Kazakhstan to host global decentralised finance workshop in Astana

By AI, Created 9:56 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The National Bank of Kazakhstan will host the 12th P2P Financial Systems International Workshop on 9-10 June 2026 in Astana, marking the first time the decentralised finance forum has been held in Central Asia. The event is set to draw up to 150 central bankers, regulators, academics and innovators as Kazakhstan pushes deeper into digital finance.

Why it matters: - Kazakhstan is using the event to showcase itself as Central Asia’s leading digital finance hub. - The workshop brings global policy makers and researchers to a market where CBDC, digital assets and fintech rules are already advancing. - The forum could help shape how decentralised finance and tokenised assets are regulated in the region.

What happened: - The National Bank of Kazakhstan will host P2PFISY 2026 at its headquarters in Astana on 9-10 June 2026. - The workshop is the 12th annual edition of P2PFISY, founded in 2015 by Prof. Paolo Tasca. - Organisers say the event will bring together up to 150 central bankers, regulators, academics and innovators from around the world. - P2PFISY is holding its first event in Central Asia.

The details: - NBK says Kazakhstan’s digital financial infrastructure includes national payment systems, digital identity integration and data-driven supervisory tools. - The Digital Tenge is being integrated into selected public finance use cases, with programmability and transparency as key goals. - Kazakhstan’s regulatory framework for tokenised financial instruments and digital assets is still evolving through pilot projects and legislative initiatives. - The workshop is supported by the Exponential Science Foundation and Fintech Network Kazakhstan. - The call for papers is open to academia, public institutions including central banks, special interest groups and the private sector. - Submissions should focus on decentralised digital technologies and financial innovation. - The deadline for papers is 28 April 2026. - More information is available in the call for papers.

Between the lines: - Kazakhstan is positioning Astana as a place where digital finance policy is already being built, not just discussed. - The country’s pitch rests on a rapid shift toward cashless payments, CBDC experimentation and active crypto-market development. - Prof. Paolo Tasca said the global research and policy community should meet in Astana because the “work is already being done” there. - Binur Zhalenov said the workshop will give global experts a chance to engage directly with Kazakhstan’s evolving digital finance agenda.

What’s next: - Organisers expect the workshop to surface new research and policy ideas on decentralised finance. - Kazakhstan is expected to move forward in 2026 with a comprehensive digital asset law and a state-backed crypto reserve fund. - The country’s digital finance agenda will continue to build around the Digital Tenge, open banking and broader asset regulation. - More details are available on the P2PFISY website.

The bottom line: - Astana is turning a global academic-policy forum into a signal of Kazakhstan’s ambition to lead regional digital finance development.