Cross-border payments are undergoing their most significant transformation in decades, driven by stablecoins, tokenized deposits, real-time payment rails, and regulatory shifts across major jurisdictions. For banks, stablecoins are no longer a theoretical innovation—they are becoming a strategic question of infrastructure, liquidity, compliance, and customer ownership.

This executive panel will debate what a “winning” cross-border model looks like in 2026 vs. 2030, and how stablecoins and on-chain settlement models are reshaping cross-border payments economics, market structure, and competitive dynamics. Panelists will explore whether banks should issue, integrate, partner, or compete with stablecoin providers—and how to modernize cross-border strategies to balance speed, cost, control, and regulatory accountability in a rapidly evolving global payments landscape.

Cross-border payments will be real-time, programmable, and global by default. The strategic question for banks is not whether stablecoins will be part of that future—but whether banks will define the rails, or simply ride on them. Discussion points will include:

As digital assets, tokenized deposits, and on-chain financial infrastructure move closer to the regulated banking system, a new control layer is emerging: agentic artificial intelligence. Unlike traditional automation or static smart contracts, agentic AI systems can interpret intent, evaluate conditions, and take action autonomously within defined guardrails.

For banks, this evolution raises fundamental questions about execution, risk, governance, and accountability. Who—or what—makes decisions in an always-on, programmable financial environment? How can autonomy be introduced without sacrificing control, compliance, or trust? And where does agentic AI become a competitive advantage versus a systemic risk? If finance is becoming programmable and always-on, the real question isn’t whether banks will use agentic AI—it’s whether they’ll control it, or be forced to react to it.

This panel discussion will explore how agentic AI could reshape on-chain finance and digital asset operations, from liquidity and treasury management to compliance, custody, and market structure—and what bank leaders must do now to prepare. The in-depth conversation will include:

Regulation is no longer a backdrop to digital asset strategy—it defines the playing field. For TradFi leaders, understanding the current regulatory state of play in the United States is fundamental to charting strategy around stablecoins, tokenization, custody, decentralized finance (DeFi), and on-chain settlement. This panel will cut through noise to provide clarity on where U.S. policy has moved, where it is heading, and what that means for institutional strategy, risk management, and competitive positioning.

Panelists will explore the most consequential U.S. regulatory developments of 2025—from landmark stablecoin legislation to evolving jurisdictional debates between the SEC and CFTC and the approval of some crypto companies into federally chartered national banks—what’s likely for 2026, and how TradFi can engage proactively with policy, shape outcomes, and manage risks while embracing the opportunities presented by on-chain finance. The session will emphasize the practical implications, including:

As the financial industry explores the next wave of innovation, tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) has emerged as one of the most promising—yet misunderstood—frontiers. From bonds and real estate to trade finance and private credit, tokenization offers the potential for greater liquidity, transparency, and efficiency. But despite its promise, widespread adoption remains limited by regulatory uncertainty, technical integration challenges, and market readiness.

This panel discussion will explore the real benefits and the practical obstacles of tokenization, giving TradFi on-chain newcomers a grounded understanding of where the value truly lies, what barriers must be addressed, and how TradFi institutions can strategically engage in this evolving landscape. Among the topics to be addressed:

As digital assets move from the fringe into institutional portfolios and market infrastructure, custody has emerged as the critical control point in the value chain. For traditional financial institutions, digital asset custody is no longer a niche offering—it is the foundation that determines who owns client relationships, who controls risk, and who participates in the next phase of tokenized markets.

This panel will explore the biggest opportunities and unresolved issues facing TradFi executives as they evaluate digital asset custody strategies. Panelists will discuss how custody underpins trading, settlement, tokenization, and payments; where banks have a natural advantage—and where they face new forms of operational and regulatory risk; and what decisions leadership teams must make in the next 12–24 months to preserve relevance and optionality. The conversation will focus on strategic choices, governance, economics, and execution realities, equipping executives with a framework to assess whether—and how—to engage, including:

The Battle for the Deposit Franchise: Will Stablecoins or Tokenized Deposits Dictate the Future of Banking?

As digital money moves from experimentation to execution, traditional financial institutions face a critical strategic decision: pursue a stablecoin strategy, tokenized bank deposits, or attempt both? Each path carries profound implications for balance sheets, regulation, payments infrastructure, customer relationships and long-term competitiveness.

Citi’s Ryan Rugg, Global Head of Digital Assets, Treasury and Trade Solutions, shares her perspective on whether stablecoins or tokenized deposits represent the most viable—and defensible—path forward for TradFi. The conversation will examine where real economic value is being created, how regulators and supervisors are shaping outcomes, and what decisions bank executives must make in the next 12–24 months to remain relevant in a tokenized financial system. The discussion will include a dive into: