Event attendance is by invitation only.
Blockchain in America 2025: Architects of Trust at the Intersection of Technology, Policy, and Law is a one-day event to be held on Friday, July 25, in the Downes Club in Notre Dame Stadium.
The meeting is designed as a launch point into a broader, multi-phase dialogue. It will help shape the agenda for a policy-focused gathering in Washington, DC, to be held in Fall 2025, where key insights from this first workshop will be further developed with lawmakers and agency officials.
Additionally, the series will culminate in a major, hopefully annual, blockchain community convening later in Fall 2025 at Notre Dame, engaging faculty, students, and industry partners to deepen academic and educational engagement in the field.
Preliminary Agenda:
July 25th, Downes Club in Notre Dame Stadium
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Registration and Breakfast
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM Introductory Remarks (Jeffrey F. Rhoads, Vice President for Research, University of Notre Dame, and Jarek Nabrzyski, Center for Research Computing at Notre Dame)
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Morning Keynote, W. Sean Ford, CEO of XSY.fi, "Designing Resilient Financial Infrastructure: Synthetic Dollars, Stablecoins & Native Liquidity"
W. Sean Ford – CEO of XSY.fi and former CEO of Algorand – draws on his leadership experience to outline how resilient financial infrastructure can be built with emerging blockchain innovations. In this forward-looking keynote, he highlights the evolution and importance of stablecoins and synthetic dollars as critical pillars of next-generation finance: stable-value assets that unlock new on-chain economic activity. Sean will also demystify the concept of “native liquidity” in decentralized finance, illustrating why liquidity deeply embedded in blockchain ecosystems is foundational for sustainable DeFi growth.
He notes that user demand often outpaces what the industry currently provides, pointing to a growing gap between customer readiness and today’s crypto services. To close this gap, Ford calls for both crypto innovators and policymakers to move beyond reactive measures and embrace predictive, forward-looking strategies, echoing emerging shifts toward proactive collaboration in crypto regulations. Balancing visionary insights with practical examples, his talk is designed to be accessible and informative for students, builders, academics, and institutional participants alike.
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM Lightning talks (5 mins each): CyberSMART (Ophir Frieder, Georgetown University), BGIN (Shin'ichiro Matsuo, Virginia Tech), Web3 Analytics Use cases (Jim Borger, Web3Sense.ai), Roei Ganzarski (Alitheon), ND Blockchain Lab (Jarek Nabrzyski, ND)
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM Coffee Break
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM Panel moderated by Sean W. Ford "Decentralized finance"
This panel brings together leading voices in blockchain venture capital and entrepreneurship to explore how decentralized finance (DeFi) is reshaping the financial landscape. Panelists will discuss the latest DeFi trends and innovative applications, highlighting how new blockchain-based platforms are expanding access to services like lending, borrowing, and payments without relying on traditional banks. The discussion will cover the opportunities and challenges of investing in DeFi, from navigating regulatory uncertainties to ensuring security and trust in decentralized platforms. Panelists will also examine how decentralized finance is bridging the gap between traditional finance and the emerging digital economy. In addition to industry insights, the panel will consider perspectives relevant to academics, startups, and builders, touching on the role of research and education in driving DeFi forward. Attendees can expect an informative session on what DeFi’s rise means for the future of money, financial inclusion, and the broader blockchain ecosystem in America.
Panelists:
- Keli Callaghan, Partner, Chief Growth Officer at Arrington Capital
- Jeremy Wallis, General Partner/ Head of Venture at Chainview Capital | Crypto Venture Fund
- Joe Bruzzesi, General Partner at RW3 Ventures | Board at Titan Content & Nirvana Labs (via Zoom)
- Danish Chaudhry, GP & Co-Founder Paper Ventures, Prev. BlackRock, EY, Bitcoin.com, FMFW.io | Entrepreneur (via Zoom)
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM Lunch
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Afternoon Keynote: Jason Brett, Key Bridge Advisors, "Public Interest Tech and Policy"
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Panel moderated by Jason Brett: "Clearing the Fog: Hot Topics, Policy Barriers, and Washington’s Next Moves"
This panel brings together leading policy experts from Hedera, Chainlink Labs, Paradigm, and the Solana Policy Institute to explore the evolving regulatory landscape for digital assets in the United States. As Washington grapples with how to govern blockchain technologies, our panelists will discuss the most pressing policy debates, from market structure and stablecoins to DeFi, tokenization, and developer liability. The conversation will address bipartisan trends, the pace of regulation, and how industry leaders are engaging with policymakers. Attendees will gain an insider’s view of what’s happening behind the scenes in D.C., and what it means for the future of innovation, compliance, and competitiveness. This session is essential for anyone building, investing in, or studying the intersection of policy and blockchain.
Panelists:
- Cody Carbone, CEO, The Digital Chamber
- John Sarson, CEO, Sarson Funds
- Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, General Counsel, Starkware
- Danny McCabe, CEO, Flexa
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Coffee Break
2:45 PM - 3:30 PM Panel moderated by Jarek Nabrzyski, ND Research, Center for Research Computing: "Blockchain + Supply Chains"
In this panel, industry experts Jeff Gaus (Provenance Chain Network), Ian Taylor (SIMBA Chain), Dan Weinberger (Morpheus Network), and Roei Ganzarski (Alitheon) will explore how blockchain technology can strengthen supply chain resilience and security. The audience will learn how blockchain’s transparency and immutable record-keeping help trace the provenance of critical components and prevent tampering or counterfeit parts. This enhanced trust and traceability is crucial for national security, ensuring that defense systems and high-stakes industries like electronics and semiconductor chips have secure, reliable supply lines.
Blockchain provides a shared ledger accessible to all authorized participants, so everyone in the supply chain can view the same up-to-date, immutable data. This collective visibility helps stakeholders quickly identify and address any disruptions, making the supply chain more robust and efficient. Through real-world examples, the panelists will illustrate how integrating blockchain into supply chain operations safeguards both business continuity and national security.
Panelists:
- Dan McMorris, Provenance Chain Network
- Ian Taylor, CEO, SimbaChain
- Dan Weinberger, Morpheus.Network (via ZOOM)
- Roei Ganzarski, Alitheon
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Closing Remarks and Networking
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Notre Dame Blockchain/Crypto Steering Committee Meeting (Hybrid)
Steering Committee Members:
- Sean Ford, Chair (XSY.fi)
- Jason Brett (Key Bridge Advisors)
- Austin Campbell (NYU, Paxos)
- Ophir Frieder (Georgetown University)
- Paul Grewal (Coinbase)
- Anthony Scaramucci (Skybridge)
- Jeff Rhoads (Notre Dame, Ex Officio)
- Jarek Nabrzyski (Notre Dame, Ex Officio)
- 2 other members TBC
Register here (No registration fee, but registration is required)
Hotel reservation (special rate for the night of July 24)
Hotel block closes at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, July 11.
Getting to Notre Dame
By Air
South Bend International Airport is about 15 minutes by car from the Notre Dame campus (flights should be booked to South Bend, Indiana -- airport code SBN). Various transportation methods are available (e.g., taxi, rental car, limo).
Visitors also can fly into Chicago then drive to Notre Dame. The University is about two hours by car from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and about 90 minutes from Midway International Airport.
By Train
The South Shore Line trains run directly from the Chicago Loop (at the corner of Michigan and Randolph) to South Bend International Airport (about a three-hour trip). From the airport, the Notre Dame campus is approximately a 15-minute ride by car. Various transportation methods are available (e.g., taxi, rental car, ride-hailing service).
For additional information, please get in touch with Workshop Local PoC, Jarek Nabrzyski at naber@nd.edu
Event attendance is by invitation only.