Finance and crypto leaders gather in London

The Digital Assets Forum held its seventh annual event in London on Monday, bringing together professionals from both traditional finance and decentralized finance. The one-day conference covered security, custody, asset management, and the growing role of tokenized funds, bonds, carbon credits, and real-world assets.

As digital assets continue to expand, fund managers, venture capitalists, and private equity firms are increasingly exploring the sector. Panel discussions featured representatives from ABEX, Triton Liquid, 3iQ, and Wiston Capital—firms with traditional finance backgrounds now moving into crypto. Many are positioning themselves as providers of regulated investment options for wealth managers and family offices seeking structured exposure to digital assets.

Institutional players are applying familiar investment strategies to crypto, aiming to bring more credibility and stability to the space. Upcoming regulatory changes—including MTL, MiCA, VARA, and FCA guidelines—are expected to drive further institutional adoption. As compliance frameworks develop, more firms are preparing to allocate funds to digital assets.

The demand for finance professionals with expertise in both traditional markets and crypto is also rising. Many firms are hiring from established financial institutions to help attract institutional clients.

Ivan Pierson, Chief of Investor Relations at a UAE-based crypto-to-fiat payment solution, noted that 2025 could mark another year of significant expansion. "2025 looks another year of exponential growth for the crypto market. With serious traditional finance executives entering the space, it's bringing a huge amount of credibility, giving confidence to the family office and venture capitalists who have stayed away due to uncertainty and questionable practices."

He also emphasized how traditional finance is shaping institutional crypto adoption. "We see the traditional finance managers using much of the same language, checks and balances that give comfort to the funds looking to enter the space in a traditional way. The gains available in crypto are something we need to be a part of, however, in a measured and controlled way."

Erkan Kaya, founder of ABEX, and Christian Gressel, the firm’s head of sales, discussed how their company is adapting institutional-grade execution tools for digital assets. With a team of professionals from JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS, ABEX is introducing best execution practices, advanced trading algorithms, and low-latency infrastructure—common in traditional markets but still developing in crypto. The firm, registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has taken a regulation-first approach, positioning itself to meet institutional standards as the sector evolves.