Digital Asset Exchanges 2026

On the journey to the future, are traditional stock exchanges roadmaps, roadblocks or roadkill?

11 March 2026

1 Day Event: 09:00 to 20:30 GMT

Reed Smith Offices at 1 Blossom Yard, London E1 6RS

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Order of the Day

08.30 to 09.45: Registration Opens with Coffee and Biscuits

09.45 to 10.00: Welcome Address: Future of Finance and Host

10.00 to 10.30: Keynote Address: Dr Ian Hunt, Author and Advisor on Digital Assets

10.30 to 11.30: Panel 1 - What are digital asset exchanges doing differently?

11.30 to 12.30: Panel 2 - Are traditional stock exchanges making it or faking it in digital assets?

12.30 to 14.00: Lunch and Networking

14.00 to 15.00: Panel 3 - Is post-trade infrastructure, not exchanges, the kingmaker in digital asset markets?

15.00 to 16.00: Coffee Break and Networking

16.00 to 17.00: Panel 4 - Is regulation an enabler of or an obstacle to the growth of digital asset markets?

17.00 to 18.00: Panel 5 - Digital asset issuance: Has anything really changed?

18.00 to 20.30: Networking Drinks and Canapés

Event Background

Digital Asset Exchanges is a one-day, senior-level event in London examining whether digital asset markets are genuinely reshaping capital markets or simply replicating legacy models on new technology. Across five tightly connected panels, the event explores how digital asset exchanges differ from traditional venues; whether incumbent stock exchanges are meaningfully adapting to digital assets; whether post-trade infrastructure, rather than trading venues, will ultimately determine winners; how regulation can either catalyse or constrain market growth; and whether tokenised issuance. from money market funds and bonds to repos, equities and private assets, represents a structural shift or incremental change. Bringing together exchanges, infrastructures, issuers, investors, regulators and technology providers, the agenda focuses on market integrity, liquidity, interoperability, custody, clearing, and the real-world scalability of tokenisation.

Audience

Traditional Exchanges; Digital Exchanges; CCPs; CSDs; Issuers (non-financial and financial); Asset Managers; Wealth Managers; Banks and Broker/Dealers; Technology Companies; Regulators and Public Policy Makers

All tickets are subject to approval. If your purchase is not approved, you will receive a full refund with no deductions. Refund requests may be made up to seven days before the event date. By purchasing a ticket, you agree to these terms.

Chatham House Policy

All panels are held under the Chatham House Rule to encourage open and candid discussion. All participants are free to use the information shared, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of speakers or attendees may be revealed.

To maintain this environment, sessions are not officially recorded or filmed, and no official event recordings are provided. Following each event, we will share key takeaways on our website and social media.

Panels & Key Discussion Topics

Keynote Address

What are digital asset exchanges doing differently?

Digital asset exchanges come in a wide range of flavours. Will the complexity persist or diminish?
How important are cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency services to digital asset exchanges?
Have digital asset exchanges solved the operational, cost and asset safety problems that plagued cryptocurrency exchanges?
Have digital asset exchanges overcome the market integrity issues that characterise cryptocurrency market trading?
Can digital asset exchanges truly dispense with intermediaries?
How are digital asset exchanges generating liquidity?
Are Automated Market Makers (AMMs) a relevant model for digital asset exchanges?
Is "prime brokerage" relevant to firms trading on digital asset exchanges?
Is a decentralised digital asset exchange a viable idea?
Is lack of interoperability between Stablecoins a problem for digital asset exchanges?
Are digital asset exchanges better placed to succeed in alternative asset classes than traditional exchanges?
To what extent are digital asset exchanges interoperating with traditional securities markets?

PANEL 1

10.30 to 11.30

AS MODERATOR

Are traditional stock exchanges making it or faking it in digital assets?

Are traditional stock exchanges right to be cautious about investing in digital assets?
Does blockchain technology offer traditional exchanges a route out of existing commercial challenges?
Can blockchain technology rescue CLOBs from off-exchange trading?
Are traditional exchanges right to see blockchain technology as relevant chiefly in the middle and back office?
Can blockchain help exchanges develop their market data businesses?
Why haven't lower prices encouraged exchange business to move to new entrants?
Why have traditional exchanges failed to develop public (or private) markets that can compete with private equity?
Does it make strategic sense for traditional exchanges to issue Stablecoins?

PANEL 2

11.30 to 12.30

AS MODERATOR

Is post-trade infrastructure, not exchanges, the kingmaker in digital asset markets?

Is the DTCC plan to tokenise assets in custody with DTC a game-changer?
Should traditional exchanges invest in post-trade infrastructure?
Should digital asset exchanges provide a full set of pre- and post-trade services?
What benefits do CSDs bring to digital asset markets?
If digital assets develop outside traditional post-trade infrastructure, is that a problem?
Is blockchain technology mature enough to underpin post-trade infrastructure?
Would digital asset markets benefit from centralised clearing via a CCP?
Must clearing always be centralised?
Would consolidation of the post-trade infrastructure of Europe be positive for digital assets?
Will the lifting of restrictions on the DLT Pilot Regime to lead to more CSDs entering the EU sandbox?
Would a common blockchain-based platform eliminate infrastructure as a source of competitive advantage for exchanges?

PANEL 3

14.00 to 15.00

AS MODERATOR

Is regulation an enabler of or an obstacle to the growth of digital asset markets?

Palvinder Gill

Insight Regulatory LLP

Anita Millar

ADM Risk, Regulation & Strategy Ltd

Prab Bajwa

State Street

What modern regulatory equivalent of Reg NMs or MiFID I could revolutionise the token markets?
Did cryptocurrency succeed (or fail) because it was lightly regulated?
Should digital asset exchanges be regulated in the same way as traditional exchanges?
Is the deregulatory approach adopted by the United States the right way to stimulate growth in digital assets?
Is the approach adopted by the United Kingdom regulators the best way to encourage innovation?
Is there a risk that regulatory arbitrage becomes a substitute for innovation?
How many digital asset exchanges are ready to be regulated?
Will capital requirements help digital asset exchanges grow their business?
Is the European Union taking the right steps to help digital asset exchanges grow?
Are the OECD tax reporting obligations a potential problem for digital asset exchanges?
As a barrier to competition between exchanges based in different jurisdictions, is regulation rising or falling?

PANEL 4

16.00 to 17.00

AS MODERATOR

Digital asset issuance: Has anything really changed?

Are cryptocurrency ETFs anything other than a useful tool for managing the limited cryptocurrency exposures of a small class of investors?
Are tokenised money market funds (TMMFs) a meaningful opportunity for digital asset exchanges?
What landmark transaction indicates the tokenised corporate bond markets is poised for substantial growth?
What will persuade governments to take the risk of tokenising their debt issuance at scale?
What is the landmark transaction in the tokenised repo market?
Can non-native equity and fund wrapping by Robinhood, or Ondo Finance, or Coinbase Tokenise, or Kraken/Backed on various blockchain, or Kraken tokenising stocks in custody at Clearstream, or Galaxy issuing native equity on to the Solana blockchain, precipitate rapid growth in the issuance of tokenised equity?
Why isn't tokenisation of private credit happening?
Why isn't tokenisation of infrastructure funds happening?
What explains the persistence of non-native tokens across all asset classes?
Is the market waiting for a blockchain protocol to emerge as a clear "winner"?
Should exchanges collaborate formally with issuers, investors, intermediaries and infrastructures?
Should national authorities build a public blockchain infrastructure?