Where Digital Finance
Meets Traditional Markets
Digital assets news and commentary
People moves
Algorand chooses Herkelrath as new CEO
09 September 2026 US
Reporter: Matthew Challis
William Herkelrath joins from AI-first automation platform K3 Labs, replacing the departing Staci Warden, who leaves after almost five years with the firm
Technology
EDX Markets integrates with Fireblocks
09 September 2026 US
Reporter: Matthew Challis
Fireblocks clients can use existing workflows to transfer assets, allocate funds across accounts, rebalance liquidity, and connect directly with EDX
Technology
Renzo introduces new onchain products
09 September 2026 US
Reporter: Madison Hendrickson
The firm says Renzo Basis, its market-neutral trading strategy built on Hyperliquid, is the first of many automated onchain strategies since announcing new business direction
Where Digital Finance
Meets Traditional Markets
Tokenised IPOs: The future of going public?
As institutional players move to bring primary equity offerings onchain, tokenised IPOs promise to compress listing timelines and slash underwriting costs. But while the technology promises a future defined by atomic settlement, smart contracts, and monetary savings, the reality is one of muddled regulatory complexity and a market that might not be ready. Matthew Challis explores
Tokenised securitisations: Evolution not revolution
Ranajoy Basu, partner, and Nathan Menon, director at Squire Patton Boggs, examine how tokenisation could modernise securitisation through digital issuance, faster settlement, and automation, while leaving its underlying legal architecture largely unchanged
The future of transatlantic money
On 14 July 2026, the UK and US released a joint statement on stablecoins’ place within the future of institutional money. Matthew Challis explores the implications of a transatlantic alliance and how it could lay the groundwork for the asset class to transition from a speculative crypto workaround to a conduit of modern payment rails
Unlocking onchain collateral
Jordan Goldman, chief operating officer and president of M1X Global, speaks to Karl Loomes about why collateral remains the missing piece of tokenisation, the role of natively-issued digital sovereign bonds, and how continuous collateral movement could reshape the global repo market
The intelligence problem
AI agentic payments promise a continuous, 24/7 financial ecosystem operating at maximum economic efficiency, but taking the human out of the loop exposes a gaping regulatory and insurance chasm. Matthew Challis explores
The transition period
With the Markets in Crypto Assets regulatory transition period ending on 1 July 2026, Matthew Challis explores the implications of a medley of digital asset regulations evolving into a unified framework, the hidden costs placed on fintech startups and crypto-native firms, and how big banks are benefiting the most
Replicating legacy is squandering the promise of tokenisation
In an abridged version of their digital assets white paper, Steve Whyman and Dr Ian Hunt explore how blockchain technology and tokenisation have the potential to create a new financial ecosystem, delivering compelling advantages to investors and renewed competitiveness to the UK as a jurisdiction
Where Digital Finance
Meets Traditional Markets
OpenPayd
Iana Dimitrova
Iana Dimitrova, CEO of OpenPayd, speaks to Matthew Challis about the momentum surrounding US regulatory initiatives, what the UK needs to do to retain its first-mover advantage, and the viability of a sterling-denominated stablecoin
FIS
Julia Demidova
Julia Demidova, head of CBDC and digital currencies product and strategy at FIS, sits down with Karl Loomes to examine how regulatory certainty is enabling production-scale services, discuss the evolving roles of stablecoins and tokenised deposits, and explore why the next phase of adoption will be driven by operational readiness
Linework
Noel Damien Foti
Noel Damien Foti, CEO of Linework, talks to Karl Loomes about why trust, regulation, custody, and governance — not the token itself — will determine whether tokenisation becomes a permanent feature of capital markets
Adaptive
Matt Barrett
Matt Barrett, CEO and co-founder of Adaptive, talks to Karl Loomes about the architectural shift towards modular, resilient platforms, the growing role of cloud-native infrastructure, and why firms are prioritising technology ownership
Neo
Laurent Descout
As digital assets reshape financial infrastructure, Laurent Descout, CEO and co-founder at Neo, explores why stablecoins are becoming part of a multi-rail treasury world and why treasurers should focus on use cases that add value, not complexity
DLA Piper
Sophie Lessar and Paul Landless
Sophie Lessar and Paul Landless, partners at DLA Piper, discuss the FCA and Bank of England's call for input, why the DIGIT gilt pilot matters, and what fixed income and derivatives desks should be doing about it right now
Komainu
Darren Jordan
With a growing interest in digital assets, Darren Jordan, chief commercial officer, Komainu, speaks with Carmella Haswell on how this market fits into the securities finance world and its impact on the collateral landscape
Ownera
Natasha Benson
Natasha Benson, chief operating officer at Ownera, speaks to Matthew Challis about the firm’s recent tokenised real estate fund, the differences between single and multi-chain environments, and the next barrier that tokenisation technologies have to break through for adoption at scale
Where Digital Finance
Meets Traditional Markets
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Technology
