Astana is hosting some of the world’s biggest asset managers.
Representatives of BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Capital Group, Brookfield and other global financial institutions are attending Astana Finance Days 2026, with participating firms collectively managing more than $26 trillion in assets, DKNews.kz reports.
The ninth Astana Finance Days 2026: Delivering Impact. Capital in Action forum is taking place on September 9–10 at the Astana International Financial Centre, or AIFC. According to the organisers, the event has brought together 8,000 participants from 90 countries.
BlackRock alone manages $15.3 trillion
The biggest name on the participant list is BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.
As of the second quarter of 2026, BlackRock reported $15.3 trillion in assets under management, highlighting the scale of the institutions represented in Kazakhstan’s capital.
Other participants include Goldman Sachs, Capital Group, Brookfield, E Fund Management, Rothschild & Co., IFC Asset Management Company and Hong Kong Investment Corporation.
The AIFC says the combined assets under management of participating companies exceed $26 trillion.
That figure should not be confused with investment commitments to Kazakhstan. It reflects the total assets managed globally by the firms represented at the forum.
For Kazakhstan, the more consequential question is how many of these meetings, investment pitches and institutional contacts will eventually translate into actual transactions and financing.
Kazakhstan is pitching 23 mining projects to investors
One of the forum’s most practical investment tracks focuses on early-stage mining and exploration projects.
Earlier this year, the AIFC launched its Junior Mining Platform, designed to connect junior mining companies with domestic and international investors.
Of 48 projects submitted, 23 passed the selection process and are being presented to potential investors during the forum.
That gives the discussion around global capital a concrete local dimension. Rather than simply hosting major financial institutions, Kazakhstan is using the event to put investment-ready projects directly in front of potential sources of funding.
A dedicated session on junior mining finance includes representatives of Solidcore, Alphamar, Elistra Advisory and Aurora Minerals Group.
The programme also features investor matchmaking, allowing project owners to meet potential investors directly.
BlackRock strategist to address the next capital-markets cycle
Ben Powell, Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist for the Middle East and Asia-Pacific at BlackRock Investment Institute, is also scheduled to speak at the forum.
His session will focus on the next cycle in global capital markets.
BlackRock’s presence is significant not only because of the company’s size. Its investment institute closely tracks macroeconomic trends, portfolio allocation and the movement of global capital.
One of the main sessions on the opening day is titled “Transforming the Architecture of Finance.”
Participants include Timur Suleimenov, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan; Renat Bekturov, Governor of the AIFC; Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.; Balaji Srinivasan, founder of Network School and author of The Network State; and Sergio Mello, Global Head of Stablecoin Solutions at Anchorage Digital.
The discussion is expected to cover digital assets, financial infrastructure, artificial intelligence, regulation and new models for moving capital across borders.
Tokenisation is moving into the grain market
One of the more unusual themes at Astana Finance Days 2026 is the tokenisation of agricultural assets.
As part of a grain-tokenisation project within the AIFC jurisdiction, memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed between Tech Hub Limited and Concordia Group Ltd., as well as between Tech Hub Limited and Aitas Agro Ltd.
Representatives of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan’s National Payment Corporation, Mastercard, Janus Henderson Investors, Solana, The Open Platform and other organisations are also discussing the tokenisation of real-world assets, payments infrastructure and cross-border capital flows.
The technology agenda therefore goes beyond cryptocurrency. It also touches agriculture, payments, real assets and ways for businesses to access financing.
Renat Bekturov: competition for capital is intensifying
AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov said the forum is built around a simple challenge: competition for global capital is becoming tougher.
“Today, competition for capital requires not only attractive conditions, but also the ability to turn opportunities into real projects and investments. This is the essence of Astana Finance Days 2026 — Delivering Impact. Capital in Action. We bring together investors, regulators and businesses so that ideas can become practical solutions, investment projects and long-term partnerships,” Bekturov said.
The AIFC has also reported measurable investment flows through its ecosystem. In early September, the centre said that $27 billion in investment had been attracted to Kazakhstan through the AIFC since its launch, while more than 6,300 companies from over 90 countries were registered within its jurisdiction.
That gives the current forum a clear benchmark. The real test is not the size of the institutions in the room, but whether their presence leads to new financing for Kazakh businesses and projects.
Regional regulators are also using Astana as a meeting point
Astana Finance Days is not limited to investors and companies.
The forum brings together financial regulators from Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, alongside representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, the World Bank, IFC and stock exchanges across Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Their agenda includes barriers to cross-border capital flows, mutual recognition and cooperation in financial supervision.
Memoranda are also expected between the National Bank of Georgia and the Astana Financial Services Authority, or AFSA, as well as between AFSA and Croatia’s Financial Services Supervisory Agency, HANFA.
The forum also hosts the second annual meeting of the Turkic Green Finance Council, bringing together regulators, government agencies and development institutions from across the Turkic region.
AIFC unveils its first AI assistant
The AIFC is also presenting AIDA — the AIFC Intelligent Digital Assistant for the first time.
The multilingual system can process text and voice requests and provide information on AIFC registration, regulatory requirements, procedures and services.
When necessary, it can direct users to the relevant department or specialist.
Participants at Astana Finance Days can test the assistant in multiple languages in real time.
We previously reported on the expected arrival of BlackRock and Goldman Sachs representatives in Astana ahead of the forum. At that stage, organisers were expecting more than 5,500 participants from over 80 countries.
By September 9, the AIFC said attendance had reached 8,000 participants from 90 countries.
