BBA Digital Assets Series: Digital Assets at the Crossroads
About this Event
The Boston Blockchain Association (BBA) is proud to bring its Institutional Series to New York City on November 4, 2026, hosted at Aon’s NYC office
As institutional interest in digital assets continues to grow, this event will bring together leaders across asset management, financial infrastructure, risk, and digital assets to examine the progress being made, the challenges that remain, and the path forward.
Discussions will explore the growing institutional appetite for digital assets, including the adoption of digital asset ETFs and the continued development of Bitcoin as an institutional asset. The conversation will also examine the shift from tokenization as a concept to an increasingly practical financial application, with treasuries, private credit, real estate, and other assets moving onchain to improve settlement, transparency, efficiency, and liquidity.
A dedicated DeFi panel will examine how decentralized finance is evolving alongside traditional financial markets. Topics will include whether DeFi risk management is moving toward traditional finance standards or whether traditional finance will need to adapt to DeFi native approaches, the most significant risks facing DeFi today, and what infrastructure and standards are still needed for institutional capital to participate more broadly.
The event will also address the counterparty, liquidity, custody, and operational risks that continue to shape institutional decision making, as well as the role of stablecoins and onchain finance in areas such as payments and treasury management. Finally, discussions will consider how the next generation of investors and changing expectations around digital financial products could influence long term adoption.
Featuring insightful panels and breakout sessions, the event will focus on real world developments, emerging use cases, and actionable takeaways for institutions navigating the next phase of digital asset adoption.
2:30 pm - Doors Open, Registration
3:00 - 3:30 PM - Opening Fireside Chat
Moderator: James Knox, Managing Director, AON, https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-c-knox-esq-67840226/
Speaker: Debra Brookes, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, Wyoming Stable Token Commission, https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrabrookes/
3:30 - 4:15 PM - Panel One
Navigating Institutional Adoption of DeFi as well as Associated Challenges & Risks
Moderator: Alex Krasnow, DeFi Lead, AON https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-krasnow/
Panelists:
- David Knox, CFO, Hyperion DeFi, https://www.linkedin.com/in/daknox/
- Olivia Vande Woude, Business Development, Ava Labs, https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-vande-woude/
- Alim Khamisa, DeFi Partnerships & Growth, OP Labs, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alimkhamisa/
4:15 - 5:00 PM - Panel Two
Institutional Adoption of Digital Assets in 2026 - What's Changing
Moderator: Doug Mehne, CEO Fortary Labs and BBA Chair, https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmehne/
Panelists:
- John D'Agostino, https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjdagostino1/, Coinbase
- Patrick Bush, Senior Digital Assets & Equities Investment Analyst, VanEck, https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-bush-9a21a7b/
- Andrew McCormick, Head of Institutional and Market Development, Chainlink Labs, https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-mccormick-70662b88/
- Jeremy Pollack, USAT by Tether, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-pollack/
5:00 PM - Wrap Up
5:00 - 6:30 PM - Networking Reception
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
