The cryptocurrency industry is taking another significant step toward institutionalization. Ahead of the key summit The Future of Money, Governance, and the Law (FoMGL), which will take place from September 29 to October 2, 2026, in Washington and New York, a strategic partnership with the Government Blockchain Association (GBA) has been announced. The result of this collaboration will be the creation and launch of an Expert Council on Law and Regulation, whose public debut will take place as part of the event's New York program at the United Nations headquarters.
At the intersection of politics, capital, and technology
The summit program promises to be packed. Discussions will kick off on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers and industry representatives will gather. This will be followed by a one-day summit at the National Press Club focused on the impact of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and quantum computing on financial services. Particular attention will be paid to digital assets, tokenization, and the formation of regulatory frameworks. The evening program, dubbed cryptopoly, will take place in a historic Georgian-style mansion. Participants will be able to use play money and themed crypto cards to take part in auctions and exchanges, adding an element of interactivity to networking.
The list of confirmed speakers is impressive: from Dino Cataldo Dell'Accio (United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund) and Jared Koopman (U.S. Internal Revenue Service) to Landon Zinda (SEC Crypto Task Force) and Thomas Puschak (World Bank). Participants also include Lauren Belive (Ripple), Corey Then (Circle), Robin Cook (Coinbase), Dr. Scott Stornetta (co-inventor of blockchain), Charles Hoskinson (Cardano), Marcus Veit (Grant Thornton), and Christopher Bramwell (State of Utah government).
The role of GBA and the global context
GBA is an organization with representatives in more than 500 government agencies worldwide and over 50 working groups. The Association has developed the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM), an assessment framework recognized at the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF). This forum, convened by the UN Secretary-General, serves as a global platform for dialogue on digital governance. GBA acts as a bridge between the demands of the public sector and the expertise of private companies on a wide range of issues related to blockchain and emerging technologies.
The new Expert Council will bring together practitioners with extensive experience in cryptocurrency regulation, compliance, taxation, financial data, anti-money laundering, and sanctions. The Council's key task is to analyze how the digital asset business operates across different markets, including jurisdiction selection, adaptation to new regulatory standards, and understanding the implications for taxes, market structure, and cross-border compliance.
The New York program at UN headquarters will be free to attend. For readers planning to visit the Washington portion, a promo code BEINCRYPTO20 is available, offering a 20% discount on tickets.
My take: The creation of such expert platforms is not just a formality, but a signal of the industry's maturation. When regulation ceases to be merely a constraint and becomes a subject of professional dialogue at the UN level, we are witnessing the formation of a new paradigm. The Council will be able to provide the market with much-needed clarity on jurisdiction and compliance issues, which is critical for attracting institutional capital.