Today at the Digital Asset Summit by DNB

Alexander Opstad, Vice President and Head of DNB Carnegie, set the stage with a strong reminder: “Clear rules are not barriers. They are enablers unleashing innovation and adoption.” Key takeaways from his welcome: •Digital assets are no longer a fintech only playground, legacy institutions are now moving in. • The challenge is to separate longterm trends from shortterm hype. •Regulation should be seen as a catalyst for innovation, not a constraint. •The real value lies in use cases that solve problems, improving efficiency, transparency, and access to financial services. From DNB’s perspective, digital assets are much more than cryptocurrencies, blockchain and distributed ledgers are emerging as the infrastructure that can transform how markets operate. 👉 Excited to follow the discussions today on how Norway and the Nordics can position themselves in this rapidly evolving space. #DigitalAssets #Blockchain #Finance #Norway #DNB #Innovation

Ole Morten Sunde, SVP and Head of Emerging Business Products at DNB, opened today’s Digital Asset Summit with a clear message: “Tokenization can make financial services faster, cheaper, and more accessible.” Highlights from his keynote: Tokenization explained; turning assets (property, securities, commodities) into tokens on-chain, enabling 24/7 instant settlement across money and assets. Why it matters; more efficient money management, new use cases for collateral, and broader accessibility. Tokenized money; from CBDCs to tokenized bank deposits and stablecoins. These are no longer experiments, but questions of power and control in the financial system. Challenges to solve: •Cross-border regulation harmonization. • Interoperability between blockchains and traditional finance. • DNB’s vision: customers want safe custody, frictionless services, and bridges between digital assets and traditional finance. • Building a digital asset platform as the foundation for a tokenized future. 👉 Ole reminded the audience that DNB began this journey in 2018, step by step, and today the bank is ready to move forward at the right pace together with customers, regulators, banks, fintechs, and partners.

“Not having any exposure to crypto is an active underweight.” At the DNB Digital Asset Summit, Dovile Silenskyte, CFA (WisdomTree), highlighted that digital assets now represent 1.7% of global market cap. 👉 For investors, holding zero isn’t neutral, it’s a deliberate underweighting. #DigitalAssets #Crypto #InstitutionalInvesting #WisdomTree #DNB

“Has Bitcoin been tamed or are banks riding the Trojan horse?” At the Digital Asset Summit, Torbjørn Bull Jenssen (CEO & Founder, K33) reflected on Bitcoin’s journey from a peer to peer cash system outside banking, to being embraced by financial institutions: Bitcoin will change finance more than finance changes Bitcoin. Its three unique features: Selfsovereign money, no counterparty risk, borderless, resilient in crises. Crossborder utility: already used in real world cases like Ukraine when banking systems failed. Absolute scarcity: only 21 million Bitcoin will ever exist, making it highly attractive in a world of debt and inflation. In the Nordics, 1 in 5 under 40 already own crypto, with adoption accelerating across all ages. Institutional adoption is rising fast. ETFs and ETPs are breaking records, with investors from retail to sovereign wealth funds. Torbjørn Bull Jenssen’s key point: Bitcoin is no longer fringe it’s mainstream, and it’s only the beginning of how finance will adapt. #DigitalAssets #Bitcoin #KAUPR #Blockchain #Finance #Nordics

Crypto is no longer niche. It’s mainstream. At the Digital Asset Summit, Nikolai Nyrud Gobel, DNB shared fresh client data: 300,000 DNB customers hold digital assets. Total holdings = NOK 30 billion. 95% of this exposure is through ETPs in DNB showing strong demand for familiar, regulated wrappers. This underlines two key points: 1️⃣ Crypto has moved beyond early adopters it’s now a part of everyday Norwegian portfolios. 2️⃣ Institutions matter. Access through regulated channels is what makes digital assets scalable for the mainstream. 👉 The real question: how will Nordic banks build on this momentum and position themselves in the tokenized economy ahead? #DigitalAssets #Crypto #DNB #Tokenization #Finance

The generational shift in investing is clear. At the Digital Asset Summit, Nikolai Nyrud Gobel, Product Manager Digital Assets at DNB, shared striking data: Among DNB clients aged 18–40, 165,000 own crypto, 107,000 own stocks Among clients 40+, crypto adoption more than doubled in one year, from 47,500 in 2024 to 110,000 in 2025 Internationally, wealthy Americans aged 21–43 allocate 17% of their portfolios to crypto, compared to just 1% for those 44+ The takeaway, digital assets are no longer a fringe interest, they are becoming a core part of diversified portfolios, led by younger investors but rapidly spreading across generations. #DigitalAssets #Crypto #DNB #Investing #GenerationalShift

From vision to prototype. At the Digital Asset Summit, Nikolai Nyrud Gobel unveiled a screenshot of DNB’s Digital Asset Custody Prototype integrating digital assets with security, trust, and convenience. With 300,000 customers already holding crypto, the demand is clear. Now the focus shifts to building infrastructure that bridges traditional banking with the digital asset economy. Custody is the cornerstone. Once banks provide secure, compliant, and user-friendly custody, adoption can scale across the mainstream. #DigitalAssets #Crypto #Custody #DNB #Innovation #Finance #Kaupr

From rebellious money to an institutional asset class? That was the core question debated at the Digital Asset Summit panel featuring: Morten Søberg, PhD, Secretary General, Bitcoin Policy Institute Norway Nikolai Nyrud Gobel, Product Manager Digital Assets, DNB Torbjørn Bull Jenssen, CEO, K33 Dovile Silenskyte, CFA, Director of Digital Assets Research, WisdomTree The discussion highlighted: Bitcoin’s transition from a peer-to-peer alternative to a mainstream, institutionalized asset. Growing demand for regulated, secure investment products like ETFs and ETPs. The generational shift in adoption with younger investors leading, but older demographics catching up fast. The role of banks, asset managers, and fintechs in shaping this new market structure. The takeaway: crypto is no longer just a question of innovation, but of institutional trust, infrastructure, and strategy. #DigitalAssets #Crypto #Bitcoin #Finance #Tokenization #DNB

Why do we need digital currencies? According to Ville Sointu, Chief Strategist Transaction Banking at Nordea, the answer lies in four pillars: Value; digital currencies and liabilities Contracts; legally binding processes Identity; regulated digital identity infrastructure Networks; interoperable infrastructure for multilateral processes Together, these create the foundation for a trusted, efficient, and futureproof financial system. The takeaway: digital currencies aren’t just about technology, they’re about infrastructure, trust, and legal clarity. #DigitalAssets #CBDC #Fintech #Nordea #DigitalFinance

The future of money won’t be one size fits all. At today’s DNB Digital Asset Summit, Ville Sointu from Nordea laid out how different models of digital money will co-exist, each serving unique purposes in the financial system: Tokenized Deposits; interbank transactions on shared ledgers, enabling programmable corporate payments Stablecoins / E-Money Tokens; regulated tokens for corporate and retail use cases Wholesale CBDCs; central bank access and settlement for institutions Retail CBDCs; legal tender for everyday use, account-based and widely accessible The big picture: Public and private digital currencies will complement each other Interoperability and governance will decide who leads the shift The Nordics are positioning not just for adoption, but for influence. #DigitalAssets #CBDC #Stablecoins #Tokenization #Nordea #Fintech #DNBdigitalassetsummit

Norges Bank is preparing for a potential CBDC. At today’s Digital Asset Summit, Kjetil Watne (Norges Bank) outlined where Norway stands: Declining cash use and private “new money” (like Libra/Diem) triggered the CBDC exploration. Both retail and wholesale CBDCs are being studied. A technological sandbox is testing tokenized assets, bank deposits, and settlement models. No decision yet, but the current project phase runs until end of 2025. The big question: Will a Norwegian CBDC become a new anchor for our financial system? #CBDC #DigitalAssets #Payments #Innovation #Norway

Retail vs. Wholesale CBDC, two very different futures. At the Digital Asset Summit, Norges Bank made it clearer than ever: Retail CBDC: a digital version of cash, available to the public. A potential new legal tender, designed for everyday payments. Wholesale CBDC: for banks and financial institutions, enabling faster, safer settlement between players in the financial system. Norway is exploring both: but the use cases, risks, and implications are very different. The choice between retail and wholesale CBDC isn’t just technical. It’s about the role money itself will play in the next phase of our financial system. #CBDC #DigitalAssets #Payments #Norway #Innovation

Why are CBDCs and tokenized finance relevant for DNB? As today’s session highlighted, the answer comes down to three things: 1️⃣ Customer value: meeting evolving demand for digital assets and safer, more efficient services. 2️⃣ Efficiency gains: tokenizing deposits and assets enables instant, 24/7 settlement. 3️⃣ Robust, future-proof infrastructure: ensuring the Nordic financial system remains resilient and competitive. DNB has already tested wholesale CBDCs together with Norges Bank, and is experimenting with tokenized bank deposits and on-chain settlement of bonds. The vision: a financial system where money and assets move seamlessly on-chain, backed by trusted institutions, yet open for innovation. #DigitalAssets #CBDC #Tokenization #Blockchain #Finance #Innovation #DNB

From experiments to execution: DNB is testing tokenized money on-chain. As shared at the Digital Asset Summit, DNB is already running blockchain networks to explore: Wholesale CBDC transactions, in collaboration with Norges Bank. Tokenized bank deposits, issued on a DNB blockchain, representing regulated claims on real deposits. Why does this matter? Because tokenized deposits can act as real money on-chain, bridging the gap between traditional accounts and digital finance. Combined with CBDCs, they have the potential to enable faster, safer, and more resilient settlement of assets in the future. Tokenization isn’t just a concept anymore, it’s being tested in real financial infrastructure. #DigitalAssets #CBDC #Tokenization #Blockchain #Finance #Innovation #DNB

Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits, CBDCs what’s the difference? At the DNB Digital Asset Summit, Varun Paul (Fireblocks, ex-Bank of England) broke it down with clear definitions: Stablecoins: issued by anyone, backed by reserves, freely tradable on exchanges. Tokenized Deposits: issued by commercial banks, regulated, claims on the bank, easily convertible into deposits. CBDCs: issued by central banks, enshrined in law, ultimate claim on the government. This framing highlights how digital money is evolving, from decentralized innovation to regulated banking rails and sovereign money. The key question: which model will dominate, and how will they coexist? #DigitalAssets #CBDC #Stablecoins #Tokenization #Innovation #Finance

“No one-size-fits-all in digital assets.” Nadine Teychenne, Global Head of Digital Assets at Citi, highlighted how institutions are adapting to permissionless networks: Monitoring network risk is very different from today’s market infrastructures. The competitive landscape is shifting fast banks, fintechs, big tech, and cryptonative players are all moving in. The future will be about interoperability and partnerships, not silos. Traditional finance and cryptonative firms will need to collaborate to build the next generation of market infrastructure. #DigitalAssets #Tokenization #Blockchain #Finance #Citi #Kaupr

From last week’s DNB Digital Asset Summit: was it a “we were there” moment in the history of bitcoin, crypto, and digital assets in Norway? Perhaps. It was surely a WE moment — as people from across the Norwegian community, and from both traditional finance and crypto, gathered at DNB’s first Digital Asset Summit to reflect on how far the integration between the two has come, and to look ahead at what’s next. To preserve that shared feeling, we skip company names and simply list the people captured in a few snapshots taken during the breaks. From left to right in each image:  Image 1: Torstein Thinn, Kaja Vagle, Torbjørn Bull Jenssen, Venkat Hrushikesa Varri & Marius Javier Moreno-Sandnes Image 2: Andre H Johnsen and Magnus Jones Image 3: Ida Hvitsand and Martin Heggen Strønstad Image 4: Jan Rasmus Platou, Johanne Andresen, Arild Fernandez Møller-Holst, and Jon-Marius Omberg Image 5: Ken-Erik Ølmheim, Sophia Adampour, and Bjorn Kienholz Bjercke Image 6: Ole Morten Sunde and Nikolai Nyrud Gobel The Kaupr team at the event: Leon Aleksander Karlsen Solbakken, Morten Brun, Venkat Hrushikesa Varri and Morten Myrstad

«We have a very efficient payment system in the Nordics. So we are probably not going to adopt stablecoins broadly anytime soon. But we still think stablecoins will be a part of the future payment systems» That was the shared view of the panel at a Meetup in Copenhagen tonight, even if they had different opinions about the use cases and the drivers. What’s the status of crypto and digital assets in the Nordics? This was the topic at a Nordic Blockchain Association side event during the Nordic Fintech Week. In the panel, from the left, Jakob Mikkel Hansen (moderator): Thuc Hoang (Firi), Mads Clemmensen (Danske Bank) and Henrik A. (PixelPai).

The “Digital Money” scene in Oslo last week brought a mix of events, each with distinct topics and audiences. Last Wednesday, the Oslo Blockchain Meetup drew a record turnout of around 50 participants for two tech talks, covering Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Ordinals. Large image: Lars Erik “Tiny Vikings” (left) and Halvor Bakke-Veiby in front of the audience. Image right top: Halvor Bakke-Veiby presenting Cauldron DEX and Moria USD. Image left under: Lars Erik “Tiny Vikings” during his presentation on Bitcoin Ordinals. After sharing his perspectives on the meaning of money, Halvor Bakke-Veiby of Riften Labs introduced the audience to Cauldron DEX, which he described as the world’s fastest decentralized exchange. He also presented Moria USD Ⓜ️ (MUSD), a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol built on Bitcoin Cash that enables users to mint the stablecoin MUSD by locking BCH as collateral. Lars Erik, Tiny Vikings, also took the stage to discuss how developers can build software and applications using Bitcoin Ordinals. Presenting the project Open Ordinal, he explained its goal of simplifying development with Ordinals to support a next-generation internet on Bitcoin. His talk included practical examples from gaming, lottery chat, and social media. The event was organized by Magnus S. Espeland in Oslo Blockchain Meetup and supported by Kaupr and Moria Money. Join the Oslo Blockchain Meetup group to be notified of future meetups: https://lnkd.in/dzkdUPP6