Dear SheCrypto friends,
Digital Assets Forum 3 (DAF3) in London made one thing crystal clear: the conversation has shifted from “Should institutions engage with digital assets?” to “How do we implement this responsibly - at scale - with the right guardrails?”
This week, in a SheCrypto Live! conversation, I sat down with Adriana Ennab, Director of Stand With Crypto International / UK & EU, and Laura Suárez León, SheCrypto’s Strategic Partnerships Lead - both fresh from DAF3 - to unpack what’s changing across institutional adoption, regulation, and the future of blockchain infrastructure in Europe.
And there’s a very real action item right now: a UK Parliament petition calling for a pro-innovation strategy for blockchain and stablecoins.
→ Signatures close March 3. Take a look.
So what did DAF3 really reveal about institutional momentum, stablecoin policy, and the future of digital assets in Europe? And why is Stand With Crypto urging the community to act before March 3?
Keep reading for Adriana Ennab’s biggest takeaways, behind-the-scenes insights from London, and what comes next for builders, policymakers, and the global Web3 ecosystem.
Let’s keep shaping what’s next.
— Kelly Ann Collins
Founder of SheCrypto
Who is Adriana Ennab?
Adriana’s background is exactly the kind of bridge the industry needs right now:
Born in New York, raised in Brooklyn; now based in the UK
Dual American and British citizen
Parents are immigrants (Cuban mother, Palestinian father)
Started at Goldman Sachs as a file clerk, worked up to trading desks (including repo), then worked across London, Tokyo, and Singapore
Returned to finance through the Credit Suisse “returners” program and moved into policy - where she spent a decade helping shape digital policy with a markets-first lens
Her core idea is simple: policy works better when it’s informed by how markets actually function - and by the real experiences of everyday users.
What is Stand With Crypto (and what does it do)?
Stand With Crypto is a global, consumer advocacy movement representing people who use digital assets in everyday life - not institutions.
Adriana described Stand With Crypto’s role as:
Bringing real user experiences into policy debates
Pushing for clear, fair, proportionate regulation
Reducing the “translation gap” between builders and policymakers (because they often use totally different vocabulary)
Stand With Crypto has built significant momentum:
3+ million advocates globally
275,000+ advocates in the UK
280,000+ advocates in the EU
Get involved here:
Stand With Crypto UK: https://www.standwithcrypto.org/gb
Stand With Crypto EU: https://www.standwithcrypto.org/eu/en
Stand With Crypto US: https://www.standwithcrypto.org
The petition: why it matters (even if you’ll never hold £20,000 in stablecoins)
One of the biggest policy flashpoints Adriana highlighted is a proposed Bank of England stablecoin cap (discussed as £20,000). Even if that number sounds irrelevant to most people, Adriana’s point was bigger:
This is about choice and competition.
If stablecoins are capped too aggressively too early, it can limit:
SME adoption of cheaper, faster cross-border payments
Startup innovation (and job creation)
The UK’s ability to compete globally as digital finance evolves
The argument from Stand With Crypto is: don’t start by restricting the market before it has a chance to prove itself. Build smart oversight - but keep the door open.
Signatures close March 3: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730568
What stood out at Digital Assets Forum 3?
DAF wasn’t just another “tokenization is coming” conference. Adriana said the energy felt like implementation, not experimentation.
Here’s what she and Laura noticed on the ground:
- Institutional appetite is moving from curiosity to integration
The dominant question is no longer if - it’s how (settlement, liquidity, infrastructure, efficiency, and risk controls).
- Policy is no longer theoretical
Regulation is actively shaping what gets built and where capital flows. Adriana summed it up in one of her biggest takeaways:
“Clarity drives capital.”
- The room felt genuinely pan-European
DAF had a broader EU mix than many UK-based events, which matters because digital assets don’t neatly stop at borders - and fragmented rulebooks create friction.
- Builders and institutions are learning each other’s language
Adriana called out something rare: founders speaking in “institutional language,” and institutions increasingly understanding builders. That kind of alignment is how you get real progress.
Women at DAF: visible momentum, still room to grow
Kelly and Laura raised a key observation: DAF had more women in leadership and visible roles than expected.
Adriana’s take:
Women are more visible, but still likely underrepresented in final decision rooms
The bigger goal isn’t “more women in crypto” as a headline - it’s more perspectives shaping the future
She also called out a common confidence gap: women often feel they must be “85% qualified” to step forward, while men may jump in at 40%
Laura added an important reality check: in a sector moving this fast, nobody knows everything. Staying curious and connected is the real advantage.
Adriana’s rapid-fire highlights
What surprised her most at DAF:
How aligned institutions, regulators, and founders felt compared to a year ago.
Conversation theme that will shape what’s next:
Growing seriousness around the consumer voice in policy - not just institutions driving the agenda.
Big misconception she had early on:
That regulators weren’t going to engage at all. Reality: they do want clarity, but they move carefully - and need broader input beyond big players.
How to stay informed (without reading 400-page policy docs)
Adriana’s recommendation: start with where the conversation is actually happening in real time:
LinkedIn (regulators, analysts, builders, and policy folks share summaries and interpretation)
X for fast-moving updates and debate
Sign up as an advocate through Stand With Crypto so you receive updates and calls-to-action
Connect with Adriana Ennab
Adriana also mentioned she’s active on X and Telegram (primarily for her Stand With Crypto work).
Take action: 2-minute checklist
If you’re in the UK (or have a UK network), here’s the simplest way to help:
Sign the petition (before March 3): https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730568
Share it with three people who care about innovation, fintech, startups, or small business.
Join Stand With Crypto:
