Key Takeaways
- • The Heartland Digital Asset Exchange (HDAX) returns to Kansas City on September 14-15, 2026, as an invite-only summit targeting family offices, institutional investors, and select industry leaders in digital assets, blockchain, and AI infrastructure.
- • High-profile speakers include Brad Garlinghouse (CEO, Ripple), Michael Sonnenfeldt (founder and chairman, TIGER21), and Anthony Bassili (president, Coinbase Asset Management), alongside representatives from major institutions including Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Coinbase, PayPal, and Multicoin Capital.
- • The summit is structured as a curated networking event opening with a rooftop investor breakfast at the Crossroads Hotel, followed by full-day programming at The Guild in Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District, with intentionally limited attendance to facilitate institutional-grade deal flow and strategic connections.
- • Kansas City is positioning itself as a regional hub for digital asset infrastructure and emerging technology investment, leveraging the summit to connect national capital and expertise with Heartland-based innovation opportunities across blockchain, banking, energy, and AI sectors.
- • HDAX is produced jointly by KC Digital Drive and Heartland Futures Lab, underscoring the city's broader economic development strategy around fintech and digital infrastructure as a growth vector for the regional economy.
Summary
The Heartland Digital Asset Exchange (HDAX) will convene a hand-selected group of institutional investors, family offices, and industry leaders in Kansas City on September 14-15, 2026, marking the return of the invite-only summit to the Midwest. The event reflects Kansas City's emerging positioning as a regional hub for digital assets, blockchain infrastructure, and artificial intelligence investment.
The two-day summit features three marquee speakers: Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple; Michael Sonnenfeldt, founder and chairman of TIGER21; and Anthony Bassili, president of Coinbase Asset Management. The programming will also include expert participation from established institutions across digital assets and traditional finance, including representatives from BlockChange Ventures, Coinbase, Critical Materials Crossroads, Gamma Prime, Lead Bank, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Multicoin Capital, PayPal, Starframe Capital, and Willis.
The event structure is deliberately exclusive, opening with an investor breakfast on the rooftop of the Crossroads Hotel, followed by a full day of curated programming at The Guild in the Crossroads Arts District. According to Jim Starcev, HDAX co-founder and program manager at KC Digital Drive, the summit is designed to create "a highly curated setting where national capital and expertise can connect with the opportunities and innovation emerging across the Heartland." Attendees can request invitations directly from HDAX organizers.
The summit's focus area encompasses digital assets, banking, energy, and AI infrastructure—reflecting broader institutional investor interest in convergence between cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and emerging AI infrastructure investment. HDAX is produced jointly by KC Digital Drive and Heartland Futures Lab, positioning it as part of Kansas City's larger economic development strategy around fintech, digital infrastructure, and innovation-led growth.
The two-day summit features three marquee speakers: Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple; Michael Sonnenfeldt, founder and chairman of TIGER21; and Anthony Bassili, president of Coinbase Asset Management. The programming will also include expert participation from established institutions across digital assets and traditional finance, including representatives from BlockChange Ventures, Coinbase, Critical Materials Crossroads, Gamma Prime, Lead Bank, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Multicoin Capital, PayPal, Starframe Capital, and Willis.
The event structure is deliberately exclusive, opening with an investor breakfast on the rooftop of the Crossroads Hotel, followed by a full day of curated programming at The Guild in the Crossroads Arts District. According to Jim Starcev, HDAX co-founder and program manager at KC Digital Drive, the summit is designed to create "a highly curated setting where national capital and expertise can connect with the opportunities and innovation emerging across the Heartland." Attendees can request invitations directly from HDAX organizers.
The summit's focus area encompasses digital assets, banking, energy, and AI infrastructure—reflecting broader institutional investor interest in convergence between cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and emerging AI infrastructure investment. HDAX is produced jointly by KC Digital Drive and Heartland Futures Lab, positioning it as part of Kansas City's larger economic development strategy around fintech, digital infrastructure, and innovation-led growth.
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