US Fed to Host Conference in October, Covering Stablecoins and DeFi

The US Federal Reserve will host a high-profile conference on payments innovation on October 21. The conference will focus on stablecoins, decentralized finance (DeFi), artificial intelligence, and tokenization.

The event will unite policymakers, financial institutions, and technology leaders as the central bank signals its growing interest in digital assets and the next generation of payment systems.

Fed Highlights Stablecoins and DeFi

The conference comes after months of heightened debate within the Fed over how stablecoins and digital assets could reshape payments. In a Wednesday press release, Fed Governor Christopher Waller emphasized the urgency of adapting to fast-changing financial technologies.

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“Innovation has been a constant in payments to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses,” Waller said. “I look forward to examining the opportunities and challenges of new technologies, bringing together ideas on how to improve the safety and efficiency of payments, and hearing from those helping to shape the future of payments.”

The agenda includes panels on the convergence of traditional finance with decentralized models, use cases for stablecoins, applications of artificial intelligence in payments, and the tokenization of financial products and services.

July’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes noted that fiat-pegged stablecoins could “improve payment system efficiency” and boost Treasury securities demand for collateral. Officials also warned of potential risks for the broader banking system, stressing the need for close oversight of stablecoin reserves.

The October conference will livestream to the public on federalreserve.gov.

Trump-Era Policies and Waller’s Backing of Digital Assets

Policy shifts under the Trump administration have pushed the Fed toward a more open stance on digital assets. In April, the central bank withdrew earlier guidance discouraging banks from engaging in crypto and stablecoin markets. It also ended a supervisory program targeting banks active in digital assets and dropped the “reputational risk” label from examinations.

Industry groups hailed the moves as victories against “crypto debanking,” which had limited digital-asset firms’ banking access. Combined with the July passage of the GENIUS Act — a federal framework for regulating stablecoins — the measures have set the stage for broader adoption of payment innovation.

Waller, appointed to the Fed by President Trump, has become one of the central bank’s strongest advocates for blockchain-based finance. At the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium earlier this year, he compared DeFi transactions to conventional debit card purchases. He called smart contracts and distributed ledgers “a natural technological evolution rather than disruptive threats.”

He also credited stablecoins with expanding global access to the dollar, particularly in high-inflation economies where banking services are scarce.

“Stablecoins can help maintain and extend the role of the dollar internationally,” Waller said, pointing to their 24/7 availability and rapid cross-border transferability.