Faraj Abutalibov

Executive in Blockchain | Ex Oil & Gas & VC | Stellar Foundation | Harvard Business School Alumni | MBA & Ms Eng | Forbes 40U40 | Founder of Largest C-Level Network in Web3

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

About

- Visionary executive leader with multi-industry expertise spanning blockchain, fintech, venture capital, and oil & gas. Proven track record of driving high-value partnerships, fundraising, and business expansion within DeFi, Web3, and corporate finance. - Founder of the largest network of 3,000+ C-Level crypto executives, facilitating strategic collaborations across global markets. - Recognized public speaker at major blockchain conferences, advisor to crypto startups, and an architect of large-scale investment strategies. - Harvard Business School executive education alumni and MBA graduate (WBS, UK), combining structured corporate leadership (15 years in Oil & Gas) with innovative problem-solving to navigate the evolving financial landscape. Happy to support Corporations and Innovative startups in Blockchain and Oil & Gas

Experience

  • Sr. Advisor Middle East Market Development at Stellar Development Foundation
    Nov 2025 - Present · 8 mos

    Responsible for Middle East expansion for Stellar Development Foundation / Stellar Network . Stellar is a compliance-first, institution-focused blockchain, trusted by organizations such as DTCC, Franklin Templeton, UN, MoneyGram, Circle, and PayPal.

  • Founder at Crypto Executives
    Dec 2020 - Present · 5 yrs 7 mos

    - Established a global network of 3,000+ C-level executives in the crypto industry - Thought Leadership through Public Speaking on major Crypto Conferences - Awarded as Crypto Hub of the year by AIBC in 2022 - Built a BD advisory team to assist Web3 projects with fundraising & GTM strategy. - Organized Genesis XBT Conference (Dubai, 2023) and Crypto events with L1s, VCs

  • Co-Founder at CrossCurve
    Jun 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo

    - Spearheaded $10M in fundraising, leading investments from top-tier DeFi players and Leading VCs into Cross-Chain Data protocol & Decentralized Exchange - Built and scaled Business Development & Sales teams - Forged alliances with Curve Finance & 1inch and other DeFi protocols, enhancing protocol adoption and credibility. - Led the protocol to $3B+ in transaction volume, securing market share with 110k+ unique on-chain users & $250M ATH Valuation of Protocol - Won 1st place at Paris Blockchain Week out of 800 startups, secured $1M investment from Tim Draper (1 place in Silicon Valley based Draper.tv show).

  • Chief Commercial Officer at Venom Foundation at Venom Foundation
    Jun 2023 - Mar 2024 · 10 mos

    Led commercial negotiations with regulators, and investors, exchanges, partners. Developed a Web3 ecosystem for an ADGM-licensed Layer-1 protocol Represented Venom at global conferences, promoting industry-wide engagement. Advised the Chairman (ex-CIO of BlackRock) on Web3 strategy & ecosystem growth

  • Founding Partner at FD CAPITAL
    Mar 2023 - Sep 2023 · 7 mos

    Co-founded and expanded an investment firm focusing on Web3 protocols, securing key partnerships. Built a network of 700+ VCs & institutions, strengthening funding pipelines. Partnered with L1/L2 blockchains for cross-border investor events