JFR Annual Conference 2018 | JFR | 29 June 2018 |

From distributed ledgers and smart contracts, to data mining, algorithmic trading, and robo-advisors—new technologies are rapidly changing the face of the financial services industry. These technologies hold out the promise of more efficient financial intermediation, deeper and more liquid financial markets, and enhanced choice for consumers of financial products. Yet many of the new financial market players and institutions that have sought to capitalize on these technologies are also the source of potentially significant and poorly understood risks. The often-praised absence of intermediation, for example, may also be one these new markets’ greatest problems—with investors left to their own devices without appropriate guidance from more sophisticated players. Such risks pose a range of challenges for policymakers responsible for promoting consumer and investor protection, ensuring the safety and soundness of financial institutions, and safeguarding the financial system from widespread panic and instability.

Against this backdrop, the editors of the Journal of Financial Regulation have selected “New Frontiers: Technology, Finance, and Regulation” as the theme of its 2018 annual conference. This conference will seek to explore a broad range of regulatory issues in relation to, inter alia, the following technological developments:
• The use of distributed ledger technology and smart contracts in the provision of financial services
• The emergence of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether, the associated market infrastructure, and initial coin offerings
• The rise of ‘fintech’ and the increasing use of data mining techniques in the financial services industry
• The use of robo-advisors in the provision of retail financial services
• The emergence and growth of non-bank payment systems
• The potential development of digital currencies by central banks