ABOUT

Although many banks and financial services firms around the world are currently exploring blockchain technologies, and many have widely acknowledged that blockchain represents a huge opportunity to develop unprecedented banking and finance technologies, blockchain developments are currently still in a state of flux. One thing that is certain, is that comprehensively understanding the potential for blockchain technologies here and now, is absolutely crucial for banking and finance professionals around the world in order for them to be able to successfully capitalise on future blockchain trends and developments. The ‘Blockchain Technologies for Banking and Finance Professionals’ Training Programme has been specifically designed to provide banking and finance professionals with exactly the type of cost-effective training that they need, in order to be able to comprehensively understand the constantly evolving blockchain technologies landscape across multiple jurisdictions and regions around the world.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

SESSION 1: An Overview of Blockchain Technologies and Banking and Finance

·     Definitions (Blockchain; Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT); Permissionless Blockchain; Permissioned Blockchain; Smart Contracts); Commercial Banking Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

·     Potential Example Use Cases (Cash Flow Supply Train; European Union (EU) Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Credit System Blockchain Database; Identity, Know Your Customer (KYC), and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Financial Tracking; Interbank Securities Settlement; Intra-bank Cross-Border Transfers; Retail CBDC; Wholesale CBDC).

·     Proof of Concept; Commercial Significance; Early Adoption Stage; Blockchain Challenges (Internal Momentum; Security; Stakeholder Education); Blockchain Strategies; Benefits of Blockchain Deployment (Faster Settlement Speeds; Fewer Errors; Less Exceptions; Lower Costs; New Revenue Opportunities). 

·     Impact of Blockchain on High Performance Investment Bank Model; Potential Cost Savings (Central Finance Reporting; Compliance; Centralised Operations; Business Operations); The Global Blockchain Banking Disruption; Global Network Characteristics; the Future Blockchain ‘Rules of Engagement’. 

SESSION 2: Payments and Blockchain Technologies

·     Payments Infrastructure; Omnichannel Banking Experience; Decentralized Ledger for Payments; Advantages of Blockchain Payments (Reduced Third Party Verification; Increased Speed and Processing Times; Reduced Costs; Increased Accuracy; Global Application).

·     Payments, Blockchain and Atomic Transactions; Increased Global Growth in Cryptocurrency Transaction Volumes.

·     Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Communication (SWIFT) and Blockchain Technologies v. Ripple and Blockchain Technologies;  

·     Case Study:Ripple; Real-time Gross Settlement System (RTGS); Ripple Lab’s Blockchain Protocol; Rabobank; Proprietary Blockchain Network; Inter-Ledger Protocol Requirements. 

SESSION 3: Clearing and Settlement and Blockchain Technologies

·     Clearing and Settlement Infrastructure; Cryptographic Tokens and ‘Off-Chain’ Assets; Advantages of Distributed Ledgers (Increased Efficiency; Reduced Asset Exchange Fees; Reduced Operational Costs; Real-Time Transactions; Interoperable Capital Markets). 

·     Tokenizing Traditional Securities (e.g. Alternative Assets; Bonds; Stocks); Smart Contracts and Tokenized Securities (e.g. Programmable Equity; Dividend Pay Outs; Stock Buybacks); Polymath Project (Blocktrade; Corl; Ethereum Capital); Regulatory and Legislative Hurdles. 

·     Case Study:Australian Securities Exchange (ASX); Digital Asset Holdings; VMware; Replacement of CHESS Platform; Customer Development Environment (CDE); Smart Contracts and DAML; 2021 Roll Out. 

·     Case Study:United States; Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC); IBM; R3; Axoni; DLT Framework for Derivatives Post-Trade Lifecycle Events; Replacement of Trade Information Warehouse (TIW).

SESSION 4: Identity, Know Your Customer (KYC), and Fraud Reduction

·     Blockchain and Identity; Definitions (Identity; Public Service Identity); Identity Management Model; Public Service Identity; Ecosystem Partnerships (Regulators; Banks; Financial Technology (FinTech) Firms); Security; Decentralized Access to Identity Information; Data Protection Issues; Smartphones and Identity Applications (Apps).

·     Blockchain and Know Your Customer (KYC), and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Requirements; Blockchain, KYC, and AML Developments; Legal, Operational and Regulatory Integration.

·     Fraud and Financial Transaction Losses; Blockchain and Identity Fraud; Blockchain and Fraud Reduction; Elimination of Common Frauds (e.g. Double Spend).

·     Blockchain and Remittance Payments; FinTech Firms and Remittance Payments (e.g. Bitspark; BitPesa); FinTech and Remittance Payments Developments. 

EXPERT TRAINER

Rodrigo Zepeda is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Storm-7 Consulting. He is an expert consultant who specialises in derivatives and banking and financial services law, regulation, and compliance. He is an expert in a very broad range of regulatory compliance frameworks such as FATCA, the OECD CRS, MiFID II, MAD 2 MAR, PSD2, CRD IV, Solvency II, OTC Derivatives, CCP Clearing, PRIIPs, BRRD, AML4, and the GDPR. He holds a LLB degree, a LLM Masters degree in International and Comparative Business Law, and has passed the New York Bar Examination. He was an Associate (ACSI) of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment from 2004 to 2014 and is now a Chartered Member (MCSI). He has created and delivered numerous conferences and training courses around the world such as ‘FATCA for Latin American Firms’ (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Panama City, Panama), ‘MiFID II: Regulatory, Risk, and Compliance (London), and ‘Market Abuse: Operational Compliance’ (London), ‘AEOI (FATCA & CRS)’ (London, Lebanon, Dubai, Malta, Manama, Bahrain); AML/CFT: Operational Compliance (Dubai, London); MLRO: Operational Compliance (London).

He has also delivered numerous In-House Training Courses around the world to major international financial institutions such as The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (MiFID II: Operational Compliance, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates); the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (MiFID II: Final Review, London); CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America (Swaps and Over-the-counter Derivatives, Lima, Peru); Eurex Exchange (CCP Clearing, Risk Management, Recovery and Resolution, Eschborn, Germany); European Energy Exchange AG (CCP Clearing, Risk Management, Recovery and Resolution, Leipzig, Germany); Rothschild Investment Management (UK) Limited (AEOI (FATCA & CRS), London); Resolution Life (AEOI (FATCA & CRS, London); CCP Clearing, Risk Management, Recovery and Resolution; Bethmann Bank AG (MAD 2 MAR, Frankfurt); Saxo Capital Markets (MAD 2 MAR, London); and Invesco Management, S.A. (AML/CFT, Henley); Validus Risk Management (OTC Derivatives, Eton).

For 2019 he has created some of the most cutting edge training courses available on the market today, including Artificial Intelligence in Banking and Financial Services; Supervisory Technologies (SupTech); The European Margin Rules; The 2018-2020 Collateral Paradigm; AML & CFT Advanced Practitioner; Virtual Currencies, AML, CFT: Operational Compliance; and Behavioural Persuasion Masterclass. He is a Reviewer for the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance and has also published widely in leading industry journals such as the Capco Institute’s Journal of Financial Transformation, the Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation, as well as e-books on derivatives law. Noted publications include “Optimizing Risk Allocation for CCPs under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation”; “The ISDA Master Agreement 2012: A Missed Opportunity”; “The ISDA Master Agreement: The Derivatives Risk Management Tool of the 21st Century?”; “To EU, or not to EU: that is the AIFMD question”; and “The Industrialization Blueprint: Re- Engineering the Future of Banking and Financial Services?”.

Disclaimer

ISDA® is a registered trademark of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., and Storm-7 Consulting Limited is neither sponsored by nor affiliated with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA), and the public is hereby informed that Storm-7 Consulting Limited holds no commercial, private, or other relationship with ISDA.