Crypto, Blockchain and DeFi

PODCAST • Simon Taylor on How Crypto and DeFi Move Forward

The first 2023 episode is Jo Ann’s discussion with Simon Taylor, Head of Strategy at the anti-fraud tech firm Sardine. He weighs in on crypto’s “massive fraud problem,” and the pros and cons of building trust through decentralization and code.

TECHSPRINT • Climate-Positive Blockchain

In January 2023, AIR organized and hosted a unique TechSprint to explore how blockchain and cryptocurrency technology could support the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at massive scale.

PODCAST • FCA CEO Nikhil Rathi on How Regulators Can Be ‘Data-Driven’

Rathi heads the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which is heavily focused on digital transformation. He sits down with Jo Ann to discuss sandboxes, why the ‘G’ in ESG matters, and why the FCA wants to be a “data-driven regulator.”

INITIATIVE • Crypto Climate Accord Targets Net-Zero Emissions

Cryptocurrency firms signing on to the initiative — launched by Energy Web, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and AIR — have committed to reduce their own emissions and help develop standards for 100% renewably-powered blockchains.

PODCAST • OCC’s Michael Hsu on crypto policy: ‘We want to get it right’

Like all regulators, the head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is focused on how to regulate cryptocurrencies. Hsu discusses crypto’s role in financial inclusion and his view that stablecoins should be the foundation for the crypto system.

OP-ED • Bank Regulators Need to Overhaul Their Digital Capacity

There has never been a better time for agencies regulating the financial sector to prioritize their own digital makeover, argues AIR CEO Jo Ann Barefoot in an op-ed published by American Banker.

TECHSPRINT • Regulatory Reporting for the Digital Age

AIR worked with the New York Department of Financial Services and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors on a TechSprint to improve the speed and quality of data submitted by virtual currency firms, leveraging their advanced digital capability.

PODCAST • Demystifying DeFi and Web3 with Tomicah Tillemann

Tillemann, Chief Policy Officer of Haun Ventures, shares his views about the crypto winter and how the confluence of blockchain, open source and digital tokens could solve stubborn problems.

PODCAST • Circle’s CEO on Stablecoin Growth, Smart Contracts, Future of Regulation

Jo Ann’s guest is Jeremy Allaire, founder of the digital currency company Circle, which has built the new protocol called USD Coin.

TECHSPRINT • Protecting Children from Online Predators

The Protecting Children TechSprint focused on combating the purchase of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the use of crypto analytics. It was featured in Fast Company magazine’s 2021 World Changing Ideas awards.

PODCAST • Wyoming’s Regulatory Experiment: Turning Itself into a Crypto Hub

(Former) Banking Commissioner Albert Forkner discusses how the rural state went from having a traditional focus on community banks to becoming a national leader in attracting cryptocurrency firms.

EVENT • Make Money Green: How a Changing Climate Affects Financial Regulation

Global efforts to fight climate change mean new challenges and opportunities for companies and regulators, shining a light on everything from the financial stability risk of extreme weather to green financing initiatives to crypto miners’ energy use.

PODCAST • How New York Remains on Forefront of Crypto Oversight

Jo Ann welcomes Kaitlin Asrow and Peter Marton — two officials in the New York state Department of Financial Services — to discuss the state’s stablecoin guidance and how the agency is addressing the financial sector’s technology transformation.

PODCAST • Energy Web CEO on Fixing Crypto’s Climate Problem

Jesse Morris, who leads nonprofit Energy Web in developing open-source ways to decarbonize the energy grid, speaks with Jo Ann about the private-sector effort to encourage cryptocurrency firms to reach for net-zero emissions.

PODCAST • Delicia Hand, Cleve Mesidor on Rethinking Consumer Protection Paradigm

The question of how to expand access and ensure fairness for people of color deals with finding the right balance of regulation, technology and traditional finance. Two leaders on this issue speak with Jo Ann about finding the best answers.

PODCAST • The Bold Vision of Singapore Central Bank Chief Ravi Menon

Ravi Menon, the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has charted a bold course on regulatory innovation, inventing new models that are being emulated throughout the world.

REPORT • The Future of Crypto and Blockchains in the U.S.

In an expanded edition of the Board Risk Report published by the Board Risk Committee, AIR CEO Jo Ann Barefoot explores the risks and opportunities of cryptocurrency and blockchains that corporate boards should consider.

PODCAST • ‘There Were Zero Plane Crashes Before We Had Planes’: Kyle Hauptman

Kyle Hauptman, vice chairman of the National Credit Union Administration, comes on the show to discuss how his agency encourages credit unions to take steps to stay relevant in the digital era.

PODCAST • BIS Executive Tara Rice on Need for Global Standards in New Payments Era

The Bank for International Settlements, which ensures payment systems work, has prioritized technology. Tara Rice, who heads the BIS Secretariat of the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures, discusses CPMI’s stablecoin guidance and more.

PODCAST • Talking Web3 with Jai Ramaswamy of a16z

Ramaswamy, the Chief Legal Officer of Andreessen Horowitz, speaks to Jo Ann about the World Wide Web’s evolution and how version 3.0 aims to improve on earlier shortcomings through blockchain technology, tokenization and smart contracts.

PODCAST • Cecilia Skingsley on How BIS Innovation Hub Showcases ‘Art of the Possible’

The head of the Bank for International Settlements’ innovation initiative offers insight on ways that central banks and other regulatory organizations can boldly explore technological change.

PODCAST • Barefoot Innovation Podcast Hits 200-Episode Milestone

It has been quite a ride since our first episode in 2015. Over more than eight years, this show helped mark AIR’s founding, unpacked what the pandemic and other events meant for financial regulation, and hosted so many enlightening discussions about disruptive technology.

PODCAST • Insights From Former Fed Vice Chair Randal Quarles

The Federal Reserve’s ex-vice chair for supervision shares candid and thoughtful insights from his tenure, including advice for other policymakers and lessons learned by serving through the COVID crisis.