Call for Papers: Crypto Asset Lab Conference 2026

CAL 2026 focuses on one of the most consequential developments in finance today: the accelerating convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralised finance (DeFi). This is not merely a technological evolution but a redefinition of how value is issued, transferred, and settled across institutional and decentralised architectures. A growing trend is at the centre of this transformation: financial instruments traditionally confined to centralised infrastructures are being reimagined in tokenised, programmable forms. Stablecoins, long viewed as peripheral instruments, are now being pulled into the regulatory mainstream. The GENIUS Act in the United States is a case in point—a legislative proposal that aims to bring stablecoin issuance under clear regulatory oversight, acknowledging its growing role in retail and wholesale payments. Yet even as the U.S. remains cautious about central bank digital currencies, blockchain-based financial market infrastructure (FMI) is gaining global momentum. In the UK, the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) provides legal and regulatory cover for the settlement of tokenised assets. Across Europe, the DLT Pilot Regime is testing new models of market operation. And increasingly, these experiments are giving way to full-scale systems. This momentum extends beyond new market entrants. Established financial infrastructure providers are adapting rapidly. DTCC’s “Great Collateral Experiment” demonstrates how tokenised collateral can enhance capital efficiency.

Meanwhile, SWIFT’s collaboration with Chainlink explores how cross-chain messaging can extend the reach of existing global networks into decentralised environments. All of this unfolds in a fast-evolving regulatory landscape. International bodies like the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and national regulators are working to understand and shape the future architecture of financial markets—one that may be partly centralised, partly decentralised, and fully interconnected.

We live at the dawn of a new era of finance, and it is paramount for every player to understand where we came from and where we are going. This conference is designed to achieve this: bringing together crypto-native players, tradfi incumbents, academics, and regulators.

Therefore, we invite you to submit your papers and be part of the discussion, as we will explore the future of finance together. At CAL 2026, we invite contributions from academia, industry, and regulatory bodies to critically examine this convergence of TradFi and DeFi.

We welcome submissions on topics including (but not limited to):

• Technological, economic, or legal frameworks for integrating tokenised instruments into traditional finance
• The rise of tokenised deposits, stablecoins, and money market funds
• Policy and supervisory responses to programmable money and digital settlement systems
• Interoperability between public blockchains and legacy infrastructure
• The role of regulated sandboxes, pilot regimes, and full-scale blockchain FMIs

This is not just a matter of infrastructure design but a question of where the global financial system is headed.

We are particularly keen to hear from researchers and practitioners who can help the financial community navigate these uncertain waters—who can offer insight, frameworks, or provocations that clarify what’s at stake.

By fostering dialogue between theory and practice, between market and regulator, CAL 2026 aims to shape a deeper understanding of how value will move in the years to come—and who will govern its flows.

Paper Submission

Authors are invited to submit their papers in English no later than November 20, 2025, to papers@cryptoassetlab.org. For PhD students, please indicate your student status when submitting the paper. Accepted papers will be notified by December 15, 2025. 

For general information, please get in touch with info@cryptoassetlab.org.

Publication opportunities 

The conference is associated with fast-track review processes in the following Journals:

• Journal of Financial Management, Markets and Institutions
• JOTT

Registration deadlines and fees

The deadline to register is January 10 2026.

To attend the conference (in person or remotely), get your ticket from Eventbrite.

Prices are:

• PhD students: €75
• General – in-person- admission: €150
• General – remotely- admission: €90 

Our Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

To facilitate the attendance of colleagues with limited possibilities to join us in person, the CAL Conference has adopted a hybrid mode since 2020. If you wish to join virtually, please indicate so during submission. 

Conference Committee

• Ferdinando Ametrano  (Digital Gold Institute and Università Milano-Bicocca)

• Paola A. Bongini, Gianfranco Forte, Francesca Mattassoglio, Alessia Pedrazzoli, Monica Rossolini (Università Milano-Bicocca)

• Simone Cortese (University of West London)

• Gianna Figà-Talamanca  (Università di Perugia)

• Marco Petracco Giudici (DG Joint Research Centre, European Commission)

• Luca Bellardini (Università degli Studi di Catania)

Scientific Committee 

• Lucia Alessi - DG Joint Research Centre, European Commission
• Filippo Annunziata - Università Bocconi
• Luca Fantacci - Università degli Studi di Milano
• Yuliya Guseva - Rutgers Law School
• Daniele Marazzina - Politecnico di Milano
• Edoardo Martino - Amsterdam Center for Law and Economics
• Paul Momtaz - Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
• Paolo Pagnottoni - Università degli Studi dell'Insubria
• Ricardo Pérez-Marco - CNRS, Université de Paris
• Gina Pieters - University of Chicago
• Carla Reyes - Southern Methodist University
• Sandra Ro - Global Blockchain Business Council
• Stefan Scharnowski - University of Mannheim
• Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
• Maarten van Oordt - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Silvio Vismara - Università di Bergamo