Beyond The Buzzwords: HSC Cannes Panel Explores How Tokenization, AI, And Regulation Are Reshaping Institutional Crypto

On April 1st, the Hack Seasons Conference hosted its latest event dedicated to bridging cryptocurrency and institutional finance in Cannes, bringing together senior market participants to review current developments and emerging opportunities in the institutional digital-asset sector.

A highlight of the agenda was a panel discussion, “Where Smart Capital Is Moving in Web3: Infrastructure, AI, and Real-World Assets,” moderated by Harry Grant, DeFi Manager at Re7. It featured speakers including Rafael Mastroberardino, Digital Assets Partnership Development & Strategy at Franklin Templeton; Lionel Pek, Director at The Spartan Group; Mykolas Majauskas, Global Head of Policy at Bybit; and Arthur Katz, Chief Investment Officer at OneAsset.

The panel explored how capital is shifting across the digital-asset landscape, with a particular focus on the growing role of tokenization, the importance of underlying infrastructure, and the practical applications of AI within financial systems. Speakers examined whether these themes represent genuine innovation or overlapping narratives, debated the current limitations of real-world asset adoption, and assessed how regulation, product design, and market structure will shape the next phase of institutional participation. The discussion ultimately provided a grounded view of how Web3 is evolving from experimentation toward more mature, utility-driven financial solutions.

The panel opened with turning to the biggest question in the market: where smart capital is moving right now. The speakers broadly agreed that tokenization and real-world assets are becoming central, while infrastructure remains the foundation that makes that shift possible. The conversation opened with a global view of the market, with the panel noting that the U.S. is driving much of the momentum, while Europe is still working through regulatory complexity. The panel also highlighted China’s growing role and the possibility that tokenized markets will increasingly reflect a wider geopolitical race.

The panel then debated whether infrastructure, AI, and RWAs are genuinely complementary or simply being packaged together as buzzwords. The consensus was that they are connected, but not interchangeable. Infrastructure was described as the base layer that must become invisible for adoption to scale, while AI was framed as a practical tool that improves reporting, automation, compliance, forecasting, and user services. The panel also agreed that RWAs only make sense when they bring real utility on-chain rather than merely replicating off-chain products.

From Tokenization To Trust: Ownership, Regulation, And Risk In Scaling Institutional RWAs

The conversation then moved to true tokenization and product value. A major theme was the difference between tokenized wrappers and true ownership. The panel debated whether current products really create new value or simply repackage existing exposure. The speakers agreed that the strongest use cases are those that preserve legal ownership, voting rights, dividends, and liquidity, while also making assets transferable 24/7. The discussion also emphasized that tokenization must improve the product itself, not just the distribution channel.

The speakers next turned to regulation as a decisive factor for institutional adoption. The panel agreed that clarity around licensing, stablecoins, settlement, and compliance will shape how much capital comes on-chain. Europe was presented as capable but still searching for the ambition to lead, while U.S. legislative developments were seen as especially important for market confidence.

The final theme was how to evaluate RWA opportunities. The panel agreed that investors should examine counterparty risk, liquidity, yield quality, and whether the asset delivers genuine on-chain advantages. The conversation closed with a practical takeaway: the strongest RWA products will be those that combine real yield, strong settlement utility, and clear exits.

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