The Federal Reserve Board announced on September 3, 2025, that it will host a payments innovation conference on October 21 in Washington D.C. The event will feature in-depth discussions on stablecoins, decentralized finance (DeFi), and tokenization, reflecting the central bank's growing engagement with digital payment technologies.
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher J. Waller will lead the conference, which will include panel discussions on the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance, emerging stablecoin use cases and business models, artificial intelligence applications in payments, and tokenization of financial products and services. Waller emphasized that "innovation has been a constant in payments to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses," and expressed anticipation for examining opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies.
The conference builds on recent Federal Open Market Committee discussions about stablecoins during their July 29-30 meeting, where officials analyzed potential financial system impacts following the passage of the GENIUS Act. This comprehensive federal stablecoin framework, signed into law on July 18, established regulatory clarity that FOMC members cited as a driver for projected growth in stablecoin usage.
Governor Waller has consistently supported blockchain-based payment innovation, recently declaring "there is nothing scary" about DeFi operations and comparing DeFi transactions to conventional debit card purchases. He credited stablecoin development with extending dollar accessibility globally, particularly benefiting high-inflation countries lacking affordable banking services, and highlighted their potential to "maintain and extend the role of the dollar internationally" through 24/7 availability and rapid transferability.
The conference represents the Fed's commitment to understanding how emerging payment technologies might integrate with existing monetary infrastructure while addressing regulatory challenges and opportunities in the evolving digital payments landscape.