Institutional Crypto and a New Generation of Wall Street Leaders

If there's any doubt institutions are moving fast on crypto asset adoption, take it from a teacher.

In developing the syllabus for Fordham Law and Gabelli School of Business, which both offered my new course on blockchains and crypto assets, I was all too aware of the dramatic changes the industry underwent.

Still more important will be a larger question that will define all of the above: Who are our leaders leading the charge to institutional adoption of digital assets?

When we think about advancing the use of crypto and digital assets, it is helpful to draw on history.

As the market gains traction we should be reminded of the need to reimagine exchange structure and the promise of decentralization for digital assets, and that we need leaders who can help steer us toward this greater goal.

As we move towards institutional digital assets, new partnerships are being developed, frameworks are being built and alliances forged.

In 2018, the digital asset industry began step-by- step an educational framework for the institutional marketplace as well as for the regulators and also began to produce thought leadership initiatives based on scholarly work.

In 2019, we can expect to see mergers and alliances that position firms to offer digital asset products to institutional investors and to provide creative solutions aimed at building infrastructure and an efficient liquid security token market.

My hope is to see continued leadership from a new generation of empowered entrepreneurs who can perform a leadership role similar to Sandor, Melamed or myself, driving the process of the institutionalization of crypto-digital assets, and continuing the long-running digitization of finance, already decades in the making.

It is noteworthy and without historical precedent that in 2019 women in leadership positions will have key roles in driving the process of the institutionalization of crypto assets.