DeFi Technologies Inc., a financial technology company focused on bridging traditional capital markets with decentralized finance (DeFi), announced a strategic partnership with MERGE, one of Latin America’s leading conferences at the intersection of crypto, fintech, and financial innovation. As part of the collaboration, DeFi Technologies will host the DeFi Technologies Insights Symposium in São Paulo on March 16, 2026.

MERGE is expected to attract more than 5,000 attendees and feature over 300 speakers across four stages, bringing together regulators, policymakers, financial institutions, and industry leaders from across the global crypto and fintech ecosystem. The conference will be held in both English and Portuguese and will draw participants from Latin America, Europe, and the United States.

The DeFi Technologies Insights Symposium is a global series of in-person events examining the impact of digital assets, real-world assets (RWAs), blockchain, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence across retail, institutional, and sovereign markets. The São Paulo edition will focus on real-world adoption, market infrastructure, regulatory evolution, and investment innovation, with an emphasis on cross-border opportunities.

The partnership will include several key events during MERGE week in São Paulo. On March 16, 2026, DeFi Technologies will host its Insights Symposium as a curated forum within MERGE. This will be followed by the MERGE Institutional Summit on March 17, an invitation-only gathering for approximately 400 senior leaders from financial institutions, regulators, and policymaking bodies at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo. The main MERGE conference will take place on March 18–19 at the World Trade Center São Paulo, featuring two days of programming and networking for thousands of attendees.

Executives from DeFi Technologies and its subsidiary Valour will also participate as speakers on the MERGE main stage on March 18. Their sessions will address the evolution of decentralized finance, institutional adoption of digital assets, and the convergence of traditional capital markets with on-chain infrastructure, highlighting the group’s role in regulated digital asset products and market infrastructure.

Brazil represents a strategic market for both DeFi Technologies and Valour, reflecting the country’s growing importance in global capital markets and digital asset adoption. In December 2025, Valour entered Brazil with the launch of multiple digital asset exchange-traded products (ETPs) listed on B3, alongside Brazilian Depositary Receipts (BDRs) representing DeFi Technologies’ Nasdaq-listed shares. These products provide Brazilian investors with BRL-denominated exposure to both DeFi Technologies’ equity and major digital assets through familiar local brokerage and custody channels.

Hosting the DeFi Technologies Insights Symposium in São Paulo builds on this expansion and reinforces the group’s long-term commitment to engaging Brazilian institutional investors, regulators, and market participants.

“Partnering with MERGE and bringing the DeFi Technologies Insights Symposium to São Paulo is a meaningful step in expanding our presence in one of the most important digital asset markets globally,” said Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer at Valour. “Brazil is quickly becoming a key hub where institutional capital, regulatory clarity, and market infrastructure are converging.”

The partnership with MERGE will extend beyond São Paulo, with DeFi Technologies and Valour planning continued collaboration at MERGE Madrid in October 2026. Through this broader engagement, the companies aim to advance institutional dialogue, support market education, and foster cross-border collaboration between traditional finance and decentralized technologies.