DAS to spotlight institutional era of crypto

das-to-spotlight-institutional-era-of-crypto

The Digital Asset Summit will feature TradFi and government reps speaking on broader adoption and who’s buying in

article-image

US House of Reps Majority Whip Tom Emmer | Permissionless III by Mike Lawrence for Blockworks

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


You’ve probably heard about Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit by now. Well, it kicks off tomorrow.

It seems to be a good time for a conference, given the mix of optimism and uncertainty — in crypto and the broader economy. That hopeful-volatile blend should spur more interesting discussion.

So we have some dichotomies to work through. Like BlackRock adding bitcoin exposure to its alternatives-focused model portfolios as bitcoin ETFs have endured $5 billion of net outflows in recent weeks. 

Or a president who wants to build “the crypto capital of the world” while simultaneously implementing policies that are sending the stock market (and BTC price) lower. Not to mention the whole Trump memecoin launch that made eyes roll around the industry. 

Bo Hines, Executive Director of the White House’s Presidents Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, can hopefully share insight when he hits the DAS stage tomorrow. US Rep. Tom Emmer will speak 24 hours later on what it’ll take to get crypto legislation across the finish line this year. 

The institutional presence at DAS will be ample. A step like walking back the SEC’s SAB 121 is already set to pave the way for banks and brokers to custody spot crypto — and legislation (on stablecoins and market structure) is apparently on its way. 

Command + F the event agenda…type in “inst” and you’ll get plenty of hits:

LMAX Group CEO David Mercer is set to sort through headwinds and tailwinds in the new era for institutional crypto. Eric Peters, who leads Coinbase Asset Management and One River Asset Management, will detail which institutions are actually buying this cycle. 

Bloomberg Intelligence’s James Seyffart will guide a discussion on the next wave of institutional crypto products. Franklin Templeton’s Sandy Kaul and Visa’s Catherine Gu are headliners on the “Institutionalization of Crypto” session.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has called tokenization “the next generation for markets.” The panel I’m moderating Thursday is likely to feature a debate on which assets are worth bringing onchain, and broader TradFi adoption there.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
Tags

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues – Thurs, March 18 – 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES – THURS, JUNE 24 – 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Mon – Wed, October 13 – 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Research Report Templates (5).png

Research

Outside of stablecoins, the value of tokenized assets sits below $20B, dominated by the following asset classes: private credit, US Treasuries, commodities, institutional alternative funds, stocks, non-US government debt, and corporate bonds. In the coming months, we see the greatest opportunities in the tokenization of illiquid markets, particularly private equity. However, the successful integration of offchain assets into blockchain ecosystems relies heavily on clear and consistent regulatory frameworks, with purpose-built infrastructure to support it.

news

Breaking headlines across our core coverage categories.

article-image

The BITCOIN Act now has 13 sponsors in total — up from one last year

article-image

Carson Cook and James Roth of Membrane Labs join the Empire podcast to discuss the state of lending and how custodians impact market growth

article-image

A popular equity investing strategy, which considers network effects, is paying off for this crypto index

article-image

The encoded timekeeping system improves proof-of-stake, allowing the chain to quickly validate transactions

article-image

Cuts to interest rates unlikely as officials weigh labor market data and Trump tariffs take effect

article-image

Standard Chartered’s Waqar Chaudry pointed to some initially believing that tokenized money market funds could replace stablecoins

Related Posts

Leave a Reply