Katten Partners Featured at the Futures and Derivatives Law Report's Digital Asset Leadership Summit

(NEW YORK) Katten announced today that Financial Markets and Regulation practice Co-Chair Carl E. Kennedy and Partner Michael S. Didiuk were featured speakers at the Futures and Derivatives Law Report's Digital Asset Leadership Summit, held on October 7 at the firm's New York office.

The event, focused on legislative and regulatory developments and market innovations, showcased fireside chats with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul S. Atkins, moderated by former SEC Commissioner Troy A. Paredes, and another conversation with US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Acting Chairman Caroline D. Pham, moderated by Kennedy.

"The summit's discussions put a spotlight on the importance for regulators and policymakers to close the gap between innovation and regulation in the digital asset space. It's evident that collaboration between regulators and industry leaders is vital for developing a framework that promotes growth while maintaining market integrity," said Kennedy, also an editorial board member of the Futures and Derivatives Law Report and former CFTC regulator. "Chairman Atkins's and Acting Chairman Pham’s willingness to discuss these matters demonstrates their commitment to cross-agency cooperation and to advancing the digital asset markets."

Futures and Derivatives Law Report's Editor-in-Chief Gary E. Kalbaugh welcomed guests to the inaugural event and introduced the distinguished speakers on two panels titled "Driving Innovation: Legislative Priorities and Administrative Successes in Digital Asset Policy" and "Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tackling Unresolved Challenges in Crypto Regulation."

Following his introduction, in-depth panel discussions began with a range of industry professionals: Chris Brummer, Professor, Georgetown Law School; Julia Hueckel, Director, Regulatory Policy, Coinbase; Stephen Humenik, SVP, Global Head of Capital Markets, Legal & Head of Clearing, Crypto.com; Summer Mersinger, Chief Executive Officer, Blockchain Association; Katrina Paglia, Chief Legal Officer, Pantera; Troy A. Paredes, former Commissioner, SEC; Christine Parker, Deputy General Counsel, Circle; Christopher Perkins, Managing Partner and President, CoinFund; and Greg Xethalis, Partner and General Counsel, Multicoin Capital.

The panels highlighted key regulatory achievements and initiatives that have advanced the digital asset ecosystem, and recent legislation and proposals aimed at regulating digital assets. They also covered ongoing efforts to tokenize real-world assets and integrate them into financial markets, as well as the challenges and opportunities of using digital assets as collateral or margin in financial transactions, among other topics.

Katten's Didiuk moderated a panel on digital asset policy, where efforts to align federal, state and international regulations to create a cohesive framework for digital assets were discussed alongside other key issues.

"We're at an inflection point as the future of digital assets in our financial markets comes into sharper focus. Bringing together key industry leaders for an open dialogue about what comes next for blockchain and digital assets — and how smart, balanced policy can support innovation and investor protection goals — is an important step forward," said Didiuk.

With a deep bench of attorneys who have held senior positions at federal regulatory agencies, Katten's Financial Markets and Regulation practice represents market-leading clients on complex matters related to cryptocurrency, digital assets and blockchain technology, as well as advises on regulatory, compliance, transactional and enforcement-related issues.

A leader in the financial services industry, Katten has been at the forefront of digital asset-related law since the inception of cryptocurrency trading and was recently recognized in the Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies and Crypto-Asset Disputes categories in the Chambers FinTech 2025 guide.