Jon Isaksen

IOSCO’s 2023 policy recommendations on DeFi emphasise the principle of "same activity, same risk, same regulation" to ensure that DeFi arrangements are held to the same standards as traditional financial systems. Against the backdrop of tightening regulations like MiCA and DORA in Europe and growing geopolitical tensions over digital sovereignty, regulators worldwide grapple with the challenge of applying IOSCO's principle to DeFi. How can innovation thrive while addressing critical issues of security, interoperability, and cross-border compliance?

This roundtable brings together regulators, blockchain architects, and financial innovators to explore the evolving role of DeFi and public blockchain infrastructure in global markets.

Key topics include:

1. Global standards and geopolitics
2. Tech neutrality and security in DeFi
3. DeFi and tokenisation: Reshaping capital markets
4. The future of staking and investor protection

As technology advances, so do the tactics of illicit actors. Criminal networks are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to launder money, conduct fraud, and evade detection at unprecedented speed and scale. At the same time, these same technologies hold the key to turning the tide—enhancing transparency, accelerating detection, and strengthening financial crime controls.

This roundtable will explore the dual-use nature of AI and blockchain in financial crime, unpacking key questions such as:
- How criminals are weaponising AI for money laundering, fraud, and deepfake-driven scams—and how financial institutions can counteract these threats using AI-powered defenses
- How AI’s predictive capabilities and blockchain’s transparency can work together to enhance compliance, improve regulatory oversight, and disrupt criminal networks
- Emerging challenges, including AI bias, privacy risks, and the arms race between law enforcement and bad actors leveraging next-gen technology

By convening policymakers, financial industry leaders, and technology experts, this discussion will examine how we can turn these emerging technologies from a double-edged sword into a powerful force for financial security and integrity.