Grayscale x Global Fintech Institute: Privacy, Proof and the Regulatory Perimeter

An official side event of TOKEN2049 Singapore, co-hosted by Global Fintech Institute and Grayscale.

About Event

Financial privacy and regulatory accountability are often treated as competing demands. But can both exist within the same system?

This private discussion brings together perspectives from the Zcash ecosystem, institutional investors, regulators, academics and digital asset practitioners to examine where the regulatory perimeter sits, and what it means for privacy, proof, allocation, custody and compliance.

As privacy preserving cryptography moves from theory into audited and deployed infrastructure, the conversation is shifting from whether privacy can coexist with supervision to how privacy and accountability can be engineered together.

Join us for a focused conversation and meaningful connections during TOKEN2049 Singapore.

✦ WHY ATTEND?

Join us to:

• Explore how financial privacy and regulatory accountability can coexist within the same system

• Understand the tension between supervisory traceability and client confidentiality

• Examine what privacy preserving infrastructure means for institutional allocation, custody and compliance

• Hear perspectives from the Zcash ecosystem on the practical deployment of privacy technology

• Consider how regulators and institutions across Asia can approach oversight of privacy preserving digital assets

• Connect with leaders across finance, regulation, academia and digital assets in an intimate setting

Whether you are a regulator, institutional investor, academic or digital asset professional, join the conversation on how financial privacy can work in institutional practice.

✦ EVENT AGENDA

2:30 PM | Registration & Welcome

3:00 PM | Opening Remarks
Grayscale × Global Fintech Institute

3:10 PM | Panel Discussion

4:30 PM | Refreshments & Networking

6:00 PM | Event Concludes

All times are in Singapore Time (SGT).

✦ SPEAKERS

Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn is the founder of Zcash and a long-time contributor to privacy-preserving digital money, applied cryptography, and decentralized systems. Earlier in his career, he joined DigiCash as a junior coder and later helped create Zcash, which uses zero-knowledge cryptography to support private transactions on a public blockchain. He led the Electric Coin Company until stepping down as CEO in 2023 and remained involved with the broader Zcash ecosystem and its development. Zooko currently serves as Chief Product Officer at Shielded Labs, where his work continues to focus on privacy technology, cryptographic innovation, and the future development of Zcash.

Krista Lynch is Grayscale Investments’ Head of Trading and Capital Markets, working with Authorized Participants, ETF market makers, and digital asset liquidity providers to ensure the healthy trading of Grayscale’s ETFs and to grow the surrounding ecosystem. Prior to joining Grayscale, Krista was a Vice President at BlackRock, where she managed daily primary market trading for iShares fixed income ETFs. She first became interested in ETFs during her time at Goldman Sachs, where she gained exposure to the mechanics of the product while supporting the credit index business. Krista earned her BSBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Miami.

Liz Steininger is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Least Authority, a security consulting company focused on privacy, decentralized systems, advanced cryptography, and secure software. She took over leadership of Least Authority in 2016 when the company established its operations in Berlin. Before becoming CEO, Liz spent more than 15 years working as a program and project manager, strategist, and analyst supporting digital rights, access to information, freedom of expression, and open-source software. She also contributes to industry dialogue on digital asset security and currently serves on the Global Fintech Institute’s Digital Assets Security and Compliance Subcommittee.

Michelle Lai is Executive Chair of Sovright and is known online as sudo_ml. Sovright describes her as a builder and strategist working at the intersection of digital assets, privacy policy, and decentralized infrastructure, with an institutional perspective on digital sovereignty. She is a long-time member of the Zcash community and has spoken publicly about privacy as a question of individual choice over data, money, and digital interactions. Her work at Sovright is connected to infrastructure, protocol, and ecosystem initiatives intended to strengthen privacy-preserving technologies and support the continued development, usability, and resilience of the Zcash ecosystem.

Prof David Lee Kuo Chuen is Chairman of the Global Fintech Institute and an academic focused on fintech, blockchain, digital assets, and financial innovation. He is Professor of Fintech and Blockchain at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, a Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore, and Chairman of Asia Pacific Exchange and Clearing. His work spans research, education, market development, and institutional engagement across emerging financial technologies in Asia and internationally. He has advised governments, financial institutions, and international organisations on fintech, digital currency, blockchain, market structure, and policy development, bringing together academic, industry, and policy perspectives.

✦ KEY DISCUSSIONS

1. Financial Privacy & Accountability
   Can privacy and regulatory accountability be designed into the same system?

2. The Regulatory Perimeter
   Where should the boundaries sit for privacy preserving digital assets?

3. Confidentiality vs. Traceability
   How can institutions protect client confidentiality while meeting supervisory expectations?

4. Institutional Allocation & Custody
   What does privacy preserving infrastructure mean for institutional participation?

5. Compliance in Practice
   How does privacy preserving cryptography translate into real world compliance?

✦ CONVERSATIONS & NETWORKING

Following the panel, join speakers, institutional participants and industry leaders for refreshments and informal conversation.

The evening is designed for meaningful conversations over networking at scale, bringing together a focused group of participants across finance, regulation, academia and digital assets.

Places are limited and registration is subject to approval.

✦ LOCATION

This is a private gathering in Singapore. Venue details will be shared exclusively with confirmed guests.

​About Global Fintech Institute (GFI)

The Global Fintech Institute (GFI) is a non-profit organisation that fosters collaboration among regulatory bodies, corporations, and academic institutions. Headquartered in Singapore, GFI addresses challenges in the fintech landscape through research, whitepapers, and thought leadership discussions that shape policy and industry standards.

Our flagship initiatives include the Chartered Fintech Professional (CFtP®) and Chartered Fintech Associate (CFtA) certifications, which equip professionals with essential skills for the evolving fintech environment. We also lead the FLEX International Hub, a trusted, global digital platform that promotes innovation and information-sharing among key stakeholders.

GFI is dedicated to advancing a more inclusive and sustainable global financial system by supporting fintech standards and best practices. We empower stakeholders to innovate responsibly and integrate effectively with the global financial ecosystem.

Follow us on: Luma | LinkedIn | WeChat | X | Instagram

GFI reserves the right to use any photograph, video, or recording taken during any event hosted or co-hosted by Global Fintech Institute without the expressed written permission of those included.

If you do not wish to have your image, voice, name, or recording used or captured, please inform a member of the GFI team before or during the event.