Hugh has covered banking for CNBC since 2018, breaking news on the intersection of finance and technology at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Uber, Amazon, Apple, Binance and other companies. Before that, he covered finance at Bloomberg News since 2006, where he broke much of what the public knows about the public bailout of AIG during the financial crisis. He got his start in journalism at the New York Daily News, covering real estate and politics. Hugh grew up in Queens and attended Stuyvesant High School and Binghamton University.
Elizabeth is the Head of Digital Assets Product and Strategy at TD Securities, leading a newly established function focused on advancing TD’s digital assets agenda across three core areas: client management and business development, thought leadership and strategy, and leadership of key enterprise initiatives and product development. Elizabeth brings deep knowledge of client needs and industry best practices, and will lead consortia participation, industry engagement, research, and partnerships in digital assets.
She first joined TD as Head of Product Management for Global Transaction Banking, driving strategy and product delivery across all client segments and geographies. With over 20 years of experience in corporate banking, transaction banking, and payments, Elizabeth has held leadership positions at Citibank, Oliver Wyman, Treasury Strategies, and Selkirk Financial Technologies. Her expertise spans the full business delivery lifecycle, including sales, product management, client service, operations, and technology. Elizabeth also serves on the Advisory Board for Women in Payments USA and is a frequent public speaker and published author on innovation, culture, and diversity in financial services.
Matthieu brings a decade of experience working with executives across leading global financial institutions. Prior to Ondo, Matthieu was a Partner at McKinsey & Company driving the firm’s efforts across Capital Markets and Investment Banking. He holds a M.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M. Eng. from Imperial College London.
Rachel Anderika is the Global Head of Operations at Anchorage Digital as well as the Chief Operating Officer at Anchorage Digital Bank. She oversees the first federally regulated crypto bank, working since its inception to build compliant operations and governance and carving a path that other crypto companies are now seeking to follow with OCC charters of their own.
Rachel previously spent more than 20 years in regulatory and risk management, including nearly a decade at the OCC. There, she served as the National Bank Examiner, ensuring national banks were compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from King’s College and currently resides in Connecticut.
Dean Nolan is the Head of Payment Strategy at Finzly, a fintech providing money movement platforms for financial institutions specializing in payment hubs, international payments, and virtual account management. He leads the development of new initiatives, including instant payment pay-by-bank, stablecoin, and virtual account solutions. With more than 30 years of experience across banks, processors, and payment networks, Dean is a recognized thought leader, patent-holder, and frequent speaker at AFP, Nacha, and other industry events. He also serves as Executive Director of PayCLT and workgroup leader for the U.S. Faster Payments Council.
Abbey Naspinski is a Senior Research Analyst at American Banker, where she leads survey-based market intelligence initiatives. Her work centers on identifying emerging trends, benchmarking institutional performance, and translating quantitative findings into strategic insights for banking leaders.
With a background in economics and expertise in survey methodology and data analysis, Abbey brings analytical rigor and strategic perspective to conversations shaping the future of financial services. She holds dual BAs in Economics and Modern Language from Georgia Southern University and is based in Savannah, Georgia.
Peter Phelan is Vice President of Strategic Advisory at Elliptic, where he brings extensive experience at the intersection of banking, public policy, and market infrastructure. In his role, Peter helps financial institutions explore opportunities in the digital asset space, guiding them on trusted, compliant pathways to innovation and effective regulatory engagement.
Previously, Peter served as Head of Regulatory Management for Citi’s Client business line, where he coordinated interactions with U.S. and global regulators across Citi’s Institutional Credit Management (wholesale credit, transaction management) and Digital Asset/Distributed Ledger Technology functions. Before that, he was Chief Administrative Officer for Citi’s North American Institutional Clients Group, overseeing all control functions and leading Citi’s LIBOR transition program.
In June 2023, Peter was named Chair of the Federal Reserve–convened Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC), successfully leading the global, industry‑wide transition from LIBOR to SOFR.
Prior to Citi, Peter served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Capital Markets at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he led policy work on the GSEs, securitization markets, and the LIBOR transition, and was awarded the Treasury Medal for his service. He also co‑led the implementation of Uniform Mortgage‑Backed Securities (UMBS) with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and contributed to the Secretary’s pandemic emergency response team, coordinating with the Federal Reserve on market stabilization facilities.
Earlier in his career, Peter held roles at CIT Group and Commerzbank, managing capital markets teams delivering interest rate and foreign exchange risk management solutions and overseeing asset/liability management across multiple markets.
Ron Shevlin is the Chief Research Officer at Cornerstone Advisors, where his research on banking and fintech trends helps shape the direction of financial institutions and fintechs. Author of the Fintech Snark Tank on Forbes and host of the What’s Going On in Banking podcast, Ron is ranked among the top banking and fintech thought leaders globally and is a frequent keynote speaker at banking and fintech industry events.
Kristin Smith is President of Solana Policy Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to advocating for public policies that allow networks like Solana to flourish. She serves as a liaison between policymakers and the Solana ecosystem to assist in the creation of legislation and regulation that promotes the growth of the industry in the U.S. Prior to SPI, Kristin was CEO of Blockchain Association, the Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing the crypto industry’s leading companies.
Kristin has been a renowned voice for the industry, having been featured on Fortune’s 40 under 40 list, Washingtonian’s Most Influential People and Tech Titans, CoinDesk’s 50 people who defined the year in crypto, The Hill’s Top Lobbyists, and CoinTelegraph’s top 100 Influencers in Crypto and Blockchain. Prior to leading Blockchain Association, Kristin helped blockchain and technology companies achieve their public policy objectives in Washington. She served as a Senate and congressional aide on Capitol Hill for nearly 10 years, much of which was spent focusing on technology policy.
Nikhilesh De is CoinDesk’s managing editor for global policy and regulation, covering regulators, lawmakers and institutions. When he’s not reporting on digital assets and policy, he can be found admiring Amtrak or building LEGO trains. He owns < $50 in BTC and < $20 in ETH. He was named the Association of Cryptocurrency Journalists and Researchers’ Journalist of the Year in 2020.