Global Digital Asset Forum Vienna

Can the European market in digital assets remain competitive without greater regulatory certainty?

This question sparked a lively discussion during our panel “MiCA & Asset-Referenced Tokens: Design, Risks and Market Reality”, featuring Univ.-Prof. Christian Piska, Oliver Völkel, Benjamin Levit, Gernot Prettenthaler, Paul Pöltner and Shoham Ben Rubi.

Together, the panel explored some of the most pressing challenges facing the European digital asset market: regulatory uncertainty, the distinction between asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) and financial instruments, the role of supervisory authorities, and the impact these issues have on innovation, investment and Europe's global competitiveness. At the same time, the discussion highlighted the significant opportunities that tokenisation presents for the financial sector – and why greater legal certainty will be essential to unlock its full potential.

The event took place as part of ViennaUP Week and the Global Digital Asset Forum Vienna and was jointly organised by CERHA HEMPEL and the DAAA | Digital Assets Association Austria. It provided a platform for exchanging perspectives from academia, legal practice, financial institutions and the blockchain industry on the evolving European regulatory framework for digital assets.

Watch the full panel discussion here.