This episode offers a 2026 midyear global check-in on crypto policy and focuses on where the conversation is gaining real momentum. It covers tokenization, the US legislative moment around the Clarity Act and stablecoin rule-making, the MiCA review process in Europe, and the continued importance of keeping infrastructure providers out of intermediary categories that do not fit what they do. Taken together, these issues offer a useful snapshot of how the policy landscape is shifting across major jurisdictions. Stay updated and get even more details in our policy comment letters [https://avalanchepolicy.com/en/comment-letters/1/].

EP71: Ask the Owl, Ep 2: Midyear Crypto Policy Update 2026

Erwin Voloder of Blockchain for Europe joins us to unpack why euro stablecoins still struggle to gain traction under MiCA, despite Europe’s push for regulated digital finance. From remuneration and reserve design to legal uncertainty and central bank infrastructure, this episode looks at the frictions shaping the market now and the monetary future Europe may be building toward. The conversation is grounded in Blockchain for Europe’s report, Reforming MiCA for Euro Stablecoins: A Status Report, which lays out a sharper case for recalibrating key parts of the current framework. Check out the full report: https://www.blockchain4europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Reforming-MiCA-for-Euro-Stablecoins-26426.pdf

Ep 69: MiCA and Euro Stablecoins: Europe’s Next Test in Digital Finance

This episode starts with a simple argument: Europe cannot buy its way into digital sovereignty. Professor Roman Beck explains why the real issue is not nationality, but control, and why blockchain and decentralized systems belong in that conversation. From governance and key custody to resilience and execution, this is a policy discussion about what blockchain infrastructure can offer when institutions are thinking seriously about sovereignty.

Ep 68: Digital Sovereignty Beyond “Buy European”

What does good crypto regulation look like when the technology keeps moving and the stakes are real? Maha El Dimachki (GFTN) to talk about the gap between blockchain and crypto in policy conversations, the importance of proportionate regulation, and why useful engagement between regulators and industry depends on trust, tension, and clarity. We also get into policy coordination, experimentation, and what still is not getting enough attention. This one is for anyone interested in how serious institutions think through innovation.

Ep 67: Forward-Looking Crypto Policy

This episode starts at the core. Why should people care about blockchain? Is everything permissionless? From concert tickets to land records, the conversation shows why blockchain matters once you stop reducing it to Bitcoin or price charts.

Ask the Owl Ep 1: What is Blockchain for?

Adam Zec, CEO of MyStandard, joins us to talk about fixing one of the most broken parts of the digital economy: data ownership. MyStandard is building infrastructure that lets individuals control and monetize their workforce data instead of handing it over to platforms by default. The conversation covers hiring, privacy, bias, and why useful blockchain products should lead with what they solve. 

Discover more in MyStandard.io [https://mystandard.io/] 

Ep 66: Data Ownership, Privacy, and Hiring: MyStandard 

Adrian Ang (Partner at Allen & Gledhill) at brings a clear view of how Singapore approaches stablecoins, blockchain regulation, and the risks that come with digital money. He lays out the logic behind MAS’s framework, from technology-neutral regulation to the higher standards expected of serious market participants. Adrian also explains why regulatory clarity has become one of Singapore’s biggest strengths as a financial hub. 

Ep 65: Stablecoins, Trust, and Singapore’s Regulatory Playbook

Liquid staking tokens may sound like a niche corner of crypto, but they raise a much bigger question: can regulation actually keep up with decentralized systems? Juan Ignacio Ibañez of the MiCA Crypto Alliance dicusses why LSTs are so hard to classify under MiCA, and why that ambiguity creates real compliance risk for platforms and service providers. The conversation moves beyond labels to a deeper issue: what happens when existing rules are built for assets with issuers, managers, and clearer boundaries than Web3 often provides.

Crypto-asset Taxonomy for Investors and Regulators [https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.05098]

Ep 64: When Tokens Don’t Fit the Rules: LSTs & MiCA

Ep 63: Productivity Enables Security: The Economics of Blockchain Settlement

Yes, illicit finance in crypto exists, but it's not the whole story. Ari Redbord (TRM Labs) walks us through the real numbers, how blockchain data is used as evidence, and what better enforcement could look like. From sanctions to smart compliance tools, we get into what’s working and what still needs to improve.

Discover more in TRM's 2026 Crypto Crime Report  [https://www.trmlabs.com/reports-and-whitepapers/2026-crypto-crime-report]

Ep 62: Crypto Crime, Sanctions & Signals:  Evidence in the Blockchain

The Policy Layer is a proud project of the Ava Labs Legal team that is committed to helping policymakers break through hype and navigate the blockchain world. We host podcasts with industry leaders seeking to build a better Internet. Check out our X profile @AvalanchePolicy, and visit our website avalanchepolicy.com [https://owlexplains.com/], where you will find practical explainers, quizzes, and more fun resources on all things Web3.

To stay in the know, subscribe to News from the Nest [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/news-from-the-nest-7125501596116885504/]

The Policy Layer

The Crypto and Blockchain Economic Research (CBER) Forum and Owl Explains are delighted to present a transformative podcast series, "Crafting the Crypto Economy." This series features leading faculty from renowned global universities providing economic guidance regarding optimal design of various blockchain ecosystem elements. Particular focus will be given to proper economic design of tokens and of decentralized applications. This series is in collaboration with Columbia University’s Briger Family Digital Finance Lab, Columbia University’s Center for Digital Finance and Technologies, Boston University’s Digital Business Institute at the Questrom School of Business, École polytechnique and the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management's FinHub.

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Owl Explains is a trusted resource for educational information about blockchain & Web3 fundamentals, applications, and policy. We are a podcast seeking to educate the general public about blockchain, with a particular focus on policy and worldwide blockchain regulation. 

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The Policy Layer is a trusted resource for educational information about blockchain & Web3 fundamentals, applications, and policy.


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