part of a broader push to diversify the Maldives’ tourism proposition beyond leisure travel and position the country as a venue for international discussions at the intersection of tourism, investment, technology and policy.
Any investment concepts or projects presented at the summit will remain subject to Maldivian law, regulatory approvals, due diligence requirements and relevant international compliance standards, according to the organisers.
