 About: InterWork Alliance (IWA)

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InterWork Alliance (IWA)

About: BITA Standards Council (BITA)

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BITA Standards Council (BITA)

About: U.S. Blockchain Coalition (USBC)

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U.S. Blockchain Coalition (USBC)

About: GBBC Giving

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GBBC Giving

About: International Journal of Blockchain Law (IJBL)

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International Journal of Blockchain Law (IJBL)

About: GBBC Financial Services

GBBC Financial Services

IWA: Blogpost - Token Taxonomy Framework - For Token Definition

Taxonomy Framework

Token Taxonomy Framework - For Token Definition

Ambassadors: Deborah Algeo

Deborah Algeo

Deborah Algeo is Managing Director,  for Singapore and Hong Kong, where she leads regulated digital asset custody, enterprise solutions, and go-to-market strategy across Asia-Pacific. Deborah supports businesses in Asia by sitting on multiple boards across the digital asset and financial services ecosystem.
With over 15 years of experience spanning global banking, fintech and digital assets, Deborah operates at the intersection of financial markets, regulation and emerging technology. She has been directly involved in building and scaling institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure, helping financial institutions safely deploy custody, stablecoin and tokenisation platforms in highly regulated environments.
Deborah works closely with regulators and policy makers across Asia-Pacific, including central banks and financial supervisory authorities, contributing to industry consultations on digital asset regulation, custody standards and market infrastructure. She serves on the advisory board of the RegTech Association and regularly engages with regulatory, banking and technology leaders on how digital assets can be integrated into the existing financial system in a safe, compliant and commercially viable way.
A recognised industry voice, Deborah was named Best in Digital Assets at the Women in Finance Asia Awards and is a frequent speaker at major international forums. Through her role as a GBBC Ambassador, she supports the development of globally aligned regulatory frameworks and market standards that enable the responsible, institutional-scale adoption of digital assets and tokenised financial markets.


Ambassadors: Tanna Chong

Tanna Chong

Tanna is a policy and regulation specialist covering digital assets, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) and banking regulation. She was formerly a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Secretariat and a Government official of Hong Kong across over a decade of international and domestic policymaking work.  During her service at the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong, she had focused on digital asset, AML/CFT and banking regulation policies, viz. the making of the digital asset policy blueprint and regulatory regimes (including those related to exchanges and Stablecoins), Basel 3 implementation, as well as Hong Kong’s participation at various related international fora. While at the FATF Secretariat, she mainly focused on beneficial ownership and payment transparency reforms, and advised member countries of the FATF Global Network on standard implementation. She is now dedicated to advancing regulatory and compliance understanding and fostering the mutual understanding and trust between public and private sectors. Tanna started her career as a political journalist at the South China Morning Post. She holds postgraduate degrees in law from University of Hong Kong, and in international public policy from University College London.

Team: Sandra Ro 

Sandra Ro

Sandra is a proponent for ‘human-centric tech’. From investment banking and currency markets to blockchain technology.

Sandra Ro -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Emma Joyce

Emma Joyce

Emma is the Chief Revenue Officer at GBBC.

Emma Joyce -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Diana Barrero Zalles

Diana Barrero Zalles

Diana Oreto (Barrero Zalles) is Head of GSMI and Research at Global Blockchain Business Council. She is also co-author of the book Transparency in ESG and the Circular Economy.

Diana Oreto (Barrero Zalles) -  GBBC

Team: Jackson Ross

Jackson Ross

Jackson Ross currently serves as a Director of Technical Programs and Head of InterWork Alliance (IWA) for the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

Jackson Ross -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Jeff Bandman 

Jeff Bandman

Jeff Bandman is COO and Chief Legal Officer of 6529 Holdings, 6529 Capital & 6529 Museum. 6529 Capital is the premier asset manager in the NFT space, focused on a “blue chip” and “grail” NFTs. The firm is named for “Punk6529” who is among the world’s foremost collectors, investors and thought leaders in the NFT space, well-known for extensive tweetstorms on NFTs and decentralization. 6529 is a leading advocate of the "open metaverse" - namely that the architecture of the metaverse should be decentralized and interoperable and, specifically, that NFTs could serve in this role. The 6529 group is also among the leading NFT art publishers, best known for “The Memes by 6529”, “Pebbles” and “Gradients”. 6529 is also a leading builder of NFT technology working towards a new decentralized decision engine underpinned by NFTs. Jeff also leads Bandman Advisors, an advisory practice helping clients ranging from governments to global firms to start-ups meet strategic innovation and regulatory challenges.

He has advised government authorities in Europe and North America, and is currently a member of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Consultative Working Group of experts for ESMA’s Post Trade Working Group. He has also been appointed to the Expert Panel of the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum established by the European Parliament and European Commission.

He serves as Board Director of the Global Blockchain Business Council policy organization. Previously, Jeff was a senior official at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, serving as Special Counsel to Chairman Timothy G. Massad, and as FinTech Advisor to Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo. Jeff is known as the architect responsible for the design and launch of LabCFTC, the CFTC’s hub for engagement with FinTech innovation (the first launched by a U.S. market regulator). Jeff led CFTC digital asset and blockchain work starting in 2015. Jeff also led the CFTC’s Division of Clearing and Risk, which oversees many of the world’s largest clearinghouses, and led the CFTC’s Office of International Affairs. He led the negotiations resulting in “Clearinghouse Equivalence” with the European Commission and also negotiated equivalence for U.S. futures exchanges to operate in Europe. Jeff worked for many years in the financial industry in New York and London as a business executive and previously an attorney. He rebuilt and ran Cantor Fitzgerald’s market data business after the events of September 11. As Head of Partnerships & Alliances of LCH’s SwapClear, he helped design and launch the SwapClear “FCM service” for clearing interest rate swaps through US intermediaries after the financial crisis and spearheaded the design, launch and growth of the “SMART” margin simulator. Mr. Bandman started his career as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York after clerking on the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace. He graduated from Yale magna cum laude, with honors in History and English. He received his law degree from Stanford Law School, with honors as a member of the “Order of the Coif”.

He is a six-time Jeopardy! Champion and spent his winnings backpacking around Africa, Asia and Europe.

Jeff Bandman - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Yuval Rooz

Yuval Rooz

Yuval is a visionary leader at the intersection of finance and technology. 
Yuval co-founded Digital Asset in 2014 to harness the promise of blockchain technology to create an open financial network where value flows as freely as information on the internet. 
As a Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Asset, Yuval has been instrumental in reshaping global finance by merging traditional systems with the power of decentralized technology. Yuval played a pivotal role in the formation of the Canton Network, the only public layer-one blockchain with privacy. He is also a Board Member and Treasurer of the Global Synchronizer Foundation, which he helped to create with the support of the Linux Foundation, to bring fair and transparent decentralized governance and organizational neutrality to the adoption and evolution of the Canton Network.
Yuval is a member of the Digital Asset Markets subcommittee of the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Global Market Advisory Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Blockchain Business Council, a leading industry association for the blockchain technology ecosystem. He has also testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion.
Before founding Digital Asset, Yuval gained extensive experience in finance and technology, holding key 
positions at Citadel and DRW Trading, where he managed an algorithmic trading desk and helped launch 
DRW Venture Capital.


Yuval Rooz -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: John Lee

Headshot: John Lee

John is a Managing Director and part of the Tech Innovation Leadership Team. He currently leads the Digital Assets, Digital Currency campaign globally for the Capital Markets Practice as well as Technology Innovation. An accomplished senior executive and driver of innovative change, he was formally the Managing Director, Enterprise Innovation & Product Development for TMX Group where he led various Innovation and product development efforts. 

He was appointed to the Fintech Advisory Committee (FAC) with the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) in 2018. During his 25+ year career in Canada’s capital markets, John has built a strong track record of success in spearheading the development and implementation of world class software solutions in trading, clearing and market data. His vast industry experience also includes positions in equities and derivatives trading along with technology leadership supporting foreign exchange trading, investment banking, global payments, prime brokerage and securities lending.


John Lee, Accenture

Team: John deVadoss

John deVadoss

John is a co-founder and the CEO of NeuralFabric Corp., a Seattle-based seed-funded AI start-up.

John deVadoss -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Dr. Reto Luthiger

MLL-Luthiger-Reto-02-L

Reto Luthiger is an experienced Swiss lawyer, serving as a partner and a board member of MLL Legal Ltd as well as co-head of MLL’s Regulatory, Fintech & DLT practice group, Insurance industry group, and Compliance & Internal Investigations industry group.
He advises and represents domestic and international clients in financial markets regulatory and civil law matters as well as (enforcement) proceedings before Swiss regulator FINMA, self-regulatory organisations (SROs), supervisory organisations (SOs), other authorities and courts.
He is a recognized expert in financial market regulations, fintech and blockchain and has wide-ranging experience in payment and banking, AML/CTF and sanctions, financial services, securities regulations, capital markets, FMI, collective investment schemes, FATCA/AEoI/CARF.
Reto Luthiger acts as CEO of the Self-Regulatory Organization of Swiss Association of Investment Companies (SRO SAIC) and serves as board member of SR Saphirstein AG (fiat24) having a fintech license.
He has an EMBA and wrote his PhD-thesis in the area of AML (awarded with the Professor Walther Hug prize).


Dr. Reto Luthiger - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Tanvi Singh

Tanvi Singh

Tanvi Singh is a distinguished corporate entrepreneur with a remarkable track record in the banking industry. With over 20 years of corporate experience.

Tanvi Singh - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Dimitrios Psarrakis

Dimitrios Psarrakis

Dimitris Psarrakis is Financial Economist with 20 years of experience in corporate finance, banking and financial regulation.

Dimitrios Psarrakis - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Hernando de Soto

Hernando de Soto

Mr. de Soto is presidential candidate in Peru for Avanza Pais. Mr. de Soto is currently President of the ILD headquartered in Lima, Peru considered by The Economist as one of the two most important think tanks in the world.

Hernando de Soto - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Sierra Lewis

Sierra Lewis

Sierra Lewis is a seasoned program and project management professional with experience spanning the last decade and a half. 

Sierra Lewis - Global Blockchain Business Council

Chika Phiri

Team: Amina Turgulova

Headshot: Amina Turgulova

Amina Turgulova is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the global financial industry, recognized for her expertise in capital markets, digital asset infrastructure, and regulatory development. Until recently, she served as Senior Policy & Regulatory Affairs Advisor at Solidus Labs, a crypto-native market surveillance provider, where  she was responsible for global regulatory monitoring and industry’s feedback to regulators on advanced crypto-specific frameworks. Amina also managed strategy and operations of the Crypto Market Integrity Coalition (CMIC), bringing together 53 digital asset companies to promote transparency and market integrity worldwide. She has been actively involved in advocacy campaigns at both the U.S. federal and state levels, regularly contributing to policy discussions on Capitol Hill. In addition to her U.S. engagement, Amina collaborates with global regulatory bodies, including IOSCO, and served on the working groups under the World Federation of Exchanges and the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). Earlier in her career, Amina held senior leadership positions at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), including Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor, Deputy CEO of the Astana International Exchange (AIX), and Head of the Project Management Office, where she was responsible for launching AIX from the ground up. She holds a Master of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Amina Turgulova

Team: Alfredo Oballos

Alfredo Oballos Diaz

Alfredo Oballos Diaz serves as the Chief of Staff for the EMEA region for Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

Alfredo Oballos Diaz - Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)

Team: Riley Fay

Riley Fay

Riley Fay is the Senior Lead, Digital Content and Media at Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

Riley Fay -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Adrian Matak

Adrian Matak is Senior Policy Manager at Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). He leads GBBC’s policy and regulatory engagement across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—coordinating consultation responses, chairing member working groups, and building relationships with policymakers, regulators, and central banks. His work spans digital assets, tokenisation, market infrastructure, prudential standards, and consumer protection, with a focus on practical, innovation-friendly frameworks and international interoperability.

Adrian recently completed the MPhil programme in Ethics of AI, Data and Algorithms at the University of Cambridge. His research explored how states and security institutions mobilise frontier technologies—particularly neurotechnologies—as engines of institutional innovation, and the implications for standards, risk governance, and public–private collaboration. He brings this lens to web3: advancing clear, outcomes-based rules that safeguard users, enable responsible experimentation, and align industry, regulators, and standards bodies.

Previously, Adrian has worked with GBBC as a part-time Policy Analyst. His prior experience spans congressional scholarship in Washington, D.C., international-affairs research, political consultancy, and the non-governmental sector. He holds a BSc in Politics and Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and studied at Sciences Po as a CIVICA scholar, reading history and international affairs.

Adrian Matak - Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)

Team: Tristen Dague

Tristen Dague

Tristen Dague is the Executive Administrator and Events Coordinator at Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). With over 20 years’ experience in Corporate Events, Marketing, and Sales Management in both the financial and retail industries.

Tristen Dague - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Justin Legesse

Justin Legesse

Justin Legesse is a U.S. Policy Analyst at the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). He is currently pursuing his education at St. John’s University, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Business Administration. His academic excellence is recognized through his membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, which celebrates outstanding scholarship in the field of political science. Throughout his academic journey, Justin has accumulated experience conducting research focused on regulatory bodies and states, enhancing his expertise in navigating the intricate dynamics of policy-making and regulation in the digital age. His work and contributions are informed by a deep understanding of both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. 

Team: Patrick Bruckwick

Headshot: Patrick Bruckwick

Patrick is a graduate of Miami University where he received a degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in Journalism. At Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), he is a Communications and Marketing Analyst with his main initiatives being the support of digital content and media efforts to promote responsible blockchain innovation worldwide. Patrick's passion lies in connecting with others through interactive storytelling and digital engagement. From leading recruitment campaigns as Social Media Director for his student organization to creating multimedia content, he brings a strategic and creative approach to communications. Patrick is especially interested in the intersection of media, technology, and community-building

Patrick Bruckwick

Team: Steve Vallas

Headshot: Steve Vallas

Steve has played a longstanding role in shaping the Australian digital assets landscape by engaging with Australian regulators, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Commonwealth Treasury, ACCC, AUSTRAC, and the Reserve Bank of Australia. He has contributed insights to Australian Senate hearings and advisory panels, as well as worked with New Zealand authorities such as the Financial Services Council, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Department of Internal Affairs, and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. 

Steve Vallas

Team: Dina Ellis Rochkind

Dina Ellis Rochkind

Dina Ellis Rochkind is Counsel, Government Affairs and Strategy in the Paul Hastings Fintech practice and is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Dina Ellis Rochkind - Global Blockchain Business Council

Team: Nilixa Devlukia

Nilixa Devlukia

Nilixa DevlukiaNilixa Devlukia is an experienced policy maker and regulatory expert and founder and CEO of Payments Solved a regulatory consultancy advising on the regulatory frameworks for digital assets, payment services, and smart data and open finance both in the UK and globally. Nilixa is a qualified lawyer holding a Masters in European Competition Law and has extensive knowledge of banking, payments and payment systems gained from her time in industry and with the UK and EU regulators. Nilixa has worked extensively with UK Government, the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and EU regulators. Nilixa has been appointed to various strategic European level committees including the ECB SecurePay Forum, ECB Digital Euro Market Advisory Group, the EU API Evaluation Group, the UK Payment Strategy Forum, the EU Payments Systems Market Expert Group and the EU Data Expert Group. Nilixa started her financial services career as an in-house lawyer with Barclays before moving to lead payment policy at the Financial Conduct Authority. Nilixa has also held roles with the European Banking Authority, the Open Banking Implementation Entity and Mastercard.
Nilixa is a well-known public speaker and works with industry, regulators, and legislators to influence and drive changes in the digital assets, banking and payments ecosystem for a financial services landscape that is secure, transparent, and inclusive.


Nilixa Devlukia - GBBC

Team: Emily Parker

Emily Parker Headshot

Emily Parker is a writer and public speaker about technology, business and regulatory trends in the US and Asia. She is currently the China and Japan Advisor at the Global Blockchain Business Council. She was executive director of global strategy at CoinDesk, where she led the company's global expansion. She was also an anchor on CoinDesk's flagship TV show, “First Mover" and has appeared regularly on CNBC. She is the co-founder of LongHash, a blockchain startup that focuses on Asian markets. Previously, Emily was a member of the Policy Planning staff at the U.S. State Department, where she worked on Internet freedom and digital diplomacy. Emily was a staff writer/editor at The Wall Street Journal and an editor at The New York Times.

She is the author of "Now I Know Who My Comrades Are: Voices From the Internet Underground" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). The book tells the stories of Internet activists in China, Cuba and Russia. Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, called it "a rigorously researched and reported account that reads like a thriller." Emily's book has been assigned at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Tufts, UCSD and other schools.

Emily has been awarded fellowships at the Council on Foreign Relations, New America, Asia Society and the Carnegie Moscow Center. She was the China advisor at the Markle Foundation, where she focused on how Chinese demand could create jobs in the United States. She was chief strategy officer at Silicon Valley social media startup Parlio, which was acquired by Quora.
She has done public speaking all over the world, and has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, BBC and many other television and radio shows. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, CNN, Politico, Reuters, MIT Technology Review, Foreign Affairs, WIRED and other publications.

Emily has lived in Mainland China, Japan and Hong Kong. She speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, French and Spanish. She graduated with Honors from Brown University and has a Masters from Harvard in East Asian Studies. 


Emily Parker

Team: Matt Hoffmann

Image: Matt Hoffmann

Matt Hoffmann is a Capitol Hill veteran and fiscal policy expert who helps lead BGR’s Financial Services practice. Matt is a leader in the financial services space with extensive government and private sector experience. He helps clients navigate policy challenges ranging from tax to digital assets to the regulation of the crypto industry.Matt previously served as a Principal at BGR Group from 2018 to 2021 when he worked across multiple practice groups including Health and Life Sciences and Financial Services. Most recently, he was the Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs at Digital Asset, a leading blockchain software company.
Matt has also served in several high-profile positions on Capitol Hill including as Staff Director for the House Financial Services Committee and as a senior advisor in the Office of the Speaker of the House. As the Staff Director for the House Financial Services Committee, he was the chief advisor to Chairman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and helped manage committee business including its response to the 2023 banking crisis, advancement of capital market reforms, and creation of the first-ever Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee. Matt was also instrumental in the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21), and other legislation including the Expanding Access to Capital Act, and the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act. Matt also served as Policy Director at the Senate Finance Committee and as a senior advisor to former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) during his service on the House Budget and Ways and Means Committees, and eventually in the Speaker’s office.


U.S. Policy Advisor

Team: Anne-Marie Kelley

Image: Anne-Marie Kelley

Anne-Marie Kelley is a Partner at Mercury Strategies, a consulting firm located in Washington, D.C. Ms. Kelley possesses more than 20 years of extensive and diverse experience within the executive and legislative branches of the United States government. Before starting at Mercury Strategies in 2021, she distinguished herself as a political appointee at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Notably unique among her peers, Ms. Kelley's career at the SEC extended across five Administrations and encompassed the tenures of nine Chairs and Acting Chairs, reflecting her exceptional ability to foster bipartisan relationships. Throughout her 14-year tenure at the SEC, she played a pivotal role in nearly all significant financial regulatory initiatives, rulemakings, and legislative efforts. Her roles at the SEC included Deputy Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Advisor to Chair Mary Jo White. Ms. Kelley has adeptly facilitated the confirmation of 19 SEC Commissioners and overseen the preparation for numerous congressional hearings, totaling in the hundreds. Her comprehensive understanding of the SEC’s internal mechanisms, its distinctive rulemaking processes, and her skill in identifying key procedural opportunities have proven instrumental in advancing strategic goals. Prior to her service at the SEC, Ms. Kelley held positions at the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and served on the staff of Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky. With her profound expertise in government regulation and legislation pertinent to the SEC’s jurisdiction and beyond, as well as her thorough command of related substantive domains, including digital assets and blockchain technology, Ms. Kelley is exceptionally qualified to offer authoritative guidance on regulatory initiatives, legislative measures, and political strategies to support the achievement of client objectives.

Anne-Marie Kelley

Team: Renée Berman

A strategic leader in digital assets, Renée operates at the intersection of finance, technology, and innovation. With over two decades of experience, she has driven transformational change across capital markets, digital assets, and financial infrastructure—translating emerging technologies into real-world value and building the next generation of systems that deliver measurable market impact.

Team: Paul Bances

Paul Bances is a seasoned leader with deep expertise across the financial services and payments industries. As a founding member of PayPal’s blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets business unit, he served as Vice President of Global Market Development and Chief Operating Officer of PayPal’s newly established digital asset entity.

With over two decades of experience driving innovation in cross-border payments, Paul has led initiatives that expand financial access and inclusion through emerging technologies and strategic partnerships. His leadership has spanned remittances, digital payments, and ecosystem development, positioning him as a key contributor to the evolution of global payments.

Today, Paul advises start-ups and founders shaping the next generation of financial infrastructure and tokenized payments.

Paul Bances

Team: Michelle O'Connor

Michelle O’Connor is an award-winning leader recognized among the Top 5 Women in Blockchain, a Top 30 FinTech Marketer, and a finalist for the Diversity in Tech Awards. With more than a decade at the forefront of digital assets and over twenty years shaping global brand and communications strategy, Michelle is widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential voices driving responsible innovation, global collaboration, and meaningful adoption in financial technologies.

Michelle is the Founder of The Digital Future, a boutique advisory studio shaping the next era of brand, regulation, and executive-level storytelling across fintech, Web3, and emerging technology. Through The Digital Future, she supports high-growth companies, regulators, and global leaders as they navigate complex markets, launch new initiatives, and build trust with institutional, public sector, and consumer audiences. Her portfolio includes production of the Digital Accord Summit series in London, Paris, and Singapore, widely recognized for convening regulators, policymakers, enterprises, and innovators.

In addition to her advisory work, Michelle serves as the Global Marketing and Communications Strategist for the Global Blockchain Business Council. In this role, she helps advance GBBC’s mission to educate, connect, and advocate for a more transparent, inclusive, and compliant digital asset ecosystem. Michelle supports the organization’s global initiatives, strategic positioning, partnerships, and convenings across major economic centers including London, Washington DC, Singapore, Davos, and the wider Europe and Middle East regions.

Previously, Michelle played a key leadership role in scaling Taxbit’s global presence, including its international expansion into Europe and the UK, while spearheading high-impact thought leadership and brand programs. Before entering Web3, she built her career across global fintech and luxury brand marketing, including helping scale Uphold during its early days of global growth.

She also serves as Board Chairwoman for the Association for Women in Crypto and remains an active ambassador for inclusion, regulation, and global leadership initiatives spanning digital assets, fintech, and emerging technology.

Michelle O'Connor

Team: Karen Hughes

Karen Hughes

Karen Hughes is a Benefits and Personnel Specialist, with a Bachelor of Arts in History from King University, and brings over 15 years of administrative, communication, and executive support to the GBBC team. Hughes combines a strong analytical mindset, exceptional organizational skills, and a solid work ethic to deliver high-quality outputs and functions to every team she’s a part of. 
Karen’s most recent experience includes her work at Regions Bank and Regions Affordable Housing, with accomplishments such as booking over $300MM in loans, streamlining onboarding processes, leading compliance training initiatives and supporting over 70 associates at once.
A dedicated professional driven by curiosity and internal bar for excellence, Karen thrives in any work environment and leaves each better than where she found it. 


Team: Ahmed Arushadh

Ahmed Arushadh

Ahmed Arushadh is a regulatory officer at the Capital Market 
Development Authority (CMDA) of the Maldives, where he has been 
serving since 2021. In his current role, Arushadh plays a key part in 
supporting the regulatory and supervisory functions of the Authority. His work focuses on reviewing regulatory filings, conducting compliance 
checks, and ensuring that listed companies and market intermediaries operate in line with capital market laws and regulations. He also contributes to broader policy discussions aimed at improving transparency, investor protection, and market development in the Maldives.
Through his role at CMDA, Arushadh has developed expertise in securities regulation, financial 
compliance, and market oversight. He is particularly interested in the intersection of regulation and innovation, including how evolving technologies and sustainable finance practices are shaping the 
future of capital markets in small island economies.
Arushadh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Staffordshire University (UK), 
completed through Asia Pacific University in Malaysia. His academic background has equipped him with a strong foundation in corporate governance, financial systems, and international business—
knowledge he actively applies in his regulatory work.
A dedicated public sector professional, Arushadh is committed to supporting the growth of a wellregulated, inclusive, and resilient capital market in the Maldives. He continues to seek opportunities 
for professional development and global collaboration in financial regulation and market development.

Team: Estifanos Melkamu Mesfin

Estifanos Mesfin

Estifanos Melkamu is the Director of Licensing and Registration at the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA), where he oversees the authorization of market intermediaries. He also leads the technical committee for ECMA’s regulatory sandbox, coordinating the review and 
admission of innovative financial technologies.
Since the establishment of ECMA in 2021, he has played a key role in shaping the institution's regulatory framework. He contributed to the drafting of foundational directives, including the Licensing and Supervision Directive and the Public Offer Directive. He also led technical work on capital market-related taxation policy reviews aimed at 
building an enabling fiscal environment. 
He played a key role in licensing Ethiopia’s first securities exchange and, within a year, has overseen the licensing of nine market service providers including investment banks and broker-dealers marking a significant milestone in the development of the country’s emerging capital market.
Prior to joining ECMA, he served as a Senior Enforcement Officer at Ethiopia’s commodity market regulator, specializing in investigation and prosecution of market misconduct. He later worked as a Senior Attorney at a commercial bank, providing legal advisory on financial services, compliance, and corporate operations. His experience has equipped him with a practical understanding of financial 
market dynamics from both public and private sector perspectives.
He holds an LL.B. and an LL.M. in Business Law and is fluent in English. Through his legal background and regulatory leadership, he contributes to building Ethiopia’s foundational capital market infrastructure and supports broader goals of financial innovation, investor protection, and inclusive economic growth.

Estifanos Melkamu Mesfin

Ambassadors: Josephine Kamanthe Ndambuki

Josephine Kamantha Ndambuki

Josephine is a Technology Strategy specialist with over 13 years’ experience working in technology and telecoms sector in Kenya.

Josephine Kamantha Ndambuki - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Iman BaniAtteyah

Iman Atteyah

Iman B. Atteyah working as a Studies & Policies Specialist at the oversight and supervision on the national payment system department, with 6 Years of experience at the Central Bank of Jordan,

Iman BaniAtteyah - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: James Adolfo Murillo Longas

James Murillo Longas

James A. Murillo Longas is a Financial and Business Engineer specializing in financial analysis, Capital Markets, tokenized products, and digital assets. With expertise tokenization, decentralized finance, and Digital Assets & DeFi, provides strategic insights for SMEs, Fintech and blockchain projects.


James A. Murillo Longas: GBBC Ambassaador to Latin America

Ambassadors: Richelle Cox

Richelle Cox

Australia

Globe

Ambassadors: Michael Clare

Michael Clare

Michael Clare is currently employed as the VP of Digital Assets and Fintech Operations at Liongate Bahamas Limited and formerly an Economist at the Ministry of Finance for the Bahamas.

Michael Clare -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Johan Toll

JohanToll

Johan Toll is Vice President and Head of Marketplace Services Platform and Digital Assets at Nasdaq Market Technology, and has over 20 years of experience in the financial software and technology sector.

Johan Toll - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Francois Sonnet

francois sonnet photo

Andorra

Ambassadors: Dr. Cornelius Kalenzi

Uganda Cornelius

Cornelius Kalenzi is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Korea Policy Center for the Fourth Industry Revolution (KPC4IR) at KAIST. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from KAIST, specializing in information and telecommunication Engineering and Management- specifically focusing on Fintech and the Banking Industry in the developing countries.

Cornelius Kalenzi - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Beatrice O’Carroll

Beatrice OCarroll 

Bea O'Carroll is the CEO of NautilusTech, a boutique OTC desk for individuals and small / medium sized companies interested in trading digital currencies. She jumped into bitcoin &amp; crypto in 2015, most recently working at Circle and itBit. 

Beatrice O’Carroll -  Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Abror Mirzo Olimov

Abror Mirzo

Abror Mirzo Olimov, expert in financial markets with over a decade of experience, currently serves as the Director of the Currency Regulation and Balance of Payments Department at the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

Abror Mirzo Olimov - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Dr. Max Bernt

Max Bernt

Dr. Max Bernt is Co-Founder of ValueVerse, Chief Legal Officer at Blockpit & Chairman at Accointing, Europe’s leading providers of crypto-tax solutions.

Max Bernt - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Glenn Hall

Glen Hall

Glenn Hall is a Partner in international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright and leads the firm’s Government Relations and Public Policy practice.

Glenn Hall - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Ingrid Wadell

Ingrid Wadell

Ingrid Wadell is the founder of Viking Space Agency, an innovation consulting company that specializes in FinTech, agriculture, and blockchain applications

Ingrid Wadell - Global Blockchain Business Council

Ambassadors: Mark Curran

Mark Curran Photo

Mark is a Senior Consultant in Valentia Partners, a boutique management consulting firm, where he specialises in providing strategic advisory services across Private Equity, FinTech, and Digital Assets to help senior leaders and investors implement go-to-market, licensing, and expansion strategies.

Sandra Ro

Chief Executive Officer

Emma Joyce

Chief Revenue Officer

Diana Oreto (Barrero Zalles)

Head of GSMI and Research

Jackson Ross

Director of Technical Programs and Head of InterWork Alliance (IWA)

Jeff Bandman

Board Director | Former Director, LabCFTC

Yuval Rooz

Board Director | Co-Founder & CEO, Digital Asset

John Lee

Board Director | Managing Director, Global Lead Digital Assets, Digital Currency Cap Markets & Exchanges Tech Innovation, Accenture

John deVadoss

Board Director | Co-Founder & CEO, NeuralFabric Corp

Dr. Reto Luthiger

Board Director | Partner, MLL Legal

Tanvi Singh

Board Director | Founder, Nirmata.ai Ventures

Dimitrios Psarrakis

Board Director | Former Financial Technology, Digital Transformation, and Innovation Strategy Specialist, European Parliament; Co-Founder, ValueVerse

Hernando de Soto

Chief Economist | President, Institute for Liberty & Democracy; Author, The Mystery of Capital, The Other Path

GBBC

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