0800 

Registration 

0850 

Welcome address from the EPA 

Senior representative, The Payments Association 

SESSION ONE: THE ROADMAP FOR A NEW ERA OF GBP  

0900 

Global outlook of digital currency adoption 

How mature is the industry – where is the next business opportunity? What will the payments supply chain look like as the payments ecosystem further decentralises? Which capabilities will underpin the success of cost effective, fast, accessible, and accountable transactions using digital currencies? 

Alistair Milne, Professor, Loughborough School of Business and Economics  

0920 

Panel session: A new era for GBP – Exploring the transformational impact of the multiple use cases flowing from the creation of a new FMI using an omnibus account at the Bank of England 

Where would the use cases fit into the current and future monetary system, in light of the growing use of cryptocurrencies as speculative assets and payment devices, loomin CBDC issuing and the digitalisation of money? What is the proposed governance and how is it better than other approaches? How will this positively impact the ecosystem? What are the benefits of the use case around a “risk free” stablecoin? Can any of the use cases transform interbank payments by delivering  benefits in cross-currency FX swaps, safeguarding accounts, securities settlement and cross-border payments? 

Moderator: Robert Courtneidge, Syndicate Director, The Payments Association 

Syndicate Lead speakers to be announced 

1020 

Keynote presentation: A new era for payments: creating transparency through digital currencies 

Reserved for partner 

1040 

Presentation: title tbc  

Dave Birch, Director of Innovation & Global Ambassador, Consult Hyperion 

1100 

Break 

SESSION TWO: THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN REGULATED AND UNREGULATED 

1130 

Opening address: Regulatory Framework Conditions and Opportunities for Financial Innovation in Switzerland 

Markus Leitner, Ambassador for Switzerland  

1150 

Panel session: Is it possible to regulate for conduct risk & stability without stifling innovation? 

Protecting innovation: How will regulatory bodies balance the need for stability vs the risk of overregulating and stifling innovation SMEs in a new market? 

Regulating the unregulated: What does an initial framework look like for centralised and decentralised applications? Will there be a difference? How will new regulations avoid reinventing existing frameworks which the ecosystem is currently using to self-regulate? Which crypto providers should be subject to minimum capital requirements & safeguarding? 

The integration of financial crime regulations:How do you assess risk in the crypto ecosystem? Which applications need more scrutiny than others? How would this be implemented without stifling the SME centric ecosystem?  

UK’s part in the global interplay:  What will the regulatory interplay look like between the UK, EU and International? How can the UK through adopting next generation approaches like digital currency lead the world?  

Moderator: Peter Howitt, Managing Director, Ince 

Nilixa Devlukia, Founder, Payments Solved  

Austin Elwood, Manager – Payments Policy, UK Finance 

James Shafe, Head of Department (Acting), Consumer & Retail Policy, FCA 

Matthew Gravelle, Director of Group Public and Regulatory Affairs, Standard Chartered 

Reserved for partner  

1230 

Fireside chat: Digital currencies – a real security risk for everyone or a threat to those who monopolise the current status quo? 

Digital currencies have been branded as unsafe to many who believe that at some point there is risk that the whole blockchain infrastructure could collapse at the highest levels. It is also widely criticized for being a haven for illegal activities.  

On the other hand, digital currencies have been used as a force of good – by its decentralised nature, it is resistant to censorship or regulatory control by a single entity and allows people to transfer money cost effectively to hard-to-reach places. Furthermore, using blockchain infrastructure digital currency transactions are 100% authenticated, creating unparalleled transparency.  

So, which one is it?   

Moderator: Bob Blower, CEO designate, Clarence.com  

Jack Nikogosian, CEO and Co-Founder, Aryze 

Reserved for partner  

1250 

Networking lunch 

SESSION THREE: WHICH DIGITAL CURRENCY MODELS WILL WIN B2B AND B2C TRUST? 

1400 

Opening address: Shiv Chowla, Senior Manager for CBDC, Bank of England  

1410 

Panel session:  Are CBDCs and Stablecoins the catalyst to digital currency becoming a mainstream method of payment and wealth management? 

Why would you change an existing economic infrastructure? Can CBDCs and Stablecoins eliminate some of the risks currently associated with the wide scale adoption of digital currency?  

Are CBDCs and Stablecoins the next evolution of payments? How can CBDCs and Stablecoins enhance existing payments systems? Can they add a capability which decentralised crypto players cannot? How must the payments ecosystem collaborate to achieve the next step of digital currency adoption? 

The vision for digital currency in the UK: Is it possible for Stablecoins, CBDCs and crypto currencies to marry up in the future to provide a set of platforms which enable a safe way for individuals to create their own wealth? 

Moderator: Dave Birch, Director of Innovation & Global Ambassador, Consult Hyperion 

Ciara Conway, Head of Payments Architecture, NatWest 

Chris Aurlliah, Chief Growth Officer, BCB 

John Bullard, Global Ambassador,  Fabriik 

Shiv Chowla, Senior Manager for CBDC, Bank of England  

Reserved for partner 

1450 

Fireside chat: Do consumers care about the security benefits of digital currency – if not, who does? 

Digital currencies could play a pivotal role in finally winning the financial crime war by providing a track and trace system which authenticates any transaction – but does this matter to a consumer and will this encourage them to use digital currencies?  

Alternatively, is it the experience of using digital currencies which will convince consumers to adopt digital currencies – the ease of transfer, the choice of e-wallets and the increased efficiency of resolutions through smart contracts? 

Moderator: tbc  

Taynaah Reis, CEO and Co-Founder, Modea 

Reserved for partner  

1510 

Networking coffee break  

1540 

Fireside chat: The benefits of distributed ledger technology to merchants: Is this a game changer for SMEs? 

How can digital currencies create better solutions to merchants than there are today? What are the key considerations for merchants when deciding which digital currencies to accept? What are the cost implications of accepting digital currencies vs the ROI? Where does the cost pass on? Which technologies will play a part in enabling merchants to accept any form of payment? 

Reserved for partner  

SESSION FOUR: DIGITAL CURRENCY: THE NEW DIFFERENTIATOR FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS? 

1600 

Panel session: Are digital currencies the new opportunity for banks to differentiate their services? 

Join our expert panels as they discuss the pros and cons of digital currency for banks. If in theory the customer becomes its own bank, what is the service banks are providing?  

Is digital currency wealth creating or wealth destroying? In the case of wide scale adoption of digital currency, what is impact on banks vs the revenue which can be generated via added value services? 

Moderator: Bob Blower, CEO designate, Clarence.com  

Jason Blick, CEO, EQI  Bank  

Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder, AZA Finance 

Reserved for two partners  

1650 

Closing remarks 

Senior representative, The Payments Association 

1700 

Networking drinks reception  

1800 

End of Digital Currencies 360