The European Blockchain Convention returns to Barcelona on 16-17 September, bringing Europe’s Digital Asset Marketplace together in one room.

This year’s convention will bring together over 5,000 attendees, from across the crypto ecosystem, including more than 300 speakers from some of the world’s biggest institutions and most innovative builders. With this level of footfall, conversations and deals that normally take months of cross-border travel can happen within 48 hours.

For much of the past decade, blockchain conferences have been dominated by the question of whether digital assets would become part of mainstream finance. The EBC12 agenda clearly demonstrates that this debate has largely moved on.

The convention will instead focus on the questions surrounding the execution of this transition, such as which assets can be tokenised at scale, what form of digital money will settle them, how institutions should allocate, custody and manage risk and how firms can operate across different regulatory regimes without further fragmenting markets.

Europe enters a new regulatory phase

EBC12 takes place shortly after the end of the EU-wide transitional period under the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation, with licensing, supervision and client migration becoming immediate priorities for firms serving the market.

The US has also introduced its own federal framework for stablecoins (the GENIUS Act), while the UK, UAE and other jurisdictions continue to develop their own approaches. Regulation has become a source of competition between global financial centres.

Unsurprisingly, many of the discussions at EBC12 will examine the practical impact of MiCA and compare regulatory approaches across major markets. 

A key panel to look out for, which covers this in great depth, will be taking place on the Alpha Stage at 2:15pm on the opening day. This panel, titled: EU, UK US and UAE: multiple regulatory paths and one global digital asset market, will bring together regulators and policy experts from across the globe to discuss the future of crypto regulation. The conversation will host senior figures from the likes of the FCA, Qatar Financial Centre and Circle.

The key question isn’t just which jurisdiction has the clearest rules but which can translate that clarity into investment, product development and sustainable growth.

Stablecoins become financial infrastructure

Stablecoins will be one of the defining themes in Barcelona, alongside CBDCs, tokenised deposits and tokenised MMFs.

Banks, asset managers and payment providers are all exploring how digital money could support cross-border payments, liquidity management, collateral movement and round-the-clock settlement.

EBC12 will consider the competition between digital dollars and euros and whether stablecoins, CBDCs and tokenised commercial bank deposits can coexist. A lot of these conversations will, crucially, focus on interoperability, as tokenised markets will struggle to scale unless money and assets can move efficiently across platforms and borders.

A panel we are particularly looking forward to on this topic will be taking place at 4:20pm on the opening day on the KuCoin EU | Visa Main Stage, titled: Can Stablecoins, CBDCs and Tokenised Deposits Coexist? This discussion includes executives from Fnality, Caixa Bank and TRM Labs, among others.

Tokenisation is reaching a critical point

Tokenisation remains one of the industry’s most compelling ideas but there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Scalable markets require distribution, legal certainty, custody, asset servicing and liquidity throughout an asset’s lifecycle.

A panel that will touch on this is taking place at 9:30am on the opening day on the KuCoin EU |Visa Main Stage. The conversation, titled, “What Makes a Financial Institution Say Yes to Tokenization?”, will bring together senior leaders from Howden Group, Cardano, Caisse des Dépôts and Franklin Crypto, to explore what makes financial institutions commit to tokenisation and what is needed to build credible markets for institutional real-world assets.

This emphasis on practical questions is undoubtedly the sign of a maturing market, with the conversation moving towards repeatable products with clear economics and genuine investor demand.

Institutional adoption becomes an operating model

The speaker lineup throughout the two days includes representatives from major banks, asset managers and financial infrastructure providers, alongside crypto-native firms and emerging technology businesses.

This diverse spread of business types reflects a broader change in the market. The industry has moved on from questions around whether institutions are going to gain exposure to digital assets, now instead focusing on how that exposure should be structured, governed and serviced.

Direct holdings, ETFs, tokenised funds and on-chain strategies carry different custody, liquidity, capital and operational requirements. Delegates will be looking for evidence of what is working in production, where sustained demand is emerging and which business models remain dependent on favourable conditions.

As institutional participation increases, risk management will also move closer to centre stage. Cybersecurity, counterparty exposure, smart contract risk, privacy and operational resilience are essential to winning the confidence of regulated firms. Many of the conversations will focus around how “institutional-grade” infrastructure must be able to withstand periods of stress, not only perform when markets are booming.

Two days on digital assets’ deal floor

EBC12 arrives at a critical moment when digital assets are becoming an established part of the financial services landscape. That being said, not every pilot will go into production, nor will every tokenised fund have sustained investment demand.

The convention in Barcelona will provide a clear view of which businesses stand at the forefront of the future of financial services, ready to turn their digital asset ambitions into functioning financial infrastructure.

Still not got your ticket? Not to worry, visit the link here and use code CHATSW_15 for 15% off your purchase.

The Chatsworth team is looking forward to a busy couple of days at the European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona from the 16-17 September. In this blog, we run through some of the key themes and panels running throughout the event. To purchase tickets, visit the EBC website and use code CHATSW_15 at checkout for 15% off.

The European Blockchain Convention returns to Barcelona on 16-17 September, bringing Europe’s Digital Asset Marketplace together in one room.

This year’s convention will bring together over 5,000 attendees, from across the crypto ecosystem, including more than 300 speakers from some of the world’s biggest institutions and most innovative builders. With this level of footfall, conversations and deals that normally take months of cross-border travel can happen within 48 hours.

For much of the past decade, blockchain conferences have been dominated by the questions of whether digital assets would become part of mainstream finance. The EBC12 agenda clearly demonstrates that this debate has largely moved on.

The convention will instead focus on the questions surrounding the execution of this transition, such as which assets can be tokenised at scale, what form of digital money will settle them, how institutions should allocate, custody and manage risk and how firms can operate across different regulatory regimes without further fragmenting markets.

Europe enters a new regulatory phase

EBC12 takes place shortly after the end of the EU-wide transitional period under the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation, with licensing, supervision and client migration becoming immediate priorities for firms serving the market.

The US has also introduced their own federal framework for stablecoins (the GENIUS Act), while the UK, UAE and other jurisdictions continue to develop their own approaches. Regulation has become a source of competition between global financial centres.

Unsurprisingly, many of the discussions at EBC12 will examine the practical impact of MiCA and compare regulatory approaches across major markets. 

A key panel to look out for, which covers this in great depth, will be taking place on the Alpha Stage at 2:15pm on the opening day. This panel, titled: EU, UK US and UAE: multiple regulatory paths and one global digital asset market, will bring together regulators and policy experts from across the globe to discuss the future of crypto regulation. The conversation will host senior figures from the likes of the FCA, Qatar Financial Centre and Circle.

The key question isn’t just which jurisdiction has the clearest rules but which can translate that clarity into investment, product development and sustainable growth.

Stablecoins become financial infrastructure

Stablecoins will be one of the defining themes in Barcelona, alongside CBDCs, tokenised deposits and tokenised MMFs.

Bank, asset managers and payment providers are all exploring how digital money could support cross-border payments, liquidity management, collateral movement and round-the-clock settlement.

EBC12 will consider the competition between digital dollars and euros and whether stablecoins, CBDCs and tokenised commercial bank deposits can coexist. A lot of these conversations will, crucially, focus on interoperability, as tokenised markets will struggle to scale unless money and assets can move efficiently across platforms and borders.

A panel we are particularly looking forward to on this topic will be taking place at 4:20pm on the opening day on the KuCoin EU | Visa Main Stage, titled: Can Stablecoins, CBDCs and Tokenised Deposits Coexist? This discussion includes executives from Fnality, Caixa Bank and TRM Labs among others.

Tokenisation is reaching a critical point

Tokenisation remains one of the industry’s most compelling ideas but there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Scalable markets require distribution, legal certainty, custody, asset servicing and liquidity throughout an asset’s lifecycle.

A panel that will touch on this is taking place at 9:30am on the opening day on the KuCoin EU |Visa Main Stage. The conversation, titled, “What Makes a Financial Institution Say Yes to Tokenization?”, will bring together senior leaders from Howden Group, Cardano, Caisse des Dépôts and Franklin Crypto, to explore what makes financial institutions commit to tokenisation and what is needed to build credible markets for institution real-world assets.

This emphasis on practical questions is undoubtedly the sign of a maturing market, with the conversation moving towards repeatable products with clear economics and genuine investor demand.

Institutional adoption becomes an operating model

The speaker lineup throughout the two days includes representatives from major banks, asset managers and financial infrastructure providers, alongside crypto-native firms and emerging technology businesses.

This diverse spread of business types reflects a broader change in the market. The industry has moved on from questions around whether institutions are going to gain exposure to digital assets, now instead focusing on how that exposure should be structured, governed and serviced.

Direct holdings, ETFs, tokenised funds and on-chain strategies carry different custody, liquidity, capital and operational requirements. Delegates will be looking for evidence of what is working in production, where sustained demand is emerging and which business models remain dependent on favourable conditions.

As institutional participation increases, risk management will also move closer to centre stage. Cybersecurity, counterparty exposure, smart contract risk, privacy and operational resilience are essential to winning the confidence of regulated firms. Many of the conversations will focus around how “institutional-grade” infrastructure must be able to withstand periods of stress, not only perform when markets are booming.

Two days on digital assets’ deal floor

EBC12 arrives at a critical moment when digital assets are becoming an established part of the financial services landscape. That being said, not every pilot will go into production, nor will every tokenised fund have sustained investment demand.

The convention in Barcelona will provide a clear view of which businesses stand at the forefront of the future of financial services, ready to turn their digital asset ambitions into functioning financial infrastructure.

Still not got your ticket? Not to worry, visit the link here and use code CHATSW_15 for 15% off your purchase.