Our second event in the series – held just before Blackcomb opening day at Maury Young Arts Centre for the 2025-2026 Global Perspectives Speaker Series – brought big insights to Whistler! Dr. Victoria Lemieux (UBC) broke down the evolution of blockchain, crypto, stablecoins, central bank digital currencies and the rising intersection of AI and digital trust. Co-presenter & sponsor Kevin Jiang (CEO & CIO, Virgo Digital Asset Management) added real-world market perspective from years managing multi-billion dollar asset portfolios. A fast moving conversation on where digital finance is heading, and why it matters.
The Speakers:
What was discussed:
Our presenters brought a rich blend of academic expertise and real-time market insight to the conversation about cryptocurrency and its global future. Victoria Lemieux showed us how a PhD focused on “filing” unexpectedly propelled her into the world of digital currencies, ultimately leading her to found and co-lead Blockchain@UBC. Meanwhile, Kevin Jiang’s hands-on experience managing digital assets offered a clear view of what is happening right now in the bitcoin market.
Building on their combined academic and industry perspectives, our speakers then laid the groundwork for understanding not just what cryptocurrency is, but why it matters. They guided us from the fundamentals of how these systems operate to the broader implications for global finance, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of blockchain technology, decentralization, and the transformative models emerging from this rapidly evolving ecosystem. Here are some of the main themes discussed.
- Basics of cryptocurrency & blockchain: Our speakers explain how cryptocurrencies rely on blockchain — a distributed, decentralized ledger — which enables peer-to-peer value transfers without a central authority
- Decentralization and transparency: Because blockchain is decentralized, all transactions are publicly recorded and verifiable, reducing need for intermediaries like banks and increasing transparency/trust.
- Global financial disruptor potential: Cryptocurrencies are presented as technologies that could reshape global finance — influencing payments, remittances, cross-border transactions — and challenge traditional financial systems.
- Rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenization: Our speakers discuss how blockchain enables new financial models — such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenization of real-world assets — offering greater financial inclusion, access, and innovation.
For a deeper dive into the world of digital currency, watch the full recording of this event.
Watch the Recording:
This event was made possible by:
