Tech Talks - What's Next for Crypto in 2023?

The collapse of major crypto institutions in 2022 will undoubtedly leave a mark and impact the future of the industry for years to come.  What's next for policymakers and dynamic crypto businesses who are looking ahead in 2023? 

Will the sector bounce back? What are the implications of a dramatic increase in regulatory scrutiny? How will the Cayman Islands be impacted as an offshore jurisdiction for virtual asset businesses? We invite you to come and discuss.

Thursday, 12 January 2023 • The Loft Located at the Compass Centre.

Laura Birrell – Panelist 

Capitalizing on over a decade of experience as a lawyer specialising in real estate, compliance, and corporate law, Laura Birrell co-founded Parallel: the first and only company in the Cayman Islands to enable real estate transactions with cryptocurrency. As CEO of Parallel, Laura’s objective is to bridge the non-tangible and tangible; to push the boundaries of the traditional conveyancing transaction and to progress the acceptance and understanding of cryptocurrency. With over a decade of specialist legal and technical expertise, my role is to provide clients with a secure and compliant means of diversifying their assets and their wealth by buying or selling real estate in the Cayman Islands for cryptocurrency.

Gregory Pepin – Panelist 

Back in 2017, as an executive at Deltec Bank & Trust, Gregory grew the assets of the bank from single-digit billions to double-digit billions with an increase of over 500%. Moreover, he was responsible for making it the first well-known “crypto-friendly” bank in the world. Afterward, Gregory helped many of the most notable crypto-related companies access banking services. He was also influential in driving discussions with regulators. for crypto-related companies. Furthermore, he co-founded the first Licensed Digital Asset Custodian out of the Bahamas. Currently, Gregory is the CEO of io.finnet, a fintech startup offering a clearing network, enabling instant settlement and a digital assets self-custody solution. Apart from leading io.finnet, Gregory is a financial strategist and advisor with more than 15 years of experience in the USA, France, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas, with a focus on wealth management, finance, management, and strategic development. 

Aaron Unterman – Panelist 

Aaron is the Managing Director of XReg Consulting SEZC a public policy and regulatory affairs consultancy specialising in digital assets. The firm helps governments formulate sound policy, regulators supervise effectively, and digital asset businesses thrive in a compliant manner. Aaron has deep experience in the development and implementation of regulatory frameworks and his background and network help clients to navigate the evolving international landscape for virtual assets. Aaron’s regulatory experience includes the role of deputy head of policy and development at the Cayman Island Monetary Authority and senior legal counsel at the Ontario Securities Commission. Aaron began his career as a financial services lawyer at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto.

Jozef Vogel – Moderator 

Jozef Vogel is the Financial Controller for The Aave Companies, which established an open-source and non-custodial liquidity market protocol allowing users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. He is an experienced finance professional with extensive work in financial services and technologies. His expertise ranges from spearheading new and innovative economic models and implementing core finance systems to analyzing complex accounting areas, including digital assets.