Building Europe’s integrated digital asset ecosystem: from vision to implementation
Building Europe's integrated digital asset ecosystem
From vision to implementation
Rue de la Science 37, 1040 Brussels
About the Event
Mr Piero Cipollone, Member of the ECB's Executive Board, will deliver a keynote on the Appia roadmap, a strategic initiative to shape the development of a European tokenised financial ecosystem in which central bank money continues to play a central role.
A high-level panel with representatives from Union institutions, central banks and the private sector will then discuss how public and private sector stakeholders can join forces to build integrated, competitive, innovative and resilient tokenised wholesale financial markets in Europe, thereby supporting the objectives of the Savings and Investment Union.
The panel will be moderated by Ms Rebecca Christie, Senior Fellow at Bruegel.
Speakers
Piero Cipollone has been a Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank since November 2023. He chairs the Eurosystem High-Level Task Force on the Digital Euro, the Euro Retail Payments Board (ERPB), and the Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures (ECRB).
He previously served as Deputy Governor of the Banca d'Italia (2020–2023) and as Economic Adviser to the Italian Prime Minister (2018–2019). He holds an MA in Economics from Stanford University and a degree from Sapienza University of Rome.
Gabriel Makhlouf has served as Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland since September 2019, and is a member of the ECB Governing Council. He previously served as Secretary and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Treasury (2011–2019).
Prior to that, he spent over 26 years in the UK Civil Service and chaired the OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs (2000–2004). He is a prominent voice on financial regulation, digital finance and central bank strategy.
Cyril Rousseau joined the European Investment Bank as Director General of the Finance Directorate on 1 October 2023. He was previously Chief Executive of Agence France Trésor (AFT) starting in 2021, where he oversaw French sovereign debt management.
In his current role at the EIB, he oversees the bank's financing strategy and capital market operations, positioning the EIB as a key actor in European capital market development and innovation.
Sebastien Danloy is Chief Business Officer and Member of the Executive Committee at Euroclear, a position he has held since September 2024. He oversees business development and client strategy for the group, one of the world's leading financial market infrastructure providers.
With extensive experience in securities services, investor services and capital markets, he plays a key role in Euroclear's innovation and digital asset strategy.
Thomas Vlassopoulos was appointed Director General Market Infrastructure and Payments at the ECB in June 2025. He leads DG-MIP, which oversees TARGET Services, the digital euro project, and retail and wholesale payment systems. He joined the ECB in 2008 from the Bank of Greece.
He previously served as Deputy Director General Market Operations (from May 2021) and as Head of the Monetary Analysis Division. He holds a Master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Important – Please be advised that the room's physical constraints permit only a restricted number of participants so registration could be closed after the maximum capacity is reached.
Please note that a photographer might be present at the event, taking photographs for Organisers' communications platforms. If you do not wish to be photographed, please inform the photographer in the room.
Staff