Dan Roberts

DeFi continues to offer participants compelling yield opportunities, cost-efficient transactions, and transparent financial mechanisms. Institutional interest in the space has grown significantly over the past year, driven by developments such as the emergence of regulated DeFi products and the increasing convergence between CeFi and DeFi. However, navigating this landscape presents challenges in terms of regulation, security, and operational risks. This panel will explore how institutions are accessing DeFi, the infrastructure enabling their participation, and the evolving regulatory environment. 

• Current state of DeFi infrastructure: What is the role of decentralized exchanges (DEXs), oracles, layer 2 solutions, and blockchain interoperability in supporting institutional adoption? 
• Convergence of CeFi and DeFi: What solutions are centralized exchanges developing to bridge the CeFi and DeFi gap and enable institutions access to DeFi protocols? 
• Emerging regulated DeFi products: What role do regulated offerings play in institutional adoption? 
• Capital formation on public blockchains: The recent $7 billion in Solana volume from meme coins highlights the potential for capital creation without centralized intermediaries—how can institutions engage in these emerging opportunities? 
• Regulation, security and risk mitigation: What are the key regulatory developments impacting DeFi and staking? How are institutions addressing security concerns, including oracle reliability, smart contract integrity, and liquidity risks?