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2 May 2026, 06:42

DSA Addresses the Future of Payments at PayCLT Webinar and AI & Blockchain Conference at Cornell Tech

Washington, D.C., April 27, 2026 — The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA) , a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing clear and ethical public policy, research and education surrounding emerging technologies, today announced the successful conclusion of its participation in two recent industry events: a PayCLT webinar on April 22 and The Programmable Economy: AI & Blockchain Redefining Markets conference held April 24 at Cornell Tech in New York. Adrian Wall, Managing Director of DSA, joined a virtual fireside chat hosted by PayCLT, a nonprofit professional organization connecting payments and fintech professionals across the Carolinas, titled “Stablecoins & Tokenized Deposits: Moving from Proof of Concept to Utility.” Moderated by PayCLT Executive Director Dean Nolan, the discussion focused on the growing role of stablecoins and tokenized deposits in real-world payments infrastructure. Wall highlighted how these models are being integrated into existing financial systems, particularly across settlement, liquidity, and regulatory design. “Policy is no longer trailing innovation; it is actively defining what gets built, who participates, and how these systems scale,” said Wall. “Real progress will depend on how effectively we bridge decentralized and traditional finance. We’re grateful to PayCLT for convening these discussions and helping shape that foundation.” The Programmable Economy: AI & Blockchain Redefining Markets conference, co-hosted by Cornell Blockchain, Blockchain Builders, Blockchain at Cornell Tech, and the Cornell Tech AI Society, brought together students, operators, and technologists to examine the real-world impact of AI, blockchain, finance, and government. Molly Woodman, Senior Policy Advisor at DSA, spoke on the “Next Gen Payments” panel alongside Andres Lamothe, Director of Partnerships at MoonPay; Jolie Kahn, CEO of AVAX One; and Sébastien Badault, VP of Metaverse/Web3 Strategy at Ledger. The session was moderated by Jeff Rundlet, CFA, Head of Accounting Strategy at Cryptio, and explored emerging trends across payments infrastructure and digital asset markets. “Stablecoins are already being used across wallets, payment rails, and settlement processes,” said Woodman. “The focus is now on how these systems integrate with existing financial infrastructure while addressing questions around interoperability, trust, and regulatory alignment.” With increasing institutional focus on stablecoins, settlement efficiency, and programmable finance, these conversations come at a critical moment in the evolution of payments infrastructure. As digital assets continue to move into mainstream financial use, DSA remains committed to advancing research, fostering dialogue, and supporting policy frameworks that enable responsible innovation. About 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. Media contact Maghan Lusk [email protected]

2 May 2026, 02:43

WisdomTree $152 Billion AUM in Q1 | ETH Tokenization

WisdomTree raised its AUM to $152.6 billion in Q1, with $137M inflows into crypto ETPs. ETH-based tokenization expanded on Arbitrum, AVAX. ETH at 2.295$, strong S1 2.244$. Coinbase MegaETH listing ...

1 May 2026, 09:55

Avalanche Podcast: The AVAX Revolution in Institutional Finance

In the Avalanche podcast, Tassat and Lynq are transforming institutional finance with AVAX infrastructure. Real-time settlement and on-chain yield stand out. AVAX price $9.11, strong support $8.75....

1 May 2026, 08:53

Avalanche (AVAX) And NEAR Protocol (NEAR): After New Subnet And DA Partnerships, Do AVAX And NEAR Front‑Run A Modular L1 Trade Or Remain Second Tier To L2s?

As of May 1, 2026, the "Modular L1" narrative is attempting to reclaim the spotlight from the dominant Ethereum L2 ecosystem. Both Avalanche (AVAX) and NEAR Protocol (NEAR) are positioning themselves as core infrastructure for the modular era, though they are currently doing so from a "second-tier" position relative to Solana and top-tier rollups like Arbitrum and Base. The current market regime for both assets is "repair mode". While short-term trends are slightly positive, both tokens remain well below their prior cycle peaks, suggesting they are contenders in a crowded field rather than undisputed leaders. Avalanche (AVAX): Subnet Hub With Real Usage Source: tradingview Avalanche remains the most mature "L1 as a rollup hub" story outside of the Ethereum ecosystem. Its subnet architecture allows for dedicated app-chains with specific control over fees and MEV, which has attracted live projects in gaming, DeFi, and enterprise sectors. Technical & Fundamental Outlook: EVM Advantage: AVAX benefits from full EVM compatibility, making it a low-friction destination for existing Ethereum teams. The L2 Shadow: AVAX faces significant headwinds as many teams that might have launched subnets in 2021 are now choosing Ethereum L2s like Arbitrum or Blast to inherit Ethereum's native security and liquidity. Liquidity Fragmentation: There is a persistent risk that subnets fragment the user experience and liquidity unless routing and shared liquidity solutions become significantly stronger. Verdict: AVAX is a top-tier infra brand, but it currently trades as a cyclical L1 overshadowed by the massive momentum of Solana and the "monolithic" narrative. NEAR: DA + Chain Abstraction With Cleaner Trend Source: tradingview NEAR Protocol has pivoted successfully into the modular design space by offering NEAR DA (Data Availability) as a cheaper alternative to Ethereum mainnet for rollups. Technical & Fundamental Outlook: UX Lead: NEAR’s focus on "chain abstraction"—utilizing human-readable accounts and social logins—provides a smoother onboarding experience for consumer-facing apps compared to many peers. Market Favor: Recently, NEAR has exhibited a cleaner short-term uptrend than AVAX, with price holding above short- and medium-term moving averages and momentum indicators in healthy zones. Adoption Hurdles: Despite the clean trend, NEAR still trails L2s and Solana in mindshare, total value locked (TVL), and derivative volume. Verdict: NEAR currently looks like the more agile modular bet among non-ETH L1s, but it is still fighting for a place in a market where "modular" is heavily associated with specialized layers like Celestia or EigenDA. Conclusion For AVAX and NEAR to truly front-run a modular trade, they must move beyond episodic usage and prove they can capture high-quality projects for reasons beyond short-term incentives. Key signals for a re-rating include: Technical Breakouts: Both assets must reclaim and hold above their 200-day moving averages for weeks, not just days. Sustained Metrics: Verifiable growth in daily active users and fee revenue from DA usage (for NEAR) or subnet architecture (for AVAX). L2 Share Gains: Demonstrable share gains against Ethereum L2s in terms of developer attention and liquidity. Until these conditions are met, they are likely to remain important but second-tier options in the scaling race—highly relevant to traders but not yet the first choice for the broader market’s capital. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.