Summary
Despite the significant drop in crypto's market capitalisation and some well-publicised coin failures, traditional financial institutions - banks, asset managers, insurers and others - are continuing to develop their digital asset and crypto strategies, since there is a widespread recognition that crypto, digital assets and blockchain are here to stay and offer a significant range of potential applications.
Following the success of City Week 2022 (www.cityweekuk.com), and, in particular, the sessions devoted to crypto issues, we have been asked by senior financiers from both the TradFi and crypto communities to organise a high-level gathering that brings the two sides together to discuss the future of crypto finance, the growing intersection between, and integration of, the two financial worlds and the impact of the coming wave of regulation, which is likely to redefine business models and practices.
A unique aspect of the symposium is that, in addition to the c-suite representatives from the TradFi and crypto sectors that will be attending, we are also inviting each of the leading regulators to send a team of representatives to attend and participate in the panel discussions on the critical issues being addressed. We believe that this will facilitate a more meaningful discussion and enhance mutual understanding. We will also be inviting parliamentarians from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to attend and participate. Attendance for the VIP audience is by invitation only and without charge.
The symposium comprises four elements: plenary keynotes, panels on sub-topics of the two principal themes (regulation and institutional adoption of crypto finance), pre-organised one-to-one and group meetings, and social events for more informal networking.
Key themes to be discussed
Day 1
- How crypto can help the UK to be an even more competitive International Financial Centre
- Ensuring an internationally coordinated approach to the regulation of digital assets
- “Same Business, Same Risks, Same Rules” A securities regulator’s perspectives on innovation, regulation and crypto finance
- Towards a new regime for the regulation of stable coins
- The review in developments of CBDCs across the world
- Trends and Opportunities of Virtual Assets and Blockchain in Hong Kong
- Crypto regulatory regime in the U.S.
- CFTC’s role in regulating Digital Assets
- Implications of MICA for market participants
- Success in a post-Brexit world - a UK framework for digital assets that could drive economic growth and innovation
- Financial crime in digital assets I: emerging trends and typologies
- Financial crime in digital assets II: investigations and analytics
Day 2
- TradFi-Crypto integration: where will be in 5 years' time and what needs to happen to get there?
- Institutional adoption of digital assets – opportunities and challenge
- Realising the potential of tokenisation in financial services
- Custody services and risk management
- Investment and trading strategies for institutional investors
- Will crypto become a mainstream payments channel and, if so, what are the regulatory challenges that it might pose?
- Ethereum 2.0: Switching to Proof-of-Stake
- ESG considerations and strategies for crypto firms
- Best ways to access investments opportunities in the crypto space