Ivan Mortimer-Schutts

The problems that constrain tokenization at scale do not belong to one working group, one institution, or one regulatory perimeter. Cross-ledger settlement, stablecoin licensing fragmentation, FMI readiness in developing markets, and the legal enforceability of smart contracts are structurally connected with each a precondition for the next, each requiring actors across infrastructure and regulation to work from the same evidence base.

This session brings both working groups together for the first time in person. Working Group 1 (Interoperability and Infrastructure) and Working Group 2 (Regulation, Trust, and Governance) will each present their problem statements before presenting to the Oversight Panel. The purpose is to establish shared understanding of the initiative's full scope, test framing with peers who approach the same challenges from different vantage points, and sharpen the asks that each working group will direct to the Oversight Panel in the session that follows.

About the initiative

GFTN has launched _Tokenization in Finance: Evidence and Implementation Pathways_, a structured, multi-stakeholder initiative convening two working groups drawn from leading financial institutions, infrastructure providers, and market participants to assemble a practitioner-oriented evidence base spanning spanning digital money and payment rails through to tokenized real-world assets, securities, funds, and capital markets infrastructure. At Singapore FinTech Festival in November 2026, the initiative will publish a practitioner guide designed to give financial institutions a structured basis for sequencing their digital asset strategies, and to equip regulators and finance ministries in emerging and developing economies with implementation pathways they can draw on directly.

By the end of 2026, all EU member states will be required to issue the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI), with a goal of achieving 80% voluntary adoption by 2030.  

While much of the current focus has been on user adoption and interoperability, a more fundamental shift in the economy is underway: the rise of AI agents capable of acting, transacting, and coordinating on behalf of individuals and businesses. This raises a critical question: how can these agents be trusted to act, transact, and take decisions safely across platforms and jurisdictions? 

Identity-wallets and verifiable credentials hold the potential to become foundational trust infrastructure that unlocks this shift, by authenticating identity, delegating authority from human to agent, and resolving KYC and liability questions. With the right design choices today, the EUDI could evolve into a global benchmark not just for digital identity, but for programmable, interoperable trust. 

Yet, critical questions remain around adoption, sustainable business models, and resilience to emerging technological risks. As the deadline draws closer, this roundtable will convene financial institutions, digital identity and verifiable credentials providers, technologists, and policymakers to examine key design and coordination challenges and trade-offs facing identity wallet ecosystems today.