Inaugural Finance Summit from London Blockchain Highlights Real-World Blockchain Innovation

Leading industry figures discuss how blockchain is reshaping the future of finance

LONDON, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The London Blockchain event series proudly hosted its inaugural Finance Summit on 3 June, a groundbreaking event that brought together world-renowned industry leaders, innovators and decision makers at the intersection of blockchain technology and financial services.

Held at Clifford Chance head office in London, and in collaboration with Global Digital Finance (GDF) and European Blockchain Association, the summit offered forward thinking insights into regulation, infrastructure and real world blockchain applications in finance.

The day covered a wide variety of topics from blockchain regulation to the convergence of TradFi and DeFi in reshaping the financial landscape. Guests heard insights from speakers and moderators from key institutions such as Standard Charter, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Vodafone and JP Morgan.

The event commenced with a welcome address from Diego Ballon Ossio, Partner with Clifford Chance. "It's great to see crypto professionals and TradFi services experts coming together to develop something new. These sessions demonstrate that we are entering a more sophisticated phase in the digital assets space and the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is poised to become the next technology of choice for financial services"

Alex Stein, Conference Director, London Blockchain said, "The Finance Summit made one thing clear. Blockchain is no longer on the sidelines of finance, it is becoming part of the core infrastructure. From regulatory frameworks to real-world deployments, we are proud to provide a platform where banks, startups, policymakers and innovators can come together to shape the future of financial services."

About the London Blockchain Conference
UNITING ENTERPRISE, AI & WEB3 

At the London Blockchain Conference, we show how Blockchain will change the world and help people see another way to manage data, build scalable on-chain solutions and achieve great things. We do this by creating valuable, insightful, and engaging events that educate and inform, allowing you to connect and network to build strong business relationships. Our conference is the best avenue to see blockchain innovations, big ecosystem announcements, new product launches, technology updates, keynote speeches, panels, and fireside chats from blockchain leaders. Join us and experience it for yourself. 

Notes to editors: 

Session highlights: 

1.  Blockchain Regulation: Latest Insights into Key Regulatory Developments– Moderated by Madeleine Boys, Director of Programmes and Innovation at GDF. Speakers including

• Laurent Marochini, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Luxembourg
• Reginald Tumusiime, CEO, CapitalSavvy, President, Blockchain Association of Uganda
• Ron Tarter, Founder & CEO, MNEE
• Angus Brown, CEO, Minit Money

Session highlights:

• Digital asset regulation has shifted rapidly around the world in the last six months: Regulatory efforts have accelerated rapidly across major jurisdictions over the past six months, with the panel of experts outlining the key developments in the US, EU, Africa, and beyond.

• The US is seen as less restrictive compared to the EU: The US is seen as more permissive under the current Trump administration, with easier licensing and new laws (e.g., Genius Act, Stable Act) supporting fintech and stablecoins. By comparison, the EU remains a global leader with stricter, more structured rules, especially under the MICA framework, which has been in development since 2018.

• Africa is making positive steps toward digital asset regulation: Regulation is catching up with fast-growing private-sector adoption. Countries like South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda are actively shaping legal frameworks.

• There is regulatory fragmentation, but it's not unique to digital assets: Regulations across the world are not fully aligned, and this can lead to fragmentation. However, most jurisdictions share 90% of the same rules. Collaboration and guidance notes are key to bridging gaps.

2.  The Convergence of TradFi and DeFi – Moderated by Elise Soucie Watts, Executive Director, Global Digital Finance. Speakers including

• Adeline Bachellerie, Deputy Director, Innovation and Financial Market Infrastructures, Banque de France
• Anna Dinescu, Partner, Hilbert Capital
• Munder Shuhum, Founder and Managing Partner, Pearls Capital

Session highlights:

• Traditional finance and decentralised finance are merging: The gap between traditional and decentralised finance is closing rapidly. Experts believe regulators and businesses should now treat them as part of the same ecosystem.

• Tech modernisation, not a revolution: Munder Shuhum explained that blockchain and tokenisation should be seen as natural upgrades to existing financial infrastructure, not separate systems.

• Regulation is still a barrier: Despite positive steps being taken, widespread adoption of decentralised finance is being slowed by regulatory uncertainty.

• DeFi benefits from TradFi practices: Firms with a traditional finance background are successfully applying their expertise to decentralised finance systems, particularly in real-world asset tokenisation.

• Not everything needs to be on-chain: The experts warned against using decentralised finance just for novelty. Instead, adoption should be driven by clear, scalable business benefits.

3.  The Evolution of Digital Currencies: Navigating the Future of Finance – Moderated by Bilal Jafar, Hedge Fund & Crypto Correspondent, Dow Jones. Speakers including

• Ray Dillet, Head of Financial Institutions, Bitwise Asset Management
• Simon Seiter, Former Head of Digital Assets, Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbankiers, AG
• Previn Singh, Executive Advisor to Global Digital Finance (GDF) Centre of Competency, Credit Suisse
• Francesco Roda, Services Digital Asset Risk Director, Citi Bank
• Joy Adams, Chief Operating Officer Digital Asset, Deutsche Bank
• Michael R. Blaschke, Global Principal Enterprise Architect, Enterprise Architecture & Advisory, SAP

Session highlights:

• Enterprise adoption of digital assets is not just about disruption: True adoption comes from shifting from hype to serious strategic planning, emphasising change management and risk control rather than just technology leadership.
• Regulatory attitudes have matured: Blockchain is now viewed as a foundational infrastructure and will connect other megatrends like AI and green energy.
• Risk management is also evolving Enterprises are encouraged to integrate digital asset risks into existing frameworks instead of isolating them. Lessons from past tech transitions, such as cloud computing, should inform how enterprises handle decentralised finance today.
• True transformation requires structural change: The experts warned that true organisational change based on blockchain doesn't just mean faster and cheaper processes.  Successful adoption depends on managing internal change and aligning blockchain use with new business models.

4.  Real-World Applications of Blockchain in Finance – Moderated by Madeline Boys, Director of Programmes and Innovation at GDF. Speakers including

• David Palmer, Chief Product Officer, Vodafone
• Emma Lovett, Executive Director – Markets DLT, J.P. Morgan
• Anthony Clark-Jones, Executive Director, UBS Investment Bank

Session highlights:

• Blockchain in finance is moving from a purely technology focus to real-world applications: This is like using smart contracts for exact settlement times.

• Key executives need to understand the technology properly: Before it can grow and see widespread adoption.

• The Bank of England's Digital Security Sandbox has seen significant interest: There are nine firms already involved in testing during the first phase.

5.  Blockchain's Impact on Operation Efficiency – Moderated by Previn Singh, Executive Advisor to GDF, Former Head of the Digital Assets & Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Centre of Competency, Credit Suisse. Speakers including

• Anand Paul, Independent Expert, Former Project Lead of Blockchain Securities Lending Production, Credit Suisse
• Nadine Teychenne, Global Head of Digital Assets, Investor and Issuer Services, Citigroup Centre
• Micheal R. Blaschke, Global Principal Enterprise Architect, Enterprise Architecture & Advisory, SAP

Session highlights:

• Blockchain can make transaction lifecycles, compliance, and auditing far more efficient: This reduces settlement times and enabling real-time data sharing.

• Collateral management and remittances benefit from blockchain: Happens through faster movement, automation with smart contracts, and the use of stablecoins.

• Blockchain reduces the need for outsourcing back-office functions: Bringing cost savings and efficiency to finance houses.

6.  Strategies for Blockchain Integration in Financial Services – Moderated by Alex Stein, Conference Director, London Blockchain Conference. Speakers including

• Ciarán McGonagle, Chief Legal & Product Officer, Tokenovate
• Sonia Chawla, Head of Legal Investment Transactions, Schroder
• Thomas Giacomo, Head of Payments Division, Teranode Group
• Riccardo Donega, Innovation Product Manager, DLT Digital Assets, Banca Sella

Session highlights:

• Developing standards and aligning with regulations is key for blockchain adoption: Legal clarity is needed around tokenised assets and smart contracts.

• Fintechs often drive innovation in blockchain: As the industry works together toward regulatory certainty, bigger banks will slowly adopt

• Firms should speak to everyone from regulators to competitors: As there is a need for clarity around blockchain adoption.

7.  Future-Proofing Financial Institutions with Blockchain – Moderated by Adriana Ennab, Executive in Residence, GDF. Speakers including

• Sabih Behzad, Head of Digital Assets & Currencies Transformation, Deutsche Bank
• Ray Dillet, Head of Financial Institutions, Bitwise Asset Management
• Brett Johnson, Head of Sales, Rekord AG

Session highlights:

• Government friendliness has driven adoption of blockchain in the last 12–18 months: This has happened through clear support from the US and more regulatory clarity from the EU.

• Large institutions face inertia: However, blockchain is now solving real problems like collateral management and saving banks millions of pounds.

• Retail groups and fintech's take the initial risks: This makes it easier for banks to adopt proven blockchain technologies later.

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