Fed to host October conference on stablecoins, DeFi, AI, and tokenization

Key Takeaways

• The Federal Reserve is hosting a conference in October to discuss stablecoins, DeFi, AI, and tokenization in payments.
• Panel discussions will focus on the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance, as well as emerging technologies impacting payment systems.

The Federal Reserve Board will host a conference focused on payments innovation on Tuesday, October 21, exploring topics including stablecoins, decentralized finance, artificial intelligence, and tokenization, according to a Wednesday press release .

“Innovation has been a constant in payments to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses. I look forward to examining the opportunities and challenges of new technologies,” said Governor Christopher Waller.

According to Waller, the event will serve as a forum to evaluate emerging technologies, share ideas for improving payments infrastructure, and hear from those driving innovation in the sector.

The announcement follows Waller’s remarks last month about the central bank’s interest in studying tokenization, smart contracts, and artificial intelligence to enhance payment systems .

Speaking at the 2025 Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Waller said these technologies could streamline payment operations and strengthen private sector collaboration. He also pointed to the potential of stablecoins under the GENIUS Act and the use of AI for fraud detection and trend analysis.

The upcoming conference will include panel discussions examining the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance, emerging stablecoin use cases and business models, AI applications in payments, and the tokenization of financial products and services.