Paolo Tasca is a globally recognized digital economist and blockchain expert with more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and 4,000+ academic citations across distributed systems, CBDCs, systemic risk, and Web3 research. He is the founder of Exponential Science and the founding director of the award-winning UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, the world’s largest blockchain research hub. Formerly Lead Economist at the Deutsche Bundesbank, he currently serves as Executive Director of the UK Centre for Blockchain Technologies and advises leading global institutions, including the United Nations, European Parliament, and central banks worldwide. His research and commentary have been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Zhanar Samayeva is a fintech and digital transformation executive specializing in payments, digital identity, open banking, and financial infrastructure innovation in Kazakhstan. She currently serves as Chairwoman and CEO of the National Payments Corporation of Kazakhstan, where she leads initiatives focused on national payment systems, biometric digital identity, and financial technology modernization. With prior experience across GovTech, digital finance, and academia, she has played a key role in advancing Kazakhstan’s digital financial ecosystem and public-sector innovation.

Talgat Amanbayev is the Chief Innovation Officer and Member of the Management Board, with over 12 years of experience in technology, innovation, and public-sector leadership. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of the National Company “Kazakh Tourism,” contributing to national-level tourism strategy and development. He is a member of the Presidential Youth Talent Pool and holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Indiana University Bloomington under the Bolashak scholarship. He also holds an IELTS score of 8.0, reflecting strong English proficiency.

Bakyt Smekenov is an Innovation Expert & Economist at the National Bank of Kazakhstan. He focuses on financial innovation, digital transformation, and the development of modern payment systems. His work involves analyzing and supporting advancements in central banking and financial technologies. He contributes to shaping strategies for innovation within Kazakhstan’s financial sector.

Massimo Morini leads Digital Economy research at ADIA Lab. He was Chief Economist at Algorand blockchain from 2019 to 2023 and Head of Interest Rate and Credit Modelling team at Intesa Bank from 2008 to 2019. He has been Senior Advisor for the World Bank and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and a Board member of the Blockchain consortium R3. Massimo is Professor of Finance at Bocconi University and of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies at USI Lugano and Politecnico di Milano, and leads Education and Academic relations at Plan B foundation in Lugano. He authored several papers on quantitative finance and risk management, and seminal books on Model Risk and Credit Risk, collateral and funding, beside pioneering technical articles on decentralized derivatives cited by US Congress and regulators. He has a MSc in Economics and a PhD in Mathematics.

Ahmet Buğday is an Executive Director at the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, specializing in payment systems and financial technologies. He has over 10 years of experience in designing and developing national payment infrastructures, including RTGS, instant payment systems, and blockchain-based CBDC projects. His technical expertise includes software architecture, distributed systems, and modern backend technologies such as Java, Spring Boot, Kafka, and Kubernetes. He has played a key role in Turkey’s digital payments transformation, including systems like FAST and EFT modernization.

Ekaterine Galdava has been the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) since November 2023. She has been a member of the Board of the National Bank of Georgia since July 2021. Her primary responsibilities encompass the oversight and management of Payment Systems. Additionally, she is responsible for safeguarding Consumer Rights. Ekaterine Galdava began her career at the NBG in 1993 as Chief Economist in the Economic and Credit Policy Department. Over the years, she has held various positions at the NBG, including Vice President and Board Member (2005-2007). She has also worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), both in the Resident Representative Office in Georgia and as an Economist at IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. Her professional experience includes serving as the General Director of the United Water Supply Company and as an Advisor to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (2018-2021). Ekaterine Galdava graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Tbilisi State University in 1992 and earned a Master of Arts in Economics from Williams College, USA, in 2002.

Odun Olowookere is Research Director, Digital Economy at CIGI, where he focuses on digital trade, digital assets, and monetary systems. His work examines how emerging financial technologies are reshaping regulatory frameworks, monetary sovereignty, and global financial governance. He has published in the IMF’s Finance & Development and received the IEEE ICBC 2024 Best Paper Award.

Massimo Morini leads Digital Economy research at ADIA Lab. He was Chief Economist at Algorand blockchain from 2019 to 2023 and Head of Interest Rate and Credit Modelling team at Intesa Bank from 2008 to 2019. He has been Senior Advisor for the World Bank and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and a Board member of the Blockchain consortium R3. Massimo is Professor of Finance at Bocconi University and of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies at USI Lugano and Politecnico di Milano, and leads Education and Academic relations at Plan B foundation in Lugano. He authored several papers on quantitative finance and risk management, and seminal books on Model Risk and Credit Risk, collateral and funding, beside pioneering technical articles on decentralized derivatives cited by US Congress and regulators. He has a MSc in Economics and a PhD in Mathematics.

Simona is Digital Innovation Lead at the Lugano Living Lab, the City of Lugano’s civic innovation unit where she leads MyLugano — a digital wallet, loyalty, and cashback platform integrating blockchain infrastructure to deliver real-world utility for citizens, visitors and merchants. She is also involved in Plan ₿ Lugano, a city-scale Bitcoin and distributed ledger initiative, and oversees SwissLedger, a public-permissioned blockchain for institutional use cases. With over 20 years of experience spanning digital strategy, service design, and operations, she brings together a background in economics and a specialization in design thinking from MIT to bridge complex technology with human-centered outcomes.

Dias Savetkanov is a fintech ecosystem builder and digital finance strategist focused on CBDCs, digital currencies, macroeconomics, and financial innovation in Central Asia. He serves as CEO of the FinTech AI Center and Founder of the Kazakhstan Fintech Network, leading initiatives that connect regulators, startups, financial institutions, and global innovation ecosystems. With experience spanning central banking, fintech policy, and international partnerships, he has played a key role in advancing Kazakhstan’s position as a regional hub for digital finance, AI, and financial technology innovation.

Arlen Moldabekov is a financial technology and digital assets professional at the National Bank of Kazakhstan, specializing in payment systems policy, digital finance, and regulatory innovation. He currently leads the Innovations and Digital Assets Division, where he contributes to initiatives advancing Kazakhstan’s digital financial infrastructure, including regulatory sandbox frameworks for digital assets, stablecoins, and tokenization platforms. With nearly a decade of experience at the central bank, his expertise spans payment systems supervision, fintech policy, and emerging digital asset ecosystems.

Bogdan Kuznetcov is a Web3 entrepreneur and strategist currently serving as Head of Consulting at Cointelegraph, one of the world's leading blockchain and cryptocurrency media platforms. He is the Consulting Lead at Formula by Cointelegraph, bringing a track record of building high-impact Web3 ventures — including co-founding a quest platform that reached 1 million users, and building Blueshift.fi, a decentralized exchange (DEX) that achieved $200M in Fully Diluted Valuation and raised $4.5M from Shima Capital. Blueshift introduced a novel portfolio-based DEX model featuring optimized swaps with low slippage, single-asset liquidity provisioning, and portfolio-managed pools — pushing the boundaries of DeFi innovation. With deep roots across Kazakhstan and Russia and a base spanning multiple geographies, Bogdan brings a global perspective to blockchain strategy, Web3 consulting, and the future of decentralized finance.

Talgat Amanbayev is the Chief Innovation Officer and Member of the Management Board, with over 12 years of experience in technology, innovation, and public-sector leadership. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of the National Company “Kazakh Tourism,” contributing to national-level tourism strategy and development. He is a member of the Presidential Youth Talent Pool and holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Indiana University Bloomington under the Bolashak scholarship. He also holds an IELTS score of 8.0, reflecting strong English proficiency.

Dias Savetkanov is a fintech ecosystem builder and digital finance strategist focused on CBDCs, digital currencies, macroeconomics, and financial innovation in Central Asia. He serves as CEO of the FinTech AI Center and Founder of the Kazakhstan Fintech Network, leading initiatives that connect regulators, startups, financial institutions, and global innovation ecosystems. With experience spanning central banking, fintech policy, and international partnerships, he has played a key role in advancing Kazakhstan’s position as a regional hub for digital finance, AI, and financial technology innovation.

Aizhan Arinova is a digital transformation and fintech leader at the National Bank of Kazakhstan, specializing in data strategy, AI-driven analytics, financial technologies, and economic modeling. With a background in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Programs and over a decade of experience in macroeconomic analysis and digital innovation, she leads large-scale initiatives focused on data governance, AI implementation, and digital financial infrastructure modernization. Her expertise spans quantitative modeling, big data analytics, and the development of data-driven systems that support financial stability, policy innovation, and central bank transformation.

Amangeldy Zhumabekov is a Kazakhstani technology leader and entrepreneur at the intersection of AI, blockchain, and digital law. He currently serves as Head of Project Management at Dreamlab Technologies, bringing experience from roles at KAZGUU University, DigitalPax, 1Fit, and Allem LLP. He is pursuing a PhD in IT Law at Maqsut Narikbayev University (2023–2026), building on his work as a Senior Lecturer on IT Law. A recognized voice on crypto regulation in Central Asia, he has spoken on the legal framework for cryptocurrency in Kazakhstan and the broader region's digital asset potential. He has participated in key regional events including the Almaty Innovation Summit, contributing to discussions on the digital assets industry across Central Asia and the Caucasus. As an AI entrepreneur and blockchain analyst, Amangeldy bridges technical expertise with legal insight to advance responsible digital innovation in Kazakhstan.

Seasoned Macroeconomist and Investment Strategist with 10+ years of experience in Macroeconomic Analysis in academia and 5 years in central banking at the Monetary Policy Department. Specialized in Central Bank Digital Currency design, bank sector liquidity management, and financial market infrastructure development.

Maxim Neshcheret is a financial market infrastructure expert specializing in RTGS, instant payments, and cross-border payment systems for central banks and national payment operators. He serves as Regional Director for APAC & Central Asia at CMA Small Systems AB and has worked across 30+ countries over two decades. Based in Abu Dhabi, he focuses on payment infrastructure modernization, monetary systems, and financial stability.

Ettore Maria Lombardi is Professor of Private Law and Digital Society Law at the University of Florence Department of Legal Studies. Prior to joining Gitti and Partners – Associated Law Firm, he served as Of Counsel at the international law boutique Hage-Chahine and previously at the international law firm DLA Piper. His professional activity is focused on private economic law, international commercial contracts, banking and financial law, and digital society law. He advises industrial companies, financial groups, and technology operators on the structuring and negotiation of cross-border contracts (including the sale of goods and services, distribution, agency, licensing, and joint ventures), as well as on international commercial ADR proceedings, with particular attention to the impact of new technologies—artificial intelligence, algorithms, blockchain, the metaverse, and the data economy—on business models and on the protection of individual and investor rights. From an academic perspective, he is Co-Director (together with Professor Marc-André Renold of the University of Geneva) of the Executive Course in Art & Law, and Director of the Advanced Training Course on “Condominium Law: Between Legal Regulation and Social Function”. Both courses are organized by the University of Florence Department of Legal Studies. Ettore Maria earned a J.D. in Law from the University of Florence Department of Legal Studies (Italy), a Degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University (Vatican City), a Degree in Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University (Vatican City), a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School (USA), a Ph.D. in Civil Law from the University of Florence Department of Legal Studies (Italy), an Advanced Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Oxford Saïd Business School (United Kingdom), an Advanced Certificate in Business Sustainability Management and an Advanced Certificate in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge. Among other appointments, Ettore Maria has served as Visiting Scholar in Dispute Resolution at the Carey Center for Dispute Resolution, St. John’s University School of Law (New York, USA). He is currently Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law (Miami, FL, USA), Visiting Professor at the University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa), Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Empirical and Applied Research in Law and Artificial Intelligence at the University ofBrasília (Brazil), Research Associate at the University College London Centre for Blockchain Technologies (U.C.L. C.B.T.) at University College London (United Kingdom), Research Fellow at the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow,RussianFederation),VisitingFellowattheRobertSchumanCentreforAdvancedStudiesoftheEuropean 1 University Institute (EUI) in Fiesole (Italy), Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Global Law, Economics and Finance (IGLEF) at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London (United Kingdom), Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation (CUTS C-CIER) (Jaipur, India), and Academic Fellow at the Centre for Technology, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and the Law (TRAIL). He served for two consecutive terms (the maximum permitted under the applicable regulations) as a Member of the Banking and Financial Ombudsman, by appointment of the Bank of Italy (Bologna, Italy). He currently serves as Chair of the Supervisory Body pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 231/2001 of Nuova Pignone Holding S.p.A. (the holding company of the Baker Hughes Group – formerly General Electric [GE] Oil and Gas) (Florence, Italy) and of Generali Investments Holding S.p.A. (Milan–Trieste, Italy). Ettore Maria has taught and conducted research at leading universities in Brasil, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He is a lawyer qualified to practice in Italy and admitted to the New York State Bar, and is a member of several international legal associations. Inter alia, is an alumnus of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) (Germany), an Associate of the Société de législation comparée of Paris (France), an Associate of the Association Henri Capitant des Amis de la Culture Juridique Française of Paris (France), an Associate of The London Centre for Commercial and Financial Law (United Kingdom), and he served as Event Officer of the Harvard Law School Association of Europe from 2019 to 2025, Ettore Maria has authored six monographs with leading Italian and British publishers and has published more than sixty articles in prominent national and international journals in the fields of private law, commercial law (contract law, tort law, ADR, consumer law, banking and financial law, competition law, technology law, art law, and corporate governance). *** *** *** MONOGRAFIE I. Garanzia e responsabilità nella vendita dei beni di consumo, Giuffrè, Milano, 2010, p. XVI-564. II. Le responsabilizzazione delle autorità di controllo del mercato, ESI, Napoli, 2016, p. 1-430. III. Innovazione digitale e incidenza sul paradigma proprietario, ESI, Napoli, 2020, p. 1-243. IV. La persona, la coscienza e la libertà, o dell’autopoiesi contrattuale, Giuffrè, Milano, 2022, p. 1-112. 2 V. Alternative Acquisition Models and Financial Innovation [edited by], Routledge, 2023, p. 1-194. VI. Digitalization, Copyright and the Law: Capital and the Future of Intellectual Property, Routledge, 2025, p. 1-213. VII. Liability in Financial and Banking Regulation: Duty of Care and Supervisory Responsibilities, Routledge, Abingdon, 2026

Odun Olowookere is Research Director, Digital Economy at CIGI, where he focuses on digital trade, digital assets, and monetary systems. His work examines how emerging financial technologies are reshaping regulatory frameworks, monetary sovereignty, and global financial governance. He has published in the IMF’s Finance & Development and received the IEEE ICBC 2024 Best Paper Award.

Alexandr Polorotov is a Kazakhstani data and AI entrepreneur, and Co-founder & Managing Partner of Datanomix — the official authorized training center and analytics partner for Qlik in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, recognized for helping organizations visualize data, build effective dashboards, and apply AI and machine learning in analytics. He holds the title of Qlik Partner Ambassador, reflecting his standing as a leading expert in data and analytics in the region. He is also Co-founder of Redflags.ai, an AI-driven platform specializing in procurement risk identification and fraud detection through advanced analytics. At the CFO Summit 2025 in Almaty, he presented research on AI adoption in Kazakhstan, highlighting the critical role of data quality in the success of AI projects, and has spoken on enterprise AI architecture, including the risks of uncontrolled RAG systems and best practices for AI implementation in banking and fintech. Alexandr is a leading voice on practical, data-driven AI transformation across Central Asia.

Ali A. Theyab Al-Zuhairi is a blockchain research and data analyst working on peer-to-peer payment systems in fragile and reform stage economies. As Product Owner for the Digital Finance Portfolio and Pilots at UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab in the Regional Bureau of Europe & Central Asia, he leads the digital payment track of the UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator and contributes to the wider Regional Emerging Technology Acceleration Facility Program. Previously, he worked closely with the Central Bank of Iraq as part from his role as a project coordinator for digital transformation and economic reform project in UNDP Iraq. His work concerns the last mile of financial inclusion, where conventional payment rails often do not reach. He has supported field implementations of blockchain and stablecoin based payment systems across several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, working with non custodial wallet providers and peer-to-peer payment startups. This experience informs his interest in how decentralized payment systems behave once they meet real users, regulators, and field constraints. Much of his contribution lies in research and development coordination, turning pilot experience into evidence the sector can use. He has worked on implementation reporting and post acceleration investment frameworks, collaborated on co-publishing research drawn from the pilots, and developed a regulatory framework concept grounded in field evidence on the questions facing digital asset payments in reform stage economies. He also supervises applied graduate research on measuring financial performance and investment readiness in blockchain payment pilots. He is completing an MSc in Digital Economies at King’s College London. His work bridges practitioner implementation, policy relevant evidence, and partnership building across the development finance and blockchain communities.

Nikhil Vadgama is a co-founder and director of Exponential Science and a senior academic at University College London. He specializes in blockchain, AI, fintech, and web3 education and research. He has played a key role in developing UCL’s digital finance and blockchain programs and advising central banks on emerging technologies. He also has strong industry experience in banking, consulting, and real estate, and is an author and educator in the field of digital innovation.