Merkle Meet 2026 Palo Alto Hosted by Merkle Science and Perkins Coie
Join Merkle Science at Perkins Coie LLP in Palo Alto on June 2 for an afternoon of panels, demos, and networking bringing together leaders from across crypto, compliance, legal, and payments.
As stablecoins go mainstream and AI reshapes investigative workflows, the stakes for compliance and operations teams have never been higher. This event focuses on the practical and regulatory challenges defining the crypto market in 2026 — from managing crypto threats and blockchain analytics to institutional stablecoin adoption and the convergence of AI and crypto.
Agenda
1:45 PM – 1:55 PM | Welcome Remarks
Opening remarks by the Merkle Science team.
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM | Managing Crypto Threats in 2026: Use of AI and Blockchain Analytics
Payment institutions engaging with crypto — whether through stablecoin products, digital wallets, or fiat-to-crypto rails — face heightened exposure to scams, laundering networks, and cross-border regulatory risks.
This session explores how compliance, operations, and security teams can define ownership of crypto-related risk, implement pre- and post-transaction controls, and operationalize investigative workflows using both internal systems and external vendors. We’ll also examine practical response mechanisms, from preparing for subpoenas and blacklist requests to managing seizure workflows and issuer coordination.
Speakers
Lauren Benjamin — Chief Compliance Officer (US), Kraken
Bailey Hollabaugh — Chief Compliance Officer, Figure
Jesse Medina Gutierrez — Director of CDD, Tether
Naitik Jain — Head of Product, Mesta.xyz
Moderator
Mriganka Pattnaik — CEO & Co-Founder, Merkle Science
2:45 PM – 3:30 PM | Demo Session
The Future of Blockchain Analytics: AI Meets Blockchain Analytics — Data at Your Fingertips
A live demonstration exploring how AI is transforming blockchain analytics, investigations, and compliance workflows.
Speaker
Dr. Justus Delp — Solutions Architect, Merkle Science
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM | Networking Break
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM | Building Trust for Institutional Adoption of Stablecoins: Is Privacy and Compliance an Oxymoron?
As institutional participation in crypto deepens, trust has become the defining requirement for scale. This panel examines how infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and operational controls are converging to support institutional adoption. Speakers will share lessons from building systems that meet institutional standards today while anticipating tomorrow’s expectations.
Speakers
Eli Cohen — Chief Legal Officer, Centrifuge
Georgi Koreli — CEO, Hinkal
Samuel Eisner — Director of Product, Wave Digital Assets
Deborah Djeu — Chief Compliance Officer, ARCA
Brett Li — GTM Lead, Crossmint
Moderator
Denney Kwok
4:30 PM – 4:50 PM | The Convergence of AI and Crypto — Fireside Chat
A fireside discussion exploring how AI is shaping the future of digital assets, operations, investigations, and institutional adoption.
Speaker
Clay Maffett — Director, Asset Listings, Coinbase
4:50 PM – 5:30 PM | What Can AI Do on the Blockchain?
With regulatory frameworks for stablecoins beginning to take shape globally, the conversation is shifting from compliance to real-world implementation. This panel explores what comes next: how AI and blockchain technologies intersect, how trust is maintained at scale, and how institutions can leverage these technologies to drive adoption.
Speakers
Carson Cook — Founder & CEO, Membrane
Kristen Hecht — Chief Compliance Officer, 1Money
Minakshi Yerra — Chief Compliance Officer, Corpay
Brian Spahn — Director, Regulatory Compliance, Ripple
Di Pearson — Strategic Partnerships & Investments, Mysten Labs (Sui)
Moderator
Ryan Wang — Founding Partner, Outpost Capital
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Drinks & Networking
Join fellow leaders across crypto, compliance, legal, payments, fintech, and blockchain analytics for an evening of networking and discussions.
LIMITED SEATS, must register to attend!