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[WEBINAR] YBlockchain? Episode 004: Where Global Finance, Digital Transformation, and Policy Meet

[WEBINAR] YBlockchain? Episode 004

Monday, Mar 29 2021 at 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT

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Please join us on Monday, March 29th at 12:00pm ET for a fireside chat with Michael Casey, Chief Content Officer of leading crypto media platform CoinDesk, and Kyriacos Kokkinos, Deputy Minister to the President of Cyprus in charge of the country’s Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy.  Diana Barrero Zalles ‘17 will moderate a conversation on the digital transformation of the financial system with the rise of emerging technologies including blockchain and the underlying policy issues to support this transition.

The speakers will discuss the history of bitcoin and the promise of its underlying blockchain technology to solve major frictions in global finance. As a case in point, we will cover the current state of blockchain adoption in the EU and the role of Cyprus in particular as an international financial center that has developed a robust National Blockchain Strategy. They will also cover use cases of blockchain in public services to complement private sector institutionalization throughout the financial system.

*Registered participants of this webinar will receive a link to register for CoinDesk's flagship annual conference “Consensus” on May 24th at a discounted rate. Please refer to your confirmation and reminder emails for the access link.

This event is sponsored by the Yale School of Management International Center for FinanceDeputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Republic of Cyprus and the MIT Enterprise Forum.

Follow us on Twitter (@YaleICF) and join the discussion! #YaleBlockchain

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Speakers

  • Michael J. Casey

    Chief Content Officer at CoinDesk

    Michael J. Casey is chief content officer of CoinDesk, the most influential, trusted media platform for a growing global community engaged in the transformation of the financial system and the emerging crypto economy. Previously, Casey was the CEO of Streambed Media, a company he co-founded to develop provenance data for digital content. He was also a senior advisor at MIT Media Labs's Digital Currency Initiative and a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to joining MIT, Casey spent 18 years at The Wall Street Journal, where his last position was as a senior columnist covering global economic affairs. Casey has authored five books, including "The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order" and "The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything," both co-authored with Paul Vigna.

  • Kyriacos Kokkinos

    Deputy Minister to the President of Cyprus for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy

    Kyriacos Kokkinos is the Deputy Minister to the President for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, since March 1st 2020. He previously served as the Chief Scientist for Research & Innovation of the Republic of Cyprus, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Research & Innovation Foundation and Member of the National Board of Research & Innovation. He is a distinguished professional with 30 years of experience in Executive Management, Technology and Business Consulting, served at senior Executive roles in global corporations such as IBM Europe (Executive Director & Partner) and PwC. He also served at the Board of Directors of many Organisations, including Invest Cyprus (Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency - CIPA), the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Cyprus Port Authority (CPA), and the Board of Trustees of the Cyprus Institute. He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for professional excellence, including the ‘Business Leader of the Year Award’ 2016, by Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and the ‘Quality Leader Award 2015’ by Cyprus Quality Association. His Academic qualifications include Executive MBA in Strategic Management from Henley Management College (UK) and MSc & BSc in Electrical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology (USA).

  • Diana Barrero Zalles ‘17

    Moderator & Organizer

    Diana Barrero Zalles has a finance background with expertise in blockchain and other emerging technologies, innovative business models, and regulatory implications. She has conducted a national AML/CFT risk assessment on virtual assets for the Parliament of Cyprus, in addition to compiling regulatory recommendations and taking part in drafting the country’s new blockchain legislation. Diana has also written a book on the role of emerging technologies to add data transparency and clarity for sustainability-minded companies seeking ESG funding. She founded and currently runs a blockchain discussion forum at the International Center for Finance of the Yale School of Management and is an active working group member of the industry association Global Digital Finance, having published industry guides for Central Bank Digital Currencies and market integrity for crypto trading platforms. She also published research on stablecoins and decentralized financial market infrastructures. Previously, Diana managed large cross-border transactions with the investment banking offices of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC. She is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame and has an MBA from Yale. She was born in Bolivia and is a native Spanish and English speaker.