Grisons - Switzerland 2024

• 07:00 - 09:00
  Good morning Breakfast @Suvretta House

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 1 - Infrastructure

• 09:00 - 09:35
  Layer 1 Superpowers: Consensus & Execution at scale

  • John Woods,
  • Leemon Baird,
  • Yuval Rooz,
  • Emin Gün Sirer,
  • David Johnston

  Advancements in smart contract computation, the evolution of scaling technologies and consensus mechanisms, and a new focus on interoperability mean that L1s face both opportunities and challenges. Exploring the drive by layer 1 for enabling functionality and differentiation, and how can they ultimately compete with traditional rails & systems?
• 09:40 - 10:15
  LAYER 2S TODAY & TOMORROW: ECOSYSTEMS, ADOPTION & POTENTIAL NEW ECONOMIES

  • Alex Gluchowski,
  • Diana Biggs,
  • Prof. Dr. Fabian Schär,
  • Jane Lippencott,
  • David Johnston

  Scaling technologies have seen the lion’s share of growth from an onboarding standpoint through technological innovation, effective ecosystem development and commercial partnerships. What should layer 2s be doing to ensure that they remain relevant in order to navigate their way to prosperity and purpose?
• 10:20 - 10:55
  The (new) world of financial services

  • Dr. Stephan A. Zwahlen,
  • Javier Rodriguez Alarcon,
  • Mathias Imbach,
  • Markus Infanger,
  • Eva Szalay

  The digital transformation of capital markets and financial services through the advent of blockchain and crypto is upon us. Services such as brokerage, custody, and tokenization are some of the pioneering building blocks that enable new products to flourish and potentially disrupt or vastly augment the financial services industry. How do those at the forefront of this kind of financial innovation see this transformation unfolding?
• 10:55 - 11:20
  Take a break, grab a coffee

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 2 - Future of Finance

• 11:20 - 11:55
  The tokenization of everything - or just some things?

  • Carlos Domingo,
  • Antony Lewis,
  • Michael Shaulov,
  • David Wachsman

  The promise of tokenization of real-world assets is beguiling. From art to real estate, to mutual funds and treasuries, the potential enables these new asset classes that were once out of reach for investors. Are we there yet, and what are the remaining challenges to overcome to ensure that tokenized assets can thrive?
• 11:55 - 12:30
  Lending, borrowing, and the intersection of traditional and crypto finance

  • Stani Kulechov,
  • Sidney Powell,
  • Balder Bomans,
  • Marcos Benitez,
  • Frank Chaparro

  On-chain lending has historically been dominated by the crypto-native community. More recently, there have been green shoots of institutional participation in on-chain lending & borrowing. What should this nascent sector focus on to succeed, what tools exist or need to be built to enable this, and what are the pitfalls?
• 12:35 - 12:55
  The Values of Money: The role of the Private Sector in Designing Digital Financial Networks

  • J. Christopher Giancarlo

  Both CBDCs and stablecoins are quickly coming to the global economy. In his remarks, “CryptoDad” J. Christopher Giancarlo, former Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, will make the case that the choice for free people is not one or the other. It is rather between financial freedom and economic liberty – if we get it right – and capricious political control and big tech coercion and censorship, if we don't.
• 12:55 - 13:35
  Unpacking the CBDC and stablecoin topic

  • Benjamin Mueller,
  • Teana Baker-Taylor,
  • David Newns,
  • Fernando Vazquez Cao,
  • J. Christopher Giancarlo

  Central Bank Digital Currencies went from being proposed as an innovative financial tool, to being critiqued by privacy advocates. Despite this, over 130 countries are moving forward with CBDC projects. At the same time, stablecoins are gaining traction in more sectors than crypto settlement because of reduced friction and supervision (e.g., large enterprises and retail users). What is the right level of supervision of these kinds of innovations, and can central bank and private money coexist?

Session 3 - Lunch

• 13:35 - 14:55
  Awesome Lunch (Networking & Rountables area) powered by Algorand Foundation

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: Breaking through to the next billion: hurdles and opportunities

  • Min Wei

  Onboarding the next billion web3 users could profoundly impact our world, but the path to get there is fraught with hurdles. Join Algorand Foundation’s Global Head of Ecosystem Growth, Min Wei, to discuss the regulatory hurdles, market resistance, and also opportunities for widespread adoption.
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: Crypto Wealth and Private Banking: Opportunities & Challenges

  • Gilles Stuck,
  • Jonathan Hayes,
  • Jetmir Mehmedi

  The roads from fiat to crypto and back are beset with friction. Still, many crypto wealthy enter discussions with banks – be it to diversify custody risk, to create optionality at the interface to fiat, or to access wealth management services. We look forward to the casual atmosphere of a lunch table conversation to discuss opportunities and challenges where crypto wealth and (private) banks come together.
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: It’s Liquidity, Stupid! Crypto Lending in 2024

  • David Olsson

  Following 2022's credit crisis, attitudes towards crypto lending have soured considerably. Mainstream media have portrayed it as something with little economic value or a recent desperate attempt by exchanges to diversify their revenue streams in crypto winter. In this roundtable, David Olsson, Kraken’s Head of OTC Lending, will open the floor to discuss the role lending can play in a vibrant, healthy crypto ecosystem. How it can create fresh opportunities for long-time holders, and open up the asset class to new entrants. In addition, there’ll be discussion around the different lending models, how they meet institutional client needs and can future-proof against crises, as experienced in 2022.
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: The art of a connected world

  • Chris Fabian

  Join world-renowned artist Cole Sternberg for a lunch discussion of his process, his work with generative art and social policy, and why he's been spending time in the Engadin creating a series that bridges concepts of connectivity, community and the environment. Cole’s work is in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Architectural Digest and the Wall Street Journal. On Thursday night, three unique new works of his will be auctioned to benefit Giga. Come and hear how art, infrastructure, and finance can connect to address global issues.
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: The role of digital assets in strategic asset allocation

  • Javier Rodriguez Alarcon

  Our discussion will focus on incorporating digital assets into institutional investors' strategic asset allocation, highlighting their role in enhancing portfolio performance and diversification. We will also examine the critical need for specialized knowledge transfer in managing the inherent risks of digital assets and evaluate the benefits of active management strategies in this emerging asset class.
• 13:35 - 14:55
  Lunch - Roundtable: Why and How the next billion users will come to crypto?

  • Alex Gluchowski

  Our discussion will focus on how we are at a point where the world's activity for both users and business now have clear incentives and benefits in using blockchains as their underlying technology. User experience, cost, speed, security, are obstacles that are being solved. With the maturation of private, custom blockchains that are already being used for use cases such as digital ID, tokenization of real world assets, and much more, it has now become extremely convenient and easy for any entity to deploy their own blockchain. How can enterprises from any industry or vertical benefit from deploying their chains? What are the growth opportunities? How will this work?

Session 4 - Gateways to Mainstream Adoption

• 14:55 - 15:15
  Onboarding a Billion Users to Crypto

  • Alexander Blania,
  • Eric van der Kleij

  Crypto’s objective of decentralized, inclusive financial networks is profound, and reaching mass adoption of crypto requires global, accessible onboarding systems that preserve privacy. What is missing and what is needed to onboard billions of people to web3?
• 15:15 - 15:45
  Web3 & (Luxury) Brands - Building Communities and Enhancing Customer Experience to Expand Reach and Revenue

  • Angela Au-Yeung,
  • Romain Carrere,
  • Vanessa Grellet

  Traditional consumer brands are increasingly using Web3 technology to engage and reward loyal communities that increase reach, engagement, and ultimately revenues through enhanced multichannel strategies and token-gated access programs. If data is the new oil and these technologies and digital communities represent more than passing fads, do they connect the real-world and digital behaviours of both existing and potential customers for the brands?
• 15:50 - 16:25
  INNOVATION AND THE BUILDING BLOCKS TOWARD MAINSTREAM ADOPTION

  • Laszlo Szabo,
  • Mark Nuvelstijn,
  • Christoph Simmchen,
  • Luuk Strijers,
  • David Wachsman

  Very few industries are more creative and innovative than the crypto industry, but we still have a long way to go to become mainstream. In addition to beautiful user experiences, what are the key building blocks needed to drive mass adoption and a more seamless crypto / Trad-Fi experience?
• 16:30 - 17:05
  WORD ON THE STREET: BOOSTING ADOPTION WITH INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND PROFESSIONALIZED PRODUCTS

  • Gilles Stuck,
  • Leo Ruest,
  • Evgeny Gaevoy,
  • Giovanni Vicioso,
  • David Wachsman

  In 2022, a record influx of financial institutions acquired crypto assets and designed/offered new digital asset financial products & services for the first time. Since then, some say this interest has waned, while others argue that this market segment has only just begun. What in addition to ETFs will catalyze much broader productization and adoption by institutions in 2024 and beyond?
• 17:05 - 17:30
  Last coffee break of the day

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 5 - Investing

• 17:30 - 17:50
  Does crypto have a problem with “due diligence”?

  • Nick Percoco

  After FTX, many admitted they hadn’t done any due diligence because they thought others had done it. This wasn’t an isolated incident; ironic for an industry built on the maxim of “don’t trust, verify.” As institutions re-engage with the asset class, it has never been as important as it is now for investors to perform effective due diligence to identify red flags much faster. It’s time to ask if crypto is doing its DD and if so, what does it look like?
• 17:50 - 18:25
  Managing risks - get it right and the prize is yours for the taking

  • Eva Sanchez,
  • Philippe Bekhazi,
  • Ryan Selkis,
  • Frank Chaparro

  Crypto trading is very compelling. The trick is to balance the risk/reward ratio by deeply understanding issues like volatility, counterparty, rug pulls, regulatory, liquidity, taxes, hacks, exploits, and lack of accurate data. Both new and traditional investors need the best information, tools, and processes to mitigate these risks. How should investors approach risk?
• 18:30 - 19:05
  A roundup discussion with seasoned investors

  • Anthony Scaramucci,
  • Vance Spencer,
  • Christine Lee

  Reflecting on what we learned over the last two days, seasoned investors discuss their approach and strategies for the next 6–12 months. What areas will they focus on, will they do anything different, or is it business as usual?

Session 6 - Socializing

• 19:05 - 20:25
  Get ready for the evening - Lounge Drinks @Suvretta House powered by UNICEF Giga

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 19:30 - 20:25
  CREATING CONNECTIONS – DIGITAL ART FOR CONNECTIVITY: UNICEF ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT GIGA

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 20:30 - 21:00
  Transport to Badrutt's Palace Hotel

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 21:00 - 21:30
  Kitchen Extravaganza Apéro @Badrutt's Palace powered by Algorand Foundation and XBTO Group

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 21:30 - 23:45
  Kitchen Extravaganza Dinner @Badrutt's Palace powered by Algorand Foundation

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly
• 23:45 - 04:00
  Awe-inspiring Party powered by Kraken

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

• 07:30 - 10:00
  Recovery Breakfast @Suvretta House

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Academic conference

• 09:00 - 18:30
  Academic conference

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 1 - Workshops & Roundtables

• 09:30 - 10:15
  Can 1+1=3? Is AI the Catalyst to a Decade of Supergrowth for Blockchain?

  • Eric van der Kleij,
  • Bill Tai

  With the Generative AI market growing from $40Bn in 2022 to $1.3Trillion by 2032. (CAGR of 42% - source Bloomberg Intelligence), will the intersection of blockchain and AI accelerate growth in both markets? This workshop explores AI Investment, Supervision, Safety, Sustainability and Adoption, and shines a light on the role of blockchain in enabling valuable services and applications that leverage the convergence of these two powerful technologies.
• 10:15 - 11:15
  DECENTRALIZING NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE: GIGA, TOKENIZING NETWORK ASSETS, A PATHWAY FOR FUTURE CONNECTIVITY

  • Chris Fabian,
  • Bill Tai

  Last year at CfC St. Moritz, Giga announced its intention to work on tokenizing telecom network infrastructure in emerging markets. We have tried, failed once, and are trying again in four more counties. Come and learn about our work with tokenizing gigabytes, creating a tradable commodity out of electrons, and building a connectivity credits marketplace. Current explorations are underway in Brazil, South Africa, Malawi, and Sierra Leone. We will share what's working, what's failed, and ask for participation in thinking through next steps and opportunities.
• 10:15 - 11:15
  Retailing in the Metaverse

  • Mitchell Goldberg

  Join Mitchell Goldberg, a PhD Candidate at the University of Basel, for an insightful presentation on metaverse retailing. You'll delve into a recent research paper examining retail events in the avatar-driven economy of Decentraland, utilizing blockchain transaction data and spatial information from avatar locations. Uncover the early stages of metaverse retailing, influenced by major events like music festivals and trade shows, where well-known brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Samsung, and Coca-Cola actively participate, offering digital wearables or even real-world goods.
• 10:15 - 11:15
  THE ROLE OF HARMONIZATION: ADDRESSING THE INCREASING RISKS OF DIGITAL ASSET REGULATORY FRAGMENTATION

  • Teana Baker-Taylor,
  • Rob Massey

  Countries around the world are increasingly focused on developing rules and standards for digital assets. A closer look into these frameworks, both being proposed and implemented, reveals regulatory frictions inherent to harmonized jurisdictional regimes. While individually they seek to address similar policy objectives, the lack of alignment across principles could counteract intended benefits, create unwanted extraterritorial impacts, and risk continued global regulatory fragmentation and increased arbitrage opportunities. Global policymakers and regulatory bodies like the G20, the BIS, and the FSB have begun to stress the importance of not only sound policies – but global regulatory alignment. During this roundtable, we will discuss practical approaches for national and regional policymakers as well as the role of the industry in supporting this critical work.
• 11:15 - 11:30
  Take a break, grab a coffee

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 2 - Workshops & Roundtables

• 11:30 - 12:30
  Blockchain Interoperability: Fundamentals, Practical Cross-Chain Messaging Use Cases, and the Future

  • Dan Reecer,
  • Robinson Burkey

  This foundational workshop covers the core principles of cross-chain messaging and its role in achieving a decentralized web that mirrors the connectivity of today's internet. We'll examine the challenges and trade-offs in developing cross-chain protocols, delve into different approaches, highlight the importance of security and decentralization, showcase live use cases (e.g. Uniswap), and provide insights into the future of cross-chain from both technical and business perspectives.
• 11:30 - 12:30
  Liquidity in market cycles for Web3 investors

  • Dr. Nagendra Bharatula,
  • Vanessa Grellet

  The liquidity in crypto markets is impacted by various market and non-market events. Many names struggled posting high double-digit percentage losses in both liquid token & web3 VC funds at every stage. Access to liquidity via tokens usually happens within a few years of the initial investment. The tokens are volatile and subject to crypto market conditions and global macro developments. Besides having a great investment thesis and investments, timing is crucial in crypto. Join this workshop to understand market cycles and exit liquidity in web3 VC funds. The tools, partners to optimize LP returns, and the optimal way to transfer proceeds to LP (fiat, tokens, another liquid vehicle).
• 11:30 - 12:30
  Mass Crypto Adoption across Africa - Could it be a driver for the next bull run?

  • Markus Franke

  Many African countries are uniquely positioned to succeed with digital money for payments, mobile remittances, saving, lending, and borrowing and therefore leapfrog the traditional financial system. We find a high share of the informal economy, a high sense of community, and a large need for cashless transactions across African countries. While the cost of remittances worldwide is just below 7% according to World Bank data, the cost of remittances to Africa is especially high. At the same time, we find high mobile penetration and an understanding of mobile money and web3. In the workshop, we want to dive deeper into the African market microstructure, regulation, and opportunities for the web3 industry. We describe the conditions that technology must fulfill when it comes to user experience, to cross the chasm to mainstream adoption.
• 11:30 - 12:30
  Unlocking AI's Full Potential with Blockchain

  • Dominic Williams

  There has been a recent surge in interest around both AI and blockchain technology. However, the question arises: Is there a genuine advantage to merging these technologies, or is it simply a passing trend? Blockchain holds the key to unleashing AI's true capabilities by introducing transparency and trust into a technology that has become integral to many aspects of our lives. Currently, there's a lack of insight and a means to validate the sources of data used to train AI models. This includes not knowing the exact data being collected, how it informs the model, and the resulting accuracy. By harnessing permissionless and open blockchain networks, AI systems can enhance their credibility, accountability, and security, ultimately fostering greater trust among users.
• 12:30 - 12:45
  Last coffee break of the conference

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 3 - Workshops & Roundtables

• 12:45 - 13:45
  Banking on Crypto: Navigating new assets, new wealth

  • Carsten Menke,
  • Jonathan Hayes,
  • Jetmir Mehmedi

  Crypto was created as an alternative to, not for, banks. Still, it has turned out that banks have a role to play in crypto, be it for facilitating investment flows into the ecosystem, or by offering private banking services to the crypto wealthy. As a pioneer for integrating digital assets into wealth management services, we would like to discuss with you whether and how crypto plays a role in a wealth portfolio and what is needed to cater to the needs of traditional and crypto wealth.
• 12:45 - 13:45
  Future-Proofing Digital Assets: Exploring the Sustainability of Digital Assets in the Quantum Era

  • Christopher Tam

  This workshop explores the impact of quantum technologies on digital currencies and assets, with a focus on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as studied by the Bank of International Settlements. We will dive into the challenges and potential of post-quantum cryptography (PQC), aiming to equip the audience with insights into the quantum security of decentralized networks.
• 12:45 - 13:45
  Real World Asset Tokenization: Bridging the Gap Between Ideation and Implementation

  • Eric Wragge

  Join Algorand Foundation’s Global Head of Business Development & Capital Markets Eric Wragge for a roundtable discussion to explore the state of RWA tokenization: the social contract that underpins its (or not) purpose, legal basis, challenges, and opportunities.
• 12:45 - 13:45
  Zero compromises: An introduction to custom zk-powered blockchains'

  • Pearl Imbach

  In this workshop we will show how and why launching a custom blockchain powered by zero-knowledge proofs is designed to meet any enterprise's specific needs. Advancements in the blockchain space, boosted by zero-knowledge technology allow enterprises to set up their own parameters around privacy, speed, data storage and much more with a seamless and fast launch process. These custom blockchains are private, but still benefit from being connected to the broader ecosystem for its users and liquidity. This opens up a world where entities can set up up custom permissions regarding the interoperability with the broader network.

Session 4 - Closing of the Conference

• 13:45 - 13:50
  Closing speech

  • Nicolo Stöhr

Session 5 - Lunch

• 13:50 - 15:45
  Lunch @Suvretta House

  Speaker(s) will be announced shortly

Session 6 - Socializing