Yesterday, I had the privilege of being invited to attend and speak at The Australian Financial Review Crypto Currency Summit 2023 alongside industry veterans like Brian Armstrong CEO of Coinbase.

The event was a fantastic opportunity for crypto investors, policymakers, regulators, tech innovators, and leading journalists to connect and discuss cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web 3.0 trends.

At the summit, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones announced the government’s long-anticipated regulatory regime. Crypto exchanges in Australia will be required to hold an AFSL. Exchanges will also be required to submit financial accounts meet solvency and cash reserve requirements. There will also be rules around asset custody.

In general, we believe this is good and reasonable regulation. Any third party holding retail crypto assets should be tightly regulated to help prevent another FTX.

 

My Panel Discussion: “The Future of Finance? The Promise and Potential of DeFi”

I participated on a DeFi focused panel together with industry heavyweights Kain Warwick (Synthetix), Sidney Powell (Maple Finance) and Susannah Wilkinson (Herbert Smith Freehills). Main discussion points included:

• How better UX is essential for DeFi to success
• The potential for DeFi to reshape our understanding of commercial banking and credit evaluations
• Different models for DAO governance 
• Yield opportunities in crypto and stablecoins