Legal on Air – Deloitte Legal Podcast Series

In the latest episode of "Krypto verstehen", Deloitte Legal-Partner Alireza Siadat speaks with Henri de Jong from Quantoz about the development of Quantoz and HappyCoins, and their practical experience navigating Europe's new crypto regulatory landscape. The discussion covers EMT notification, CASP licensing under MiCAR, and real-world stablecoin use cases, including payments, remittances, and white-label solutions for banks and NGOs. The episode also explores the differences between EMTs and tokenized money market funds, as well as the future of EMTs, ARTs, and CASPs in Europe. A must-listen for anyone looking to understand the next phase of regulated digital assets and stablecoin ecosystems.

Podcast in English language

Public perception of cryptocurrencies is often shaped by superficial knowledge and media headlines. But what is the reality of how Bitcoin and stablecoins actually work? How important is education in this context? And how valid is the frequent association between cryptocurrencies and crime?

In this episode, Alireza Siadat talks to Eric Heinemann, founder of Crypto Nerds, about the important role education plays in the world of digital assets. Together, they discuss why sound knowledge is essential for the responsible use of cryptocurrencies, and the regulatory developments currently shaping the industry.

Podcast in German language

In the new episode of Krypto Verstehen, the experts Alireza Siadat  (Deloitte Legal) and Azmina Keshani from Zodia Custody discuss the future of institutional crypto custody in Europe under MiCAR. They explain the role of regulated custody providers, the differences between Prime Custody and Sub-Custody models and why cybersecurity, key management and operational resilience are central to digital asset services. The conversation also explores custody infrastructure for banks, emerging solutions involving stablecoins and tokenized assets, and the strategic choices financial institutions face when building their digital asset offerings. A episode for everyone interested in the future of regulated digital asset markets and how secure custody infrastructure is enabling institutional adoption of crypto and tokenized assets.

Podcast in English language.

In this episode of Legal on Air, Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) speaks with Max Heinzle, Founder of 21X, about the evolution of digital assets, tokenized securities, and the rapidly developing market infrastructure built on distributed ledger technology (DLT). Their conversation explores how tokenization is reshaping traditional financial markets, the opportunities it creates for issuers, investors, and financial institutions, and the key regulatory developments supporting this transformation. The discussion also addresses the practical challenges that must be overcome to achieve broader adoption, including market readiness, interoperability, and trust in emerging digital ecosystems. Drawing on his experience at the forefront of financial innovation, Max shares perspectives on the development of regulated DLT-based market infrastructures and the broader implications for capital market participants across Europe.

Podcast in English language

Commercial Bank Money Token (CBMT), stablecoins, the digital euro—the tokenization of money is evolving rapidly and raising new questions for banks, companies, and regulators. In the new episode of “Understanding Crypto,” Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) and Claus George from DZ BANK discuss the Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe’s blockchain and DLT strategy and take a detailed look at the Commercial Bank Money Token. How has the development progressed from early approaches like the Trigger Solution to today’s CBMT concepts? How do CBMTs, stablecoins, and the digital euro differ? What role do current pilot projects with companies like Siemens and Evonik play? And what might the future of tokenized money in Europe look like? An episode for anyone who wants to understand how the next generation of digital financial infrastructures is evolving.

In this episode of Understanding Crypto, Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) and Oliver Naegele (Blockchain Helix) discuss the European Public Network (EPN) and its potential impact on digital identities, data and transactions in Europe. For more information, visit www.europeanpublic.network. The experts explain how blockchain technology can be simplified for end users and explore the technical components behind the EPN and its interaction with existing blockchain structures. The episode also covers the concept of Commercial Bank Money Token (CBMT), exploring how they differ from stablecoins and central bank digital currencies. Finally, they explore the potential role that regulated European solutions could play in the global market for digital payment instruments.

In the sixth episode of “Understanding Crypto,” experts Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) and Martin Kreitmair from Tangany discuss how professional crypto custody has evolved and what role specialized providers play in an institutional context. The focus is on Tangany’s B2B2C model and the question of how omnibus wallets, segregated assets, and closed trading structures interact. In addition, the episode explores why the segregation of client funds - especially in light of high-profile market incidents - is of central importance, and what challenges exist in securing crypto assets through insurance, particularly with regard to regulatory requirements such as MiCAR. Using specific use cases, the discussion will also explore the additional opportunities presented by crypto custody, such as in the areas of staking, lending, or the custody of stablecoins. 

In the fifth episode of “Understanding Crypto,” experts Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) and Tim Sauer from Secupay discuss how modern payment infrastructures are evolving and the role crypto plays in this development. The focus is on what sets Secupay apart as a payment service provider and why marketplace models, particularly in the crypto space, are gaining importance. Using concrete examples, the episode explains tokenized collectibles, electronic securities with complex fee and tax structures, and hybrid crypto payment solutions where users pay with crypto and merchants receive fiat. In conclusion, Tim offers an outlook on the future of crypto payments, the role of stablecoins, commercial bank money tokens, and the digital euro, and explains how Secupay positions itself in this dynamic landscape. Podcast in German language.

In this special episode of “Understanding Crypto,” experts Alireza Siadat (Deloitte Legal) and Tami Mönnig of TaxMON Consulting LLC discuss how cryptocurrencies are currently treated for tax purposes and what changes are being debated at the policy level. The focus is on an overview of the existing tax regime for private individuals, particularly the holding period rule, as well as a comparison with traditional assets such as gold or real estate. In addition, the discussion examines which adjustments are being sought from a political perspective and what potential impacts these could have on Germany as a business location and the crypto industry. Using concrete examples, the experts discuss why stricter regulations could deter companies and which international developments play a role in this context. Finally, Tami provides an assessment of how realistic the planned changes are and how the tax treatment of crypto might evolve in the future.

In the third episode of “Understanding Crypto,” Alireza Siadat sits down with Markus Kluge to discuss his company, “tokenforge,” and its role in the digital asset market. The discussion focuses on how crypto infrastructure compares to e-commerce and what unique characteristics this comparison reveals. In addition, potential applications for crypto securities and various practical examples—such as those from the real estate and energy sectors—are examined. The development of NFTs and related topics is also discussed. Finally, the panelists provide an outlook on expected developments in the crypto market over the next one to three years and the future role of tokenforge.

In the second episode of “Understanding Crypto,” Deloitte Legal expert Alireza Siadat speaks with Max Burger of Nimiq about why crypto adoption remains so challenging despite the technology working well (In German language). The focus is on Nimiq’s approach to enabling payments directly in the browser without intermediaries, their lessons learned, and the transition from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake. The discussion also covers the changing significance of crypto payments, the dominance of stablecoins, and insights from previous adoption projects. Finally, Max offers a look ahead at the possibilities of staking and the digital euro, and presents some interesting real-world examples.

In the first episode, Deloitte Legal expert Alireza Siadat and Malte Häusler from Timeless Investment discuss the emergence and future of tokenised collectibles (in German language). Together, they reflect on five years of entrepreneurship and talk about regulatory issues, as well as their interactions with regulators and market participants. They also explain why the tokenisation of collectibles is so complex, yet how it can nevertheless be made easily accessible to users. Finally, the speakers provide an outlook on the crypto market in the coming years and Timeless's role within it.