The Convergence of Tradfi and Digital Assets

On Our Radar

TradeTalks wrapped up coverage of the Singapore Fintech Festival, where we explored the outlook for digital assets, artificial intelligence, market regulation and more — and we’re continuing to focus on insights that will frame 2025.  

Dr. Merav Ozair, Global Leading Emerging Technologies Expert, and Johann Kerbrat, Head of Crypto at Robinhood, discuss the post-election impact on digital assets and global regulatory framework. One of the big upsides of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration would be potential regulatory clarity for digital assets from a combination of new laws passed by Congress and more friendly regulators.

Blockchain innovation could also benefit from better regulation clarity. In the past, if digital assets came under scrutiny, so did blockchain technology — regardless of the type of application. It’s quite possible that once digital assets are viewed in a more positive light by regulators, so would blockchain technology, which would have an impact on Web3, the vision for the next generation of the World Wide Web.

As regulations around cryptocurrencies and technology continue to evolve, how should investors and businesses navigate the changing landscape?

As with most early-stage technologies, there is often an influx of bad actors looking to exploit regulatory gaps, so it is crucial for investors and businesses to be extra vigilant. If you think you have conducted enough due diligence, you probably haven’t; it needs to become a recurring and frequent part of the business process. It’s important to work closely with regulators to gain a deeper understanding of their concerns and how we can educate them to provide sufficient frameworks to integrate these technologies into society effectively. Embracing the technology while ensuring compliance is at the forefront is the key to its successful growth.

How do you think decentralized finance (DeFi) will transform the global economy in the coming years?

In the early days of DeFi, there was a misconception that "transformation" meant replacing the current financial infrastructure. However, at Metallicus, our thesis is that blockchain and decentralized finance will empower and improve the global economy. Blockchain has the ability to significantly reduce the cost of transmitting money globally, empowering businesses of all sizes to conduct their operations in a much more efficient way. The convergence of traditional financial systems with great fraud prevention tools like decentralized identity will also allow us to lower the number of bad actors in the space, bringing increased security and transparency in the way that money moves.

The Main Challenges Retail Investors and Traders Faced in 2024

We discuss the main challenges retail investors and traders faced in 2024 and what they are using to manage their portfolios with:

• Andrew McCormick, Head of eToro US
• Tom Bruni, Head of Market Research at StockTwits
• Jay Jacobs, Head of Thematics & Active ETFs at BlackRock

The Convergence of Tradfi and Digital Assets

We discuss the convergence of tradfi and digital assets with:

• Caroline Pham, Commissioner of the CFTC

Trends in iGaming, Cybersecurity and Regulatory Developments

We discuss trends in iGaming, cyber security and regulatory developments, and where the opportunity for growth is with:

• Joel Simkins, CEO of XST Capital Group LLC
• Stephen Piepgrass, Partner at Troutman Pepper
• Howard Glaser, Global Head of Government Affairs & Legislative Counsel at Light & Wonder

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