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Washington, D.C., October 18, 2026 — The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing clear and ethical public policy, research, and education related to emerging technologies, participated in Nacha’s Payments Innovation Alliance Fall Meeting, where DSA Senior Policy Advisor Molly Woodman joined industry leaders to discuss emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and the future of domestic and global payments.
Held October 14-16 at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois, the three-day meeting brought together stakeholders from across the financial services and payments industries to exchange insights, address operational challenges, and explore opportunities for innovation. Discussions focused on evolving payment technologies, regulatory considerations, and practical approaches to navigating an increasingly complex financial landscape.
As part of the Alliance’s ongoing initiatives, Woodman facilitated discussions surrounding the newly launched Next-Gen Currency Project Team, a project co-led by Nacha and DSA. The team explores the global use of digital assets, including stablecoins and tokenized deposits, for money movement. Its work focuses on developing tools to bridge digital assets and traditional payment systems, tracking regulatory developments, identifying operational implications, and providing educational resources to the payments industry.
Throughout the meeting, participants also examined practical challenges facing financial institutions as emerging technologies reshape payment systems. Topics included expectations for financial institutions regarding agentic payments, the reliability of multifactor authentication methods as technology evolves, and emerging approaches to Know Your Agent (KYA) frameworks. Discussions highlighted the importance of industry collaboration in addressing operational uncertainties and developing workable solutions as regulatory frameworks continue to evolve.
“It’s been encouraging to watch financial institutions brainstorm together on how to build some continuity in areas where regulation hasn’t caught up yet,” said Molly Woodman, Senior Policy Advisor at DSA.
DSA’s participation reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting informed policy discussions and collaboration across the financial services and emerging technology sectors. Through its involvement in the Next-Gen Currency Project Team and broader industry engagement, DSA works to advance approaches that support responsible innovation, regulatory clarity, and the integration of emerging technologies into the evolving payments landscape.
About the Digital Sovereignty Alliance
The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA) is a nonprofit social welfare organization committed to advocating for public policies that support ethical innovation in decentralized technologies, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, and artificial intelligence. DSA conducts research, organizes educational events, and promotes policies that prioritize public welfare and digital sovereignty.
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