The Federal Reserve is hosting the Payments Innovation Conference today, marking a shift in the central bank’s engagement with crypto and digital assets. The October 21 event brings together leading figures from both traditional finance and the crypto industry, including Chainlink CEO Sergey Nazarov, Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas, Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood, Circle President Heath Tarbert, and Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson. Fed Governor Christopher J. Waller will deliver both opening and closing remarks.
The conference agenda signals the Fed’s growing recognition of digital assets’ role in the future of payments, featuring dedicated panels on bridging traditional finance with decentralized ecosystems, stablecoin business models and use cases, AI-driven payment innovation, and the tokenization of financial products. Major crypto infrastructure providers like Chainlink and Fireblocks will sit alongside traditional banking executives from Lead Bank and Fifth Third Bank, while stablecoin issuers Paxos and Circle discuss the future of digital dollar adoption. The event represents a significant departure from the Fed’s historically cautious stance on crypto, coming at a time when institutional adoption is accelerating and spot crypto ETFs continue gaining regulatory approval.
This conference arrives at a pivotal moment for the payments industry, as traditional financial institutions increasingly embrace blockchain technology and tokenized assets. With stablecoins now processing billions in daily transaction volume, major asset managers launching tokenized Treasury products, and AI transforming fraud detection and payment processing, today’s discussions could shape regulatory approaches and innovation strategies for years to come. Markets will be watching closely for any signals about the Fed’s evolving perspective on digital assets, stablecoin regulation, and the future role of blockchain technology in the U.S. financial system.
Stay with us throughout the day for live updates, key quotes, and real-time analysis as this historic conference unfolds.
Fed Payments Innovation Conference: Real-Time News and Updates
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Anas Hassan
month ago
Governor Christopher J. Waller’s Closing Remarks: Innovation and Collaboration in Payments
In his closing remarks at the Payments Innovation Conference, Governor Christopher J. Waller reflected on the day’s discussions, emphasizing the Federal Reserve’s commitment to fostering innovation in the payments ecosystem.
He highlighted how technological advances in blockchain, stablecoins, AI, and tokenization are transforming how payments are processed, making systems faster, safer, and more efficient.
Waller acknowledged both the opportunities and challenges presented by these emerging technologies, stressing the importance of collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, and technology providers.
Waller reiterated that innovation has historically been essential to meeting the evolving needs of consumers and businesses and that this conference serves as a platform to exchange ideas and address risks proactively.
He expressed optimism about the future of payments, noting the Fed’s ongoing research and outreach to ensure that innovations are integrated safely and effectively.
The Governor concluded by reaffirming the Fed’s role in supporting a resilient, inclusive, and modern payment system that can adapt to the digital era.
Anas Hassan
month ago
Tokenized Products Panel Discusses Institutional Adoption and Market Evolution
The Tokenized Products panel moderated by Colleen Sullivan of Brevan Howard Digital featured insights from Jenny Johnson (Franklin Templeton), Don Wilson (DRW), Rob Goldstein (BlackRock), and Kara Kennedy (JPM Kinexys) on how tokenization is reshaping traditional asset management and financial markets.
They discussed tokenization of assets such as bonds, funds, and other securities, highlighting the potential for enhanced liquidity, increased investor access, and improved efficiency.
Panelists examined how regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and integration with existing financial systems are key to broader institutional adoption.
The conversation also addressed market infrastructure challenges, including settlement mechanisms and interoperability between tokenized platforms and traditional markets.
There was consensus on tokenization’s potential to democratize investment opportunities, streamline asset transfers, and introduce new financial products.
The speakers emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue between technologists, regulators, and institutional players to ensure secure, compliant, and scalable tokenized markets.
Anas Hassan
month ago
Tokenized Products Panel Begins at Payments Innovation Conference
The Tokenized Products panel is now underway, moderated by Colleen Sullivan, Co-Head of Ventures at Brevan Howard Digital.
Sullivan brings extensive experience in crypto asset trading, blockchain investments, and alternative investment products, having previously founded and led CMT Digital and practiced law specializing in hedge funds and digital assets.
The panel features leading industry figures, including Jenny Johnson of Franklin Templeton, Don Wilson of DRW, Rob Goldstein of BlackRock, and Kara Kennedy of JPM Kinexys.
This session is expected to explore the evolving landscape of tokenized financial products, asset securitization, and integration of digital assets within traditional institutional frameworks.
Given Sullivan’s background, the discussion will likely focus on investment strategies, technological innovation, and regulatory considerations impacting the adoption and growth of tokenized products in mainstream finance.
Anas Hassan
month ago
AI-Powered Agentic Commerce and Stablecoins: Standards and Innovation
Emily Sands of Stripe explained agentic commerce as AI agents facilitating transactions by acting as intermediaries between buyers and sellers.
She highlighted the need for merchants to clearly communicate their processes for these agents to interact with them effectively.
Currently, there is no universal standard for communication between merchants and AI agents, but Stripe and OpenAI jointly developed the open-source Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) to establish such standards.
This protocol enables merchants to retain control over orders, payments, and fulfillment while allowing AI agents to execute transactions seamlessly.
Sands also highlighted the industry’s focus on mitigating fraud risk, a critical challenge in this evolving space.
Richard Widmann from Google Cloud elaborated on how agentic payments fit with stablecoins, which offer programmable money ideally suited for AI-driven microtransactions and agentic commerce.
He emphasized the ability of AI to personalize shopping experiences, saving users time by directly identifying preferred products.
Alesia Haas of Coinbase agreed, noting stablecoins’ programmability and regulatory clarity are crucial for enabling AI agents to transact efficiently and securely.
Haas also described how AI is actively used at Coinbase for fraud detection and software development, including blacklisting wallets to reduce risk.
Cathie Wood of Ark Invest projected agentic payments could rapidly boost GDP growth by accelerating commerce innovation, emphasizing the importance of regulatory clarity and open standards.
The panel collectively highlighted the collaboration across AI, blockchain, and payments ecosystems to build secure, scalable, and user-friendly agentic commerce solutions backed by AI and stablecoins
Anas Hassan
month ago
AI in Payments: Industry Leaders Convene on Future Innovations
The AI in Payments panel, moderated by Matt Marcus of Modern Treasury, brings together notable leaders including Cathie Wood of Ark Invest, Alesia Haas of Coinbase, Emily Sands from Stripe, and Richard Widmann of Google Cloud.
The session promises to explore how AI is revolutionizing payment systems by enhancing security, processing speed, and operational efficiency.
Matt Marcus, known for spearheading payment operation solutions at Modern Treasury, leads this discussion on the growing integration of AI technologies within payments infrastructure, focusing on real-time processing and automation for businesses and consumers alike.
With experts from investment, crypto, payment tech, and cloud strategy, the panel is expected to tackle challenges and opportunities AI presents for payment systems, including fraud detection, risk management, and customer experience improvements.