Timur Suleimenov is a Kazakh economist and policymaker currently serving as Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan since September 2023. With extensive experience across government, central banking, and international economic institutions, he previously held senior leadership roles including Minister of National Economy, Deputy Governor of the National Bank, and Member of the Eurasian Economic Commission. A graduate of Pavlodar State University and the University of Maryland under the Bolashak Programme, his expertise spans macroeconomic policy, financial systems, trade, and economic development.

Binur Zhalenov is a senior executive specializing in digital strategy, financial technology, and institutional transformation. With an academic background in Information Systems and an MBA from NYU Stern, he has held leadership roles across public institutions, Accenture, and IBM. He played a key role in shaping Kazakhstan’s fintech and financial market infrastructure initiatives, including the Digital Tenge, Open Banking, and the National Payment System. Currently, he serves as Chief Digital Officer and Advisor to the Governor at the National Bank of Kazakhstan, leading digital transformation, data and IT strategy, and innovation across the central banking ecosystem.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Multilingual communications leader and innovation strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and global affairs. Proven record in building cross-sector alliances, managing international media platforms, and designing high-impact narratives in tech, energy, and climate innovation."

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.

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.

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.

Mariana de la Roche Wills is an international lawyer and founder of BlackVogel and DAAvern, advising institutions, regulators, and Web3 companies on digital assets, DAOs, and trusted data infrastructure. She translates policy into implementation, designing technology-ethical and compliance frameworks, compliance-by-design roadmaps, and cross-border adoption plans. Mariana convenes expert roundtables globally, bringing together industry leaders and authorities to advance regulatory clarity and institutional adoption. Her focus spans MiCA, AML/CFT, DAO governance, digital identity, and AI×Web3 convergence across Europe and Latin America.

Miguel Vaz is a digital assets and custody specialist focused on institutional finance and regulated crypto infrastructure in Europe. He works on blockchain-based market infrastructure, tokenization, and secure custody solutions for financial institutions. He has a strong background in mathematical finance, risk management, and machine learning applied to financial systems. His work centers on bridging traditional banking with digital assets under EU regulatory frameworks like MiCAR.

Jiahua Xu is an Associate Professor and Executive Director at the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies in the United Kingdom. He specializes in blockchain systems, decentralized finance, and digital assets research. His work bridges academia and industry, focusing on blockchain governance, fintech, and AI integration. He has held research and academic roles at institutions including UCL, EPFL, and Harvard University.

Juan Ignacio Ibañez is a crypto policy and regulatory expert specializing in EU digital asset regulation, particularly the MiCA framework. He serves as General Secretary of the MiCA Crypto Alliance and Director of ESG and Policy at Exponential Science. His work focuses on blockchain governance, token classification, and regulatory standards for digital assets. He also contributes to academic research and advises on compliance frameworks involving white papers, DeFi, and sustainability in blockchain.

Pavlina Pavlova is the Co-Founder and CEO of ChainComply, a company helping financial institutions understand and manage their exposure to crypto. With a strong background in tech and the crypto industry, she works closely with banks to address the compliance and financial crime risks associated with digital assets. Through ChainComply, Pavlina focuses on bridging the gap between traditional finance and the rapidly evolving crypto ecosystem, enabling compliance teams to strengthen anti-money laundering controls through practical approaches to enhanced due diligence (EDD) and source-of-wealth (SoW) verification for crypto-related funds.

Ahmet Faruk Aysan is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and a full member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). He previously served as a Board Member and as a member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye. He has also consulted for leading institutions, including the World Bank, Oxford Analytica, and the Central Bank of Türkiye. His research has been recognized with multiple awards, such as the Islamic Economics Research Award (IKAM) and the Arab Fintech Forum’s Fintech Researcher of the Year Award. He also received HBKU’s Research Excellence Award, along with Boğaziçi University Foundation Publication and Academic Promotion Awards, and the Ibn Khaldun Prize. Dr. Aysan has been listed among the top Islamic banking and finance influencers in an academic article published in the Pacific-Basin Journal. Dr. Aysan is a Research Associate at University College London’s Centre for Blockchain Technologies (UCL CBT), a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum, the Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, Digital Euro Association (DEA), and at the Global Fintech Institute, Singapore. He also chairs the MENA Chapter of the Academy of Sustainable Finance, Accounting, Accountability & Governance (ASFAAG).

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

Igor Prizant is a financial services risk leader with 25+ years of experience across management consulting and industry, specializing in digital assets governance, risk management framework, trade surveillance, and market integrity. He currently serves as Senior Advisor at Solidus Labs, where he leads the pan-European implementation of MiCA trade monitoring compliance, coordinating directly with all 30 EU national competent authorities and the ESMA Task Force. Previously a Managing Director at EY, Igor has designed and delivered data-driven risk and control programs for global banks, exchanges, and regulators.