Consensus 2025: Crypto + TradFi Equals Financial Freedom - Welcome to The Future of Money

I always love going back home to Canada. So when I had the chance to attend Consensus 2025 in Toronto last week, I jumped at it.  I expected the usual warm Canadian charm, clean streets and “New York Light” city vibe - plus all the hottest Web3 companies vying to convince us that their tech can shape our financial future for the better. 

This is the birthplace of Ethereum after all  - and home to one of the most vibrant crypto communities in North America. I knew I’d bump into amazing DeFi people at the show.

But what I didn’t expect was just how many traditional finance heavyweights  were there too.

Georgia Hanias speaking at Consensus 2025

Trust me, there were heaps of them. I thought I was attending SIBOS, not a crypto show.

But as I looked around the packed rooms and buzzing side events, I had a realisation: it’s finally happening. The long-hyped convergence of TradFi and RealFi is no longer just a clickbait headline. These worlds are now becoming inextricably linked - and it’s happening fast. 

Could this be the dawn of mass adoption?

I think the answer is yes.

From privacy panels at DNA House - a fringe event hosted by Brock Pierce, the man behind Tether,  to stablecoin showdowns on the main stage, Consensus made it loud and clear to attendees: crypto isn’t just building the future of finance. It's actively shaking things up, forcing the traditional institutions to finally take it seriously, and finding new ways to create something more powerful, accessible, and unstoppable.

Rational Privacy: From Principle to Practice

One of the most timely and important conversations I had the privilege of moderating was at DNA House, titled “Enabling Institutional Adoption Through Rational Privacy.” Held at Clio Toronto, the panel brought together leading voices in privacy infrastructure and enterprise blockchain: 

• Fahmi Syed, President of the Midnight Foundation, which is spearheading the growth of Midnight - a next-generation blockchain purpose-built for privacy, compliance and auditability

• Neil Chopra, Director of Market Development at Fireblocks, the industry leader in secure digital asset custody, tokenization and institutional infrastructure

• Alex McFarlane, Co-founder of Keyring, a company pioneering composable digital identity infrastructure

As blockchain technology matures, the tension between innovation and data protection is reaching a critical point. Institutions want in - but they still grapple with how to preserve privacy, comply with regulation and unlock the full value of digital assets.

This is where rational privacy comes in: the idea that privacy must be preserved without compromising usability, transparency or trust. 

We tackled the “privacy paradox” - where institutions profess the importance of privacy but rarely build for it - and explored how clear data policies, user sovereignty and privacy-enhancing technologies can bridge that gap.

The takeaway was clear: Privacy isn’t a barrier to adoption - it’s the bridge.

USD1 and the Rise of Stablecoins

The conference culminated in one of the most talked-about main stage sessions: “Stablecoins 2.0: How USD1 Is Setting the Benchmark,” moderated by Charles Hoskinson. 

The pane featured:

• Eric Trump, Co-Founder and CSO of American Bitcoin (and son of Donald Trump)

• Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink

• Zak Folkman and Zach Witkoff, Co-Founders of World Liberty Financial

The talk examined how USD1 - the stablecoin launched by World Financial, is expanding access to US dollars and reimagining what digital currency can be.

Eric Trump speaking at Consensus 2025

Trump shared a blistering critique of legacy finance:

“The modern financial system is broken, guys - absolutely broken. It’s slow, it’s expensive, it’s antiquated. Every Friday, I’m waiting for a SWIFT wire transfer at 4 p.m., wondering if it’ll hit. But I can send a million dollars in Bitcoin in seconds while sipping wine with my wife. That’s the disconnect.”

He also had this to say about bankers: 

“They haven’t kept up with the technology. They’ve weaponized finance. They shut down our accounts for having a political view - even though we were in full compliance.”

And perhaps most memorably:

“Crypto didn’t just give us financial tools - it gave us freedom.”

USD1, already live across major chains and powered by Chainlink’s CCIP, is positioning itself not just as another stablecoin - but as a compliant, composable, cross-chain bridge between TradFi and DeFi. 

Charles Hoskinson speaking at Consensus 2025

Charles Hoskinson tied it all together with a statement that captured the mood of the entire week: 

“The future of finance isn’t just coming - it’s here. And we’re building it right now.”

I have to agree.

So what comes next? 

Judging by the enthusiasm and excitement at the show, most attendees would agree that the global financial system is evolving in real time. TradFi and DeFi are converging. Privacy is being redefined. Compliance is being automated. And stablecoins are becoming the new rails for value.

The builders have shown up. The institutions are listening. And things are truly unstoppable. 

If you weren’t paying attention before - now’s the time. Crypto is here to stay. Whether you like it or not.