Walter Hessert

Institutional players are increasingly adopting digital assets, including private sector stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), tokenized real-world assets, and tokenized deposits, as part of their financial infrastructure. With 2025 poised to be the breakout year for digital money, this session brings together financial institutions, regulators, and leaders in the digital assets space to discuss:

·      The emerging use-cases and commercial opportunities for on-chain assets, such as improved cross-border transactions and programmable money applications
·      The risks institutions will have to navigate when managing their digital money assets, including financial volatility, cyber risks, and compliance concerns
·      Integrated approaches to managing assets across the traditional finance and decentralised finance landscape

Stablecoins have introduced a new paradigm for digital finance, offering the promise of faster payments, greater financial inclusion, and seamless cross-border transactions. But with this potential comes risk—from financial crime and illicit activity to consumer protection gaps and systemic market threats. As regulators race to put the right guardrails in place, the question remains: What does an optimal regulatory framework for stablecoins look like?

Tighter oversight could bring greater legitimacy and mainstream adoption, but at what cost? Could excessive restrictions stifle innovation and limit stablecoins’ ability to compete with traditional finance? Meanwhile, financial institutions are stepping into the space, bridging the divide between regulated banking and digital assets—but is this the answer to ensuring stability, or simply a step toward the centralization of stablecoins?

This discussion brings back the banking and crypto voices from the three-part debate (Battle Royale of Payments,  Digital Currency Showdown and Stablecoins vs Tokenised Deposits) with policy experts to tackle the key risks of ML/TF compliance, consumer protection, and financial stability. Expect a hard-hitting discussion on the future of stablecoin regulation as we break down the real risks, real opportunities, and real regulatory solutions that will determine whether stablecoins remain an experimental asset class—or the foundation of the next financial revolution.