Following the introduction of HMRC’s new Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) on 1 January, global financial institutions, policy makers and financial leaders will gather at the third London Digital Asset Forum (DAF3) to assess how regulatory transparency is accelerating the institutional adoption of digital assets in the UK.
“In 2025, London will maintain its position as a financial hub, narrowing the gap to New York in first place on the Global Financial Centers Index to just one point,” said Victoria Gago, co-founder of DAF.
“With its history as a center of financial innovation and an evolving regulatory environment, London is creating fertile ground for blockchain to flourish within traditional finance. DAF3 will serve as a key venue to foster cross-sector partnerships that will drive blockchain integration in 2026.”
Given the rapidly expanding institutional interest in blockchain, this year’s DAF3 will be held over two days and feature sessions on how institutions are moving in the digital asset space, as policy and regulation, tokenization, DeFi and industry experts come to London to discuss the outlook for the year ahead.
Speakers at the event include Nikhil Sharma from BlackRock; Emma Lovett of JP Morgan. Paul Worthington in stripes. Dorothea Isenberg of Mastercard. Tim Grant of Deus X Capital and Stani Kulechov of Aave.
London’s new momentum extends beyond traditional markets to digital assets. By 2025, the FTSE will outperform the S&P, solidifying the UK’s position as Europe’s leading digital asset hub, accounting for more than a third of the region’s blockchain talent, and reaching an adult cryptocurrency adoption rate of over 24%.
A recent report from Barclays Bank calls 2026 the “year of big regulation” as digital assets enter the purview of mainstream finance and UK taxpayers will be required to declare crypto returns as capital gains from January 1 this year. This standardization paves the way for increased institutional support for digital assets, with the FCA announcing its intention to open a regulatory sandbox for testing stablecoin payments.
Deals focused on corporate and institutional models account for over 70% of digital asset investment in the UK. This trend will continue, with institutional investors looking to take advantage of regulatory certainty and fintech-style regulatory sandboxes. The Transatlantic Task Force for Future Markets is also committed to deeper integration of US and UK capital markets, with its first policy recommendations expected in March.
The Digital Asset Forum is designed as an executive-level forum that goes beyond content and focuses on practical outcomes. In addition to discussions on the main stage, the event features dedicated breakout rooms for smaller, focused sessions, two private rooms reserved for one-on-one meetings, and a separate space for press conferences and media interviews.
The agenda, audience curation, and meeting format are structured to allow senior leaders to compare strategies, foster partnerships, and move initiatives forward in a trusted, organization-first environment.
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About Digital Asset Forum
To learn more about DAF and to register, please visit the Digital Assets Forum’s official website.
Launched in Barcelona in 2018, the European Blockchain Convention (organizer of the Digital Asset Forum) quickly became the premier blockchain event in Europe. We connect industry experts, innovative startups, and leading technology experts. This event provides a platform to share insights, foster collaboration, and explore the immense potential of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and digital assets.
