PRESS RELEASE.
Washington, D.C., April 20, 2026 — The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing clear and ethical public policy, research and education surrounding emerging technologies, today announced the successful conclusion of its participation in the 2026 Fifth Annual Blockchain & Fintech Conference at Harvard as a Gold tier sponsor, held on April 17 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Convened by Harvard Law School’s Blockchain & Fintech Initiative, the conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to address key market and regulatory developments shaping digital finance. Programming addressed topics including stablecoin payments, litigation trends, the tokenization of real-world assets, and cybersecurity risks, highlighting the growing role of digital assets within financial systems and their integration into global financial infrastructure.
Adrian Wall, Managing Director of DSA, spoke on a panel titled “ Stablecoins and the Future of Global Payments,” alongside Michael Grazio, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Products & Technology at Mastercard; Sarah Wilson, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Circle; and Nick Gersh, Senior Regulatory Counsel at Paxos. The discussion was moderated by Howell Jackson, the James S. Reid Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Panelists examined the evolving role of stablecoins in global payment systems and the need for clear, consistent regulatory frameworks.
“ Stablecoins represent a new payment rail, not just a financial product. Policy frameworks need to catch up with how they’re already being used,” said Wall. “In digital finance, resilience and governance must replace traditional deposit insurance, and once a digital dollar adds yield, it raises new regulatory questions. The focus is no longer whether stablecoins matter, but how to build transparent, durable systems around them, and who governs the rails.”
These discussions take place as regulators and market participants globally are evaluating how to integrate stablecoins into existing financial systems while addressing risks related to consumer protection, financial stability, and market integrity.
As stablecoins and digital assets move further into mainstream financial use, discussions at the conference highlighted the need for greater coordination between policy and industry. DSA is committed to continuing its work with policymakers, academic institutions, and market participants to support the development of clear, durable frameworks for the evolving digital financial system.
About Digital Sovereignty Alliance
The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA) is a nonprofit social welfare organization committed to advocating for public policies that support ethical innovation in decentralized technologies, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, and artificial intelligence. DSA conducts research, organizes educational events, and promotes policies that prioritize public welfare and digital sovereignty.
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