DEA Quarterly Insights: Shaping the Future of Digital Money | Q2 2023

Welcome to the latest edition of the Digital Euro Association's Quarterly Insights!

This comprehensive blog post presents a concise overview of our association's activities and achievements over the past three months. As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital money, this summary highlights our strides in promoting financial innovation, fostering education, and exploring groundbreaking initiatives.

Join us on this exciting journey as we delve into the key milestones and accomplishments that shape the future of digital money!

New Members

In Q2 2023, the DEA welcomed PPI AG and Blockchain Lawyers Group as its lite members. PPI specializes in payment software and consulting, besides being the market leader for EBICS and FinTS solutions. The Blockchain Lawyers Group connects a global network of legal experts in blockchain and crypto asset-related matters, increasing access to competent and qualified legal advice.

Distinguished People

IMF Spring Meetings 2023

Jaskaran Singh metting Christine Lagarde

During the week of 10-16 April 2023, Jaskaran Singh, an Associate Team Member of the Digital Euro Association, had the extraordinary privilege of meeting Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, in Washington D.C., at the World Bank – IMF Spring Meetings 2023. Jaskaran is currently working at the World Bank Treasury and specializes in digital money topics and enjoys collaborating on projects in the field of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC), financial technology, and the future of banking and payment innovations. He was also a significant contributor to the CBDC Manifesto released by DEA and CBDC ThinkTank in 2022.

DEA Events

DEA Techy Tuesday | Episode 4 - NFT & Metaverse research project “Citadel” of Austrian National Bank

In April 2023, Valentin Seehausen and Tamara F Schmidt interviewed Johannes Duong and Armin Ahari from the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) on NFTs and Metaverse behind the “Citadel” project in this Techy Tuesday episode. The underlying technology and initial potential use cases were examined in greater detail and simulated in an experiment as part of OeNB's in-house innovation lab, without purchasing external services.

Watch the episode 👇

DEA Thesis Awards

The DEA successfully organized the 2023 DEA Thesis Awards, an annual event aimed at acknowledging outstanding academic research on digital currencies. The competition garnered an impressive array of submissions from global academic institutions, signifying the rising interest and expertise in digital currencies among young scholars. The winners, Alessio Azzutti, Vanessa Dutzi, and Maxime Polis, delivered groundbreaking research on various aspects of digital currencies, spanning legal considerations, CBDC impact in open economies, and stablecoin resolution planning. These awards not only showcase the brilliance of the recipients but also align with the DEA's mission of promoting education and research in the digital currency domain. The association eagerly anticipates the continued success and growth of this initiative in the future.

Read more here: https://blog.digital-euro-association.de/dea-thesis-awards-2023-recap 

Launch of the Digital Euro Association's Tokenized Commercial Bank Money Working Group

On May 3rd, 2023, the DEA took a significant stride in advancing digital currency implementation in commercial banking with the launch of its Working Group on Tokenized Commercial Bank Money. This initiative, led by Anurag Dubey and Juan Gutierrez, brings together global experts from diverse backgrounds to delve into the study, development, and potential implementation of tokenized commercial bank money. Set to release a comprehensive whitepaper in July 2023, the working group aims to define objectives, strategies, and implications of tokenized commercial bank money, providing a detailed roadmap for practical execution while offering insights into its potential benefits and challenges. By fostering collaboration, facilitating dialogue, and driving digital innovation, this move exemplifies the DEA's commitment to shaping the future of money through cutting-edge research and education in the digital currency domain.

Read more here: https://home.digital-euro-association.de/working-groups 

General Assembly 2023

On May 16, 2023, the DEA’s second general assembly took place joined by 17 participants (virtually). The DEA’s active and supporting members joined to pass resolutions, recap the growth and strategy of 2022 and discuss the DEA’s strategy and goals for 2023. The current board was reelected en bloc with the addition of Anne-Sophie Gógl as Vice Treasurer.

Read the recap here: https://blog.digital-euro-association.de/dea-general-assembly-2023-recap  

Stablecoin Regulation: What does MiCA mean for the future of Europe?

The Digital Euro Association hosted on May 31st its first Twitter Space focused on the MiCA  (Markets in Crypto Assets) regulation and the future of Europe regarding stablecoin regulation. Our special guest, Alireza Siadat, lawyer and partner at Annerton, shared his thoughts on MiCA's scope and objectives, MiCA's impact on the crypto industry, MiCA and the role of intermediaries, MiCA and innovation, and MiCA and international regulatory coordination.

Listen to the conversation here: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1YqKDoBzBwNxV?s=20

DEA Summerfest

The DEA's second Summerfest, which took place on 29 June, 2023, proved to be a grand assembly of minds, witnessing active involvement of approx. 50 individuals that included institutional members, dedicated fellows and esteemed experts. The prestigious Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Frankfurt served as a fitting venue, attracting a notable number of DEA executive team members along with our founding members.

Read the recap here: https://blog.digital-euro-association.de/recap-of-the-digital-euro-association-summerfest-2023 

Watch the recap 👇

Events DEA attended

In the month of April, DEA had the opportunity to participate in the following events:

• The Digital Euro: Effects on Monetary Policy, Economy and Society – 3. Blockchain Roundtable by the German Liberal Party in the National Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany with the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Financial (Dr. Florian Toncar) & Frank Schäffler (Member of the German Parliament)
  
  
• elbMUN Conference 2023
  Presentation: Regulation and Supervision of Crypto Assets & Funds

• Instant Payments & Fraud Management Summit
  Panel discussion: CBDCs vs. instant payments
  
  
• Fintech Talents Road Trip Berlin
  Panel discussion: German innovation in fintech markets
  
  
• Munich Blockchain Club
  Presentation: Digital Euro
  
  
• Blockchain and Crypto Conference 2023
  Presentation: The progress on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) and the Digital Euro

• Blockchain in Europe Webinar
  Panel discussion: Hyperledger in-depth webinar: Blockchain in Europe: Advancements, Opportunities and Challenges
  
  
• European Web 3.0 Summit
  Panel discussion: Digital payments future in Europe

• Brussels Blockchain Week
  Keynote: Economic Evolution: How Stablecoins and CBDCs Are Reshaping Our Society
  
  
• Krypto-Investoren-Tag | Frankfurt am Main and Munich
  Presentation: Digital Euro: Latest Updates & Trends
  
  
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management | Generation Blockchain Workshop
  Presentation: Introduction to the Digital Euro Association
  
  
• Currency Research Central Bank Payments Conference
  Panel discussion: Will CBDCs find their users?
  
  
• Currency Research Global Payments Conference
  Panel discussion: Why CBDCs if there are Private Solutions?

DEA Videos

Digital Euro Conference 2023

The future of money is rapidly evolving with the rise of digital economies and novel financial instruments such as central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), stablecoins, and commercial bank money tokens. Over 90 central banks are exploring CBDCs, with 17 already launching or piloting advanced programs. The European Central Bank (ECB) is also considering a Euro Area CBDC to anchor digital payments. The Digital Euro Conference 2023 held on March 31st in Frankfurt aimed to bring together central bankers, financial experts, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to delve into the latest trends in CBDCs, stablecoins, and commercial bank money tokens, providing valuable insights into the future of money.

Read the recap here: https://blog.digital-euro-association.de/the-digital-euro-conference-2023-summary 

Watch the Digital Euro Conference 2023 playlist 👇

DEA Podcast

This Month in Digital Money – News Digest April 2023

In this monthly news digest, Sarah and Conrad recap the news in the digital money space in April 2023. What are the latest developments regarding the digital pound? Which news did the ECB release regarding wholesale central bank money?

Listen to the episode here: https://dea-podcast.podigee.io/48-neue-episode

This Month in Digital Money – News Digest May 2023

In this monthly news digest, Sarah and Conrad recap the news in the digital money space in May 2023. Which US state passed an anti-CBDC bill this month? How does the Hungarian National Bank help to educate students in money management? How does the IMF assess the success of the eNaira, one year after its initial launch?

Listen to the episode here:  https://dea-podcast.podigee.io/49-new-episode

This Month in Digital Money – News Digest June 2023

In this monthly news digest, Sarah recaps the news in the digital money space in June 2023. What are the key takeaways from the leaked digital euro legislative proposal draft and when will it be published? How did JP Morgan expand its blockchain-based payment system? What is the latest in the investigations concerning Binance?

Listen to the episode here:  https://dea-podcast.podigee.io/51-neue-episode 

The DEA remains committed to pioneering the future of digital money, driven by innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision of a digitally empowered world. As we look ahead to the next quarter, we are excited to embark on new endeavors, expand our horizons, and continue making a positive impact. Thank you for being a part of our journey!

⏩ Next Edition: https://blog.digital-euro-association.de/dea-quarterly-insights-q3-2023