The Lighthouse - De Haagse Hogeschool’s Post

With the emergence of Distributed Ledger Technology (#DLT) and the associated evolution of digital assets (commonly known as #tokenisation), financial market infrastructures and financial institutions were facing challenges to being fit for the digital age and contributing to future-proof business models including by enabling the use of innovative technologies. While from a technological perspective, DLT provides opportunities for efficiency improvements in the entire trading and post-trading life cycle one of the pre-requistes in order to fully take advantages of DLT for Capital markets is an available and reliable settlement asset ensuring both, #interoperability and little or no credit or liquidity risk. Against that background and given the absence of central bank digital currencies (wCBDC) new innovative solutions for cash settlement that do not involve traditional cash may enter the stage. Looking forward to the panel on 'Stablecoins - The Missing Link of Capital Markets of the Future' at the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center on November, 14th as part of the new FSBC Forum. Expecting a great discussion with my esteemed panelists: Moderator: Sebastian Dey (Linklaters) Panelists: Alexander Hoeptner (AllUnity) Benjamin Duve David DUROUCHOUX (Societe Generale - FORGE) Dirk Kruwinnus (Boerse Stuttgart Group)

Our CEO, Franz Bergmueller will be speaking on the 'Creating Clarity? Examining the European MiCA Model' panel at CfC St. Moritz on 15th January 2025. Franz will be joined by Sheila Warren (Crypto Council for Innovation), Przemyslaw Kral (zondacrypto) and Dr. Joachim Schwerin (European Central Bank). Together they will explore the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, which aims to regulate a broad range of crypto assets previously outside the scope of EU financial services legislation. Key discussion points: • Has MiCA achieved its goals, or is it too early to assess? • Does it foster innovation while maintaining robust regulation? • What lessons can other regions learn from this approach? This is a pivotal conversation for anyone interested in the future of digital asset regulation. #CryptoRegulation #Bitcoin #MiCA

2025 started, as always, with the **World Economic Forum in Davos**. 🌍 The main theme of the forum, and nearly all discussion panels, was **Economy and Development in the Age of AI**. 🤖 This year, crypto was discussed as an integral part of the real economy, with speakers diving deeper into technical aspects of the field, such as **regulation and standardization**, **tokenization of real-world assets**, and the integration of **DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology)** into the traditional economy. 📈💡 The **main newsmaker** was, of course, **Donald Trump**, who announced his ambitions to strengthen **American leadership in digital financial technologies**. 🇺🇸💳 To achieve this, he has already made several key decisions: - 🌐 Open full access for U.S. citizens to use **DLT** in any form. - 💵 Strengthen the role of the U.S. dollar through **stablecoins**. - 📜 Ensure **regulatory clarity and certainty** by updating existing norms. - 🚫 Prohibit the issuance of **Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)**. - 🏢 Create a **working group on digital asset markets**. - 💻 Evaluate the potential creation and maintenance of a **national reserve of digital assets**. While these ambitions are bold, it is doubtful that the working group will succeed in fundamentally changing legislation or removing all barriers for crypto. 🚧 It's crucial to remember that the U.S. spearheaded the creation of **international anti-money laundering (AML)** laws and **counter-terrorism financing regulations**, which remain the primary drivers for regulators. ⚖️ Nonetheless, **crypto** has now achieved **global recognition** 🌟 and will continue its rapid development **within the framework of the law**. 🚀 #crypto #davos #wef #regulation #blockchain #swiss

We stand at the precipice of a more inclusive financial landscape, where even low literacy rates won't prevent people from experiencing financial inclusion thanks to user-friendly technology and digital payments. But are the financial institutions in various jurisdictions ready to meet this turning point and help these technologies grow? According to Professor Eswar Prasad at Cornell University & Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, there’s a fork in the road. At last year's Point Zero Forum, he shared during ‘The Great Debate: What is the Future of Money’ that we could either go towards a place where superior systems overtake weak ones, or an ideal state where everyone works together to bring the world forward. As Sandra Ro 🇺🇦 CEO of Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) shared to fellow attendees and speakers, we are in a most unique period of human history - a true inflection point. Are you ready to play a part in influencing the future of money for generations to come? Join the conversation at #PZF2024 now: https://lnkd.in/eqeVdnDQ Andrea M Maechler | Dante A. Disparte | Circle | Sing Chiong Leong | Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) | International Monetary Fund

And that’s a wrap! 🎉🌍 Blockchain for Europe Summit 2024—signed, sealed, and delivered! 💶✨ I had the privilege of participating in a thought-provoking panel on the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in the European Union. The discussions brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators 🤝💡 to explore how Europe can lead the way in ensuring innovation while fostering trust and security in the digital currency landscape. It was inspiring to dive into the opportunities CBDCs present for financial inclusion 🤲🌐, cross-border payments 🌍💳, and economic resilience 📈. A key takeaway for me was the importance of striking the right balance ⚖️ between regulatory clarity and fostering an environment where innovation can thrive 🚀. A special thank you to Christian S. | Bitpanda, MEP Nicholas Papandreou | European Parliament, and Heike Winter | Deutsche Bundesbank 🏦, for their invaluable contributions and for sparking such an engaging debate. A heartfelt thank you to the Blockchain for Europe Team and APCO for the opportunity to be a part of such an important conversation. Events like these are critical for shaping a forward-thinking, inclusive, and innovative digital economy in Europe. Looking forward to continuing this journey and learning more about the future of financial innovation! 🚀✨ #CBDCs #Innovation #Blockchain #DigitalFinance #Europe 🌍

What’s happening in DC? Here is your week ahead: Tuesday, June 4 The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission will host its GMAC meeting. The focus will be largely on Basel Endgame, but we expect the Digital Assets Group to present on agenda items they are currently working on. https://lnkd.in/ef3bMEKP Wednesday, June 5 U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion will host a hearing: “Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will Facilitate Efficient Markets.” https://lnkd.in/e5miNFnh Chair Gary Gensler will give keynote remarks at the ISDA/SIFMA U.S. Department of the Treasury Forum. We expect Gensler to be largely focused on transitioning from T+2 to T+1, and CCI will be watching for any important implications for the crypto and blockchain industry. https://lnkd.in/eQy7Fh5e Chair Benham will give the keynote at the Piper Sandler Global Exchange & Trading Conference 2024. Chair Benham has been a tireless advocate on the need for new market structure legislation, so CCI will be watching to see whether he addresses the recent House passage of FIT 21. https://lnkd.in/eMjUgYEy Thursday, June 6 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will host an Investor Advisory Committee that will focus on the role of social media and AI when it comes to investment advice and complex trade strategies. https://lnkd.in/eBqEgg8T

🌍 CAL2025: Day 1 Highlights - PhD Papers Presentation 📊 Today's session at #CAL2025 kicked off with an inspiring showcase of research by talented PhD candidates. This session demonstrated how #crypto continues to captivate the academic world, blending theory and empirical analysis across disciplines. Le Huy Hoang, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca: Explored the relationship between Traditional Finance (#TradFi) and Decentralized Finance (#DeFi) in syndicated structures funding blockchain startups. Michael Wulfsohn, University of Oxford: Presented a theoretical pricing model for cryptocurrencies, incorporating investor expectations on adoption. Hasret Ozan Sevim, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore: Delved into the re-staking process, revealing its potential systemic risks by concentrating vulnerability on select #blockchain validators. Chiara Ferri, Università degli Studi di Firenze, analyzed key deposit-token and tokenized deposit projects, focusing on their technical, legal, and economic dimensions. Davide Mancino presented data proving the increasing relevance of Maximal Extractable Value Strategies in Ethereum Transactions. The presenters brought unique perspectives from law, economics, finance, and computer science, reflecting our conference's commitment to fostering dialogue between academia, industry, and regulators on the strengths, challenges, and evolution of the #crypto market.

There is always so much going on in the policy and regulatory space, and I am very conscious that sometimes it can be hard to keep track (especially durning the holiday period)! That is why we started our Digital Finance Forums this year to cover the policy & regulatory updates happening every couple of months, share some of the analysis and reports that members have been working on, and create an opportunity for industry to engage with the public sector on key topics. Our next Digital Finance Forum is next Wednesday the 7th and I am so excited for this session. In addition to the global policy & regulatory update we will be in conversation with: 🔸 Amy-Rose Goodey from Blockchain Australia to hear the latest APAC policy, regulatory, and industry developments. 🔸 Jordan Wain of Chainalysis sharing insights and analysis into global stablecoin markets. 🔸 Laura-May Weil (European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)) & Alain Otaegui (European Banking Authority (EBA)) on the recently published guidance from ESMA on staking, as well as how this fits into the broader picture of MiCA implementation. The Digital Finance Forum is provided at two separate times. GDF will run a morning session at 08.00 BST | 15.00 SGT | 17.00 AEST, and an afternoon session at 15.00 BST | 10.00 EDT | 07.00 PDT. 📝 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/epz94m8z Global Digital Finance #digitalfinance #policy #regulation #crypto #digitalassets #stablecoins #staking #innovation #digitisation

The executive order on cryptocurrency has been signed, with the following key points: - Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets: Established to enhance U.S. leadership in digital finance. - Regulatory Framework: The group will develop regulations for digital assets, including stablecoins, and consider a national digital asset stockpile. - Leadership: Chaired by White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks, with key members from Treasury, SEC, and other relevant agencies. - Expert Consultation: David Sacks will collaborate with leading digital asset experts to inform the group's actions. - Regulatory Review: Agencies are directed to recommend changes or revocations of existing policies affecting the digital asset sector. - CBDC Prohibition: Agencies are barred from actions related to central bank digital currencies. - Policy Revocation: It revokes previous executive orders and frameworks that were seen as limiting innovation and U.S. leadership in digital finance.

✨ Alice in Blockchains brings the second edition of the Web3 Tales Conference, which will be held on October 1st at Lauba in Zagreb. ✨ This year's theme, “DeFi DeTangled,” perfectly reflects the spirit of the conference which will provide a comprehensive insight 💡 into the realm of decentralized finance and its impact on the future of financing. We look forward to hearing about the latest DeFi news and trends from the world's and region's top experts! 🚀 🎫 Find your ticket here: https://shorturl.at/87YW8   #Web3Tales #AliceInBlockchains #BlockchainTechnology #DeFi #DecentralizedFinance #Web3 #Web3Conference