Limassol, Cyprus. Speakers at the Digital Assets and the Future of Finance Summit 2026 said the focus of the digital assets sector is shifting from speculation and volatility toward regulation, institutional confidence, practical use cases and trust. The event, presented by ECOMMBX this week at City of Dreams Mediterranean, brought together regulators, bankers, fintech executives, legal experts and technology providers.
Sector shift toward regulation
The summit focused on how digital assets are moving from the margins of finance into a more regulated and practical environment.
Its agenda reflected changes across the sector, covering MiCA, DORA, the Digital Euro and CBDCs, as well as tokenised real-world assets, stablecoins, institutional portfolios, digital payments and the use of blockchain infrastructure in mainstream finance.
CySEC outlines regulatory framework
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission chairman George Theocharides said financial markets are undergoing “a period of structural transformation”, with digitalisation and innovation changing how they operate.
He said digital assets are becoming increasingly integrated into the financial system, while institutional participation is accelerating through regulated products such as ETFs and ETPs.
Theocharides described MiCA as “the first comprehensive European regulatory framework for crypto-assets”, saying it improves legal certainty, investor protection and supervisory convergence across the European Union.
Innovation and oversight
Theocharides said regulation and innovation must advance together rather than separately.
He said tokenisation offers significant opportunities for capital markets through greater efficiency, transparency and the possibility of fractional ownership, while challenges remain in infrastructure, custody and legal certainty.
According to Theocharides, the aim of supervisors is to protect investor confidence, ensure market integrity and create the conditions for sustainable financial innovation. He said this is necessary to build “a more resilient and future-oriented financial system”.
Cyprus position in the sector
Harrys Michaelides, General Manager of ECOMMBX Investment, said the discussion has moved beyond crypto as a specialised investment category and now concerns “the foundations of what many are now calling the next generation of financial services”.
He said digital infrastructure, tokenisation and new forms of capital are changing how markets operate.
Michaelides said Cyprus has developed into one of the more established European jurisdictions for the sector, with an ecosystem of investment firms, e-money institutions, payment service providers and digital asset businesses.
He added that Cyprus’ position between Europe, the Middle East and Africa gives it a role as a bridge as financial infrastructure is redesigned.
Trust as central theme
Throughout the summit, trust emerged as a central theme in discussions about the future of digital assets and finance.
