Alex is joined by two guests: Richard Brown and Bryan D’Souza from R3. R3 is a global technology company specializing in enterprise blockchain solutions for the financial services industry, with a focus on building the infrastructure for digital financial markets. In this episode we’ll touch on R3’s presence in the UAE, insights from real world asset tokenization experts and 2026 predictions. 

BioRichard Brown is the CEO of R3 Labs and one of the world’s leading authorities on distributed ledger systems and architectures. Previously, Richard was the Executive Architect for Banking and Financial Markets Industry Innovation at IBM UK. Over nearly fifteen years at IBM, he served as Lead Account Architect for a global investment banking client and as a consultant for IBM software products. Richard is a Chartered Engineer, holds an MBA with distinction from Warwick Business School, and earned a first-class degree in Mathematics from Trinity College, Cambridge.

Bryan D’Souza leads business development for R3 across the Middle East and North Africa. With deep expertise in blockchain infrastructure and regulated digital assets, Bryan has partnered extensively with central banks, financial institutions, and market infrastructures to shape digital currency strategies and tokenization initiatives in the region. He is a regular contributor to industry discussions on the evolution of CBDCs, stablecoins, and digital asset ecosystems.