Central Bank Digital Currencies are under consideration in several major economies, with countries looking at the merits of developing the appropriate operational and technology model. In the meantime, FinTech companies are exploring applications on Blockchain based platforms and are trying to understand the operational risks that may be involved.

With legislative drives across the world to redefine and set higher standards for operational resilience, how does Blockchain as a platform perform, and what does compliance mean in this context? Experts will share their views from blockchain based application development and how the provisionally agreed European Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and other similar global resilience standards coming through  could support the Central Banks.

A highly experienced Board Strategy and Information Technology Consultant engaged by organisations of all sizes and types to challenge & develop strategy to realise stakeholder benefits. Julia’s career has been primarily focused on the Financial Services sector. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CISI, a Court Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, where, as chair of the Financial Services Technology Panel, she has lead initiatives on ESG, Cybersecurity Skills and Operational Resilience. A founding Trustee of Red Trouser Day raising funds for bowel cancer research, where she developed the strategy to achieve full charitable status. She is currently the strategy lead and non-executive director of a start-up technology company.

Keith Bear is a Fellow at the Centre for Alternative Finance, focused on research, industry collaboration and development of Blockchain, Digital Assets and Fintech innovation within Financial Services. He is working actively on CCAF’s focus on digital asset research and teaches CBDC on CCAF’s online course for global regulators.

Previously, Keith was responsible globally for the strategy, development and execution of IBM’s business in Financial Markets, working extensively with global clients on major transformation programmes at exchanges, banks, asset managers and trade finance organisations.

Keith is a Board Advisor to 5 Fintechs, a Board Member at DFNS (a digital asset wallet provider), a lead mentor at the Techstars/ABN Amro Fintech and Web3 accelerators, a member of the Technology and Operational Resilience Committee at the London Metal Exchange, and a member of WEF’s Expert Council. He is also a member of the European Securities and Market Authority’s Consultative Working Group for Financial Innovation, and the Bank of England’s CBDC Technology Forum.

Keith holds a MA (Hons) in Physics from University of Oxford, an MSc from University of London, and completed a Master of Business Management programme at the London School of Economics.

Muhammad Tanoli is the CEO of Portdex, a decentralised digital economy platform based on blockchain & smart contracts. Portdex is partnered with academic institutions and central banks to develop a decentralised digital economy framework supported by regulated stable currency and CBDC.  In his previous roles, Muhammad has led Blockchain research projects in the private and public sectors. He was the head of the open-source Blockchain project for business (www.Activeledger.io). Muhammad is currently leading a stable regulated currency research project (www.zgbp.org) and research taskforce (www.retailcbdc.org).

At the policy level, he is a Board member of APPG CBDC & digital currency, APPG cyber security, and Expert Advisor of APPG Blockchain.

Muhammad has over six years of experience as an Advisor and C-level/Board level member leading research on security tokens, digital assets, cryptocurrency research in a regulated environment, virtual assets, and NFT marketplace models.