Professor Emilios Avgouleas, a distinguished expert in financial law and regulation at Edinburgh Law School and a member of the Blockchain Technology Lab, recently participated in significant discussions with senior UK financial regulators and industry leaders. The discussions aimed to explore the evolving landscape shaped by technology in finance and its potential impact on economic growth.
Professor Avgouleas was invited by the CEO of Fintech Scotland to contribute to a roundtable, which included senior economists from the Bank of England Financial Policy Committee and the Monetary Policy Committee, as well as CEOs from leading financial technology firms in Edinburgh. The dialogue primarily focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain and their implications for the economic growth trajectories of both the UK and Scotland.
Subsequently, Professor Avgouleas engaged in an in-person fireside chat hosted by the London office of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The chat, moderated by the director of the FCA’s Edinburgh office, was attended by FCA UK directors of enforcement and policy, with other senior FCA staff participating remotely. The central theme of the discussion revolved around restoring the social contract for finance, a concept pioneered by Professor Avgouleas himself.
This concept, initially introduced during his public lecture at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge in 2017, has been a focal point of Professor Avgouleas’s research. It proposes a framework for the ethical and responsible functioning of financial systems, emphasising accountability and societal benefit. Moreover, as an esteemed authority in the field, Professor Avgouleas provided insights into the transformative potential of blockchain technology within financial ecosystems.
Throughout these engagements, Professor Avgouleas reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a nuanced understanding of the intersections between technology, regulation, and finance. He emphasised the importance of promoting stability, integrity, and inclusivity within financial ecosystems amidst technological advancements.
For further insights into Professor Avgouleas’s work, including his seminal lecture on Capitalism on the Edge, interested readers can access the summary and video via the following link: Capitalism on the Edge | Murray Edwards College – University of Cambridge
