CoinDesk returns to Hong Kong this week for Consensus 2026 — and policy will be front and center. What to expect - The conference opens this Wednesday with remarks from Hong Kong Chief Executive John KC Lee. CoinDesk will be using the event to dig into Hong Kong’s growing role as a gateway between East and West for crypto and financial services. - Day one features Financial Secretary Paul Chan and Securities and Futures Commission CEO Julia Leung. Their appearances set the tone for a strong regulatory focus across the program. - Regulators, politicians and industry leaders from around the world will take the stage to debate how policy, market design and innovation should intersect. Topics include real-world-asset tokenization, stablecoins, evolving payments systems, the rise of ETFs, privacy, artificial intelligence’s role in markets, decentralized finance and trading behavior. Why this matters Consensus Hong Kong is shaping up as a snapshot of where crypto policy is heading globally. The mix of local officials and international regulators signals both Hong Kong’s ambitions and the broader push to balance innovation with oversight. A busy week for crypto policy The conference comes amid other major U.S. policy activity: - SEC Chair Paul Atkins will testify before both the House Financial Services and Senate Banking Committees. While those hearings cover SEC oversight broadly, expect questions about crypto and Atkins’ work on sector-specific rulemaking. - The White House is convening another meeting between crypto and banking industry representatives — details remain sparse, but the session underscores continued federal engagement with the industry. If you’re coming to Consensus I’ll be onstage and roaming the show floor — say hello. If you have story suggestions or questions for next week, email me at [email protected] or find me on Bluesky @nikhileshde.bsky.social. You can also join the group conversation on Telegram. This edition comes from State of Crypto, CoinDesk’s newsletter on the intersection of crypto and government. Sign up for future editions to stay on top of policy and market developments. See you in Hong Kong. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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