This introduction will outline Guernsey’s roadmap for becoming a premier jurisdiction for digital assets. It will set the scene for Guernsey as a safe haven to attract digital asset business, targeting niche areas and using this technology as a foundation for the new era of financial services business.

This session is designed to provide participants with a clear, engaging introduction to the digital asset landscape. The session will begin by defining digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and tokenised real-world assets, and their role within the broader digital economy. It will then delve into the underlying blockchain technology, explaining how decentralised ledgers function, the significance of consensus mechanisms like Proof of Work and Proof of Stake, and the concepts of smart contracts and decentralised governance.

Participants will also gain an understanding of decentralised finance (DeFi), exploring how lending, trading, and investment activities are being reimagined through peer-to-peer protocols without traditional intermediaries. The session will demystify key DeFi tools such as liquidity pools and decentralised exchanges (DEXs), while also touching on associated risks like smart contract vulnerabilities and regulatory uncertainty.

Attendees will leave with the terminology, context, and foundational insight necessary to meaningfully engage with the subsequent sessions throughout the day.

As Guernsey positions itself as a forward-thinking jurisdiction in the digital asset space, it must ensure its legal, regulatory, and tax frameworks evolve to meet the demands of this rapidly developing sector. This panel will explore how Guernsey can build a compliant, credible and competitive environment for digital asset business, balancing investor protection with market innovation.

The discussion will begin by addressing the legal and regulatory challenges posed by decentralised technologies and emerging financial instruments. Particular attention will be paid to the way in which existing legal and proprietary concepts can be mapped onto digital assets, as well as the role of smart contracts, which, while pivotal to blockchain-based ecosystems, also raise complex legal questions around enforceability, jurisdiction and liability. The panellists will explore how Guernsey’s legal system can rise to these challenges by adapting existing structures and introducing pragmatic new legislation.

The session will then examine how tax frameworks are evolving to accommodate digital assets, comparing regulatory approaches from the UK, EU and US. This includes a discussion on VAT treatment, capital gains, and corporate structuring for digital asset holdings, all highly relevant for fund administrators, fiduciaries and insurers operating in or through Guernsey.

This session addresses the pivotal question: What must Guernsey do to thrive in the age of digital assets? Against the backdrop of a shifting financial and regulatory landscape, the panel will examine how Guernsey can remain not just relevant, but indispensable, as a secure, well-regulated hub for emerging technologies.

The panel will explore practical steps Guernsey can take to lead in:

• Captive and commercial insurance for digital assets

• Tokenised fund structures, positioning Guernsey as a home for digital asset ETFs and alternative investment vehicles

• Trust and corporate services for digital asset-rich clients

• IP tokenisation, licensing and digital rights management via blockchain

• Decentralised digital identity frameworks that improve compliance, onboarding, and cross-border client verification

• Banking to support crypto-linked accounts, provide regulated custody services, or serve as digital asset custodians.

Further discussion will cover regulatory evolution, talent development, cross-jurisdictional collaboration, and the marketing of Guernsey’s digital brand. This session invites both ambition and realism, recognising the risks and resource needs while focusing on how Guernsey’s agility and sectoral specialisation can place it at the forefront of regulated digital finance.

Lunch Break

The talk will issue an inspiring call to embrace the “digital asset moment” as a chance to rethink financial infrastructure. Audience members will leave with a sense of urgency, possibility, and agency, inspired to act, adapt, and lead. Because the question is no longer “Will this happen?” but rather “Who will shape it?”

This panel will showcase how digital assets and cryptocurrencies are already being used to facilitate, secure, and tokenise high-value acquisitions. It will also explore the philanthropic potential of blockchain infrastructure, highlighting how digital finance is lowering barriers to access for under-served individuals and communities and enabling inclusive innovation.

The discussion will spotlight tokenised debt instruments as a powerful example of blockchain's transition from theoretical promise to practical financial utility, particularly in bridging liquidity gaps for SMEs and emerging markets.

Panellists will explore how blockchain analytics and forensic tools are being used in real-world transactions to enhance transparency, trace asset provenance, and ensure regulatory compliance, particularly in high-value acquisitions involving crypto.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how blockchain delivers speed, transparency, and efficiency in complex, cross-border transactions.

As the day draws to a close, this session will consolidate the key takeaways from the conference’s proceedings, reaffirming Guernsey’s ambition to become a centre of excellence in the global digital asset ecosystem.

This session will close the conference with a call to action: to build on Guernsey’s strong foundations, guided by innovation, integrity, and impact.