Merkle Science Meet Washington D.C.: The Policy Landscape Reshaping Digital Assets
Join Merkle Science, co-hosted with Stablecon and sponsored by Aleo and Utexo, on September 8 at Duane Morris LLP for an afternoon of thought-provoking panels, product demonstrations, and networking with leaders from across digital assets, banking, payments, compliance, and public policy.
As stablecoins move into the financial mainstream and U.S. policymakers establish the country's first comprehensive federal regulatory framework, financial institutions and crypto firms alike are preparing for a new era of institutional adoption. This event explores the practical implications of the GENIUS Act, the evolution of stablecoin payments, the convergence of traditional banking and digital assets, and the compliance challenges emerging as blockchain-based payment infrastructure scales.
Hear from executives at Circle, Wintermute, Block, Flutterwave, M0, Aleo, McGuireWoods, and more as they discuss the policies, technologies, and operational strategies shaping the future of regulated digital finance.
Agenda
1:30 PM – 1:50 PM | Arrival & Networking
Light refreshments and networking with fellow attendees.
1:50 PM – 2:00 PM | Welcome Remarks
Opening remarks from Merkle Science leadership.
Speaker
Mriganka Pattnaik — CEO, Merkle Science
2:00 PM – 2:40 PM | The GENIUS Act & the Future of U.S. Stablecoin Regulation
With the GENIUS Act advancing the first comprehensive federal framework for stablecoin issuance, the compliance and legal landscape for U.S.-based issuers is shifting rapidly. This panel examines what the legislation means in practice, including reserve requirements, audit obligations, issuer licensing, exchange listing considerations, and the interaction between federal oversight and state money transmission regimes. Speakers will discuss what firms should be preparing for today rather than waiting for final rulemaking.
Speakers
Caroline Hill — Senior Director of Global Policy & Regulatory Strategy, Circle
Ron Hammond — Head of Policy, Wintermute
2:40 PM – 2:55 PM | Product Demonstration
Compass, AI & Tracker
See how Merkle Science is leveraging AI and blockchain intelligence to streamline investigations, strengthen compliance workflows, and accelerate digital asset risk management.
2:55 PM – 3:35 PM | Stablecoins as Payment Infrastructure: From Pilot to Production
Stablecoins are increasingly moving beyond proof-of-concept deployments into live payment infrastructure supporting payroll, B2B settlement, treasury operations, and cross-border transfers. This session explores what production-ready stablecoin payments actually require, from banking relationships and compliance controls to liquidity, redemption mechanisms, and operational resilience.
Speakers
Jack Chong — CEO, Checker Finance
Shawn Pang — CEO, All Scale
Peter Glyman — CEO, Coinbax
João Reginatto — Chief Strategy Officer, M0
Olugbenga "GB" Agboola — Founder & CEO, Flutterwave
Moderator
Owen — Find Group
3:35 PM – 3:55 PM | Networking Break
3:55 PM – 4:35 PM | Bank-Crypto Convergence: How Traditional Finance Is Engaging with Digital Assets
As U.S. regulators signal a more accommodating approach to digital assets, banks are reassessing crypto custody, tokenized deposits, stablecoin issuance, and institutional digital asset services. This discussion examines how traditional financial institutions are adapting their risk frameworks, where investment is occurring, and what this convergence means for crypto-native firms serving institutional clients.
Speakers
Tyler Hand — Chief Compliance Officer, Block
Ryan Dussault — Managing Director, FTI Consulting
4:35 PM – 4:50 PM | Product Demonstration
Discover how Merkle Science's latest platform capabilities help compliance teams investigate blockchain activity faster, manage risk more effectively, and stay ahead of evolving regulatory expectations.
4:50 PM – 5:30 PM | AML & Sanctions Compliance in a Stablecoin-Native World
As stablecoins become part of mainstream payment infrastructure, compliance expectations are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This panel explores how AML programs, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, blockchain analytics, issuer controls, Travel Rule compliance, and regulatory expectations must evolve to support blockchain-based financial systems at institutional scale.
Speakers
Amanda Di Marchi Peçanha — Chief Compliance Officer, Trace Finance
Yaya Fanusie — Global Head of Policy, Aleo
David Hirsch — Former Senior SEC Enforcement Official & Partner, McGuireWoods
5:30 PM | Closing Remarks
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Drinks & Networking
Continue the conversation with leaders across banking, fintech, payments, crypto, compliance, blockchain analytics, and public policy.
Limited seats available. Registration is required to attend.