Global markets are waking up to the transformation of digital currency from a volatile Internet novelty into foundational financial infrastructure. Dr. Matthias Voelkel, CEO of Börse Stuttgart Group, and Marc Al-Hames, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hubert Burda Media, sit down to discuss the integration of blockchain into the traditional financial system.
“Crypto basically embodies trust”, Marc Al-Hames argues. “No one can pick up the phone, no government, no world leader, no central bank and regulate. It’s an inherently democratic protocol driven by technical trust.”
Voelkel notes that major traditional German financial institutions, such as cooperative and savings banks, are rolling out crypto services to millions of retail clients in 2026. To support this, Börse Stuttgart Group operates as an infrastructure provider, keeping institutional and retail crypto assets safe through ISO-certified, insured, and largely offline custody systems.
The discussion also includes custody, security, and the role of stablecoins. Voelkel stresses that most stablecoins are dollar-based, which he sees as a strategic risk for Europe.
“There are European efforts now to come up with Euro-denominated stablecoins”, he notes, “and that is something we should definitely support, as we should support a wholesale digital euro.”
Watch the video to explore this session in detail.
