The road from innovation to execution:
Digital Digest March 2025

Welcome to the first edition of the 2025 State Street Digital Digest, your go-to source for insights on emerging technologies, digital assets and the evolving financial landscape.

The digital asset landscape is transforming at an unprecedented pace. Our mission? To bridge innovation with execution, taking digital assets from concept to large-scale implementation. We are not just experimenting: We are building for the future, ensuring our clients are prepared to thrive in an on-chain, tokenized financial ecosystem.

Technology is moving at lightning speed, forcing investors, regulators and institutions to learn, unlearn and adapt continuously. The lines between traditional finance and digital innovation are blurring, and staying ahead means being agile, informed and ready to pivot.

Additionally, this year brings a new United States administration and a new approach to regulating digital and crypto assets. So with that in mind, our head of Legal for Digital Assets Solutions, Justin McCormack, brings a preview of what we expect to change this year in those areas.

The administration has also announced the implementation of a new artificial intelligence (AI) policy, with significant implications for both growth and regulation in the sphere. This is set against the backdrop of the release of the Chinese generative AI model, DeepSeek, which has renewed competition for the US’s AI dominance. Our Emerging Technologies Governance architect, Matthew Sample, explores these developments.

Staying ahead of the curve isn’t optional — it’s mission-critical. With quantum computing now making its way from research labs to real-world applications, the implications for security, data integrity and financial infrastructure are massive. We’re tracking these advancements closely, ensuring our clients and partners are future-proofed.

This makes it an opportune time to start thinking about the implications of this technology — both its challenges and opportunities — for our industry. With that in mind, our Blockchain, AI and Quantum architect Barbara Widholm gives an introduction to the technology and its relevance to financial services.

Finally, it is my pleasure to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous 2025, and I look forward to State Street’s collaboration with leaders, innovators and disruptors in the digital asset space as we shape the future of digital finance together.