“The Crypto Frontier: ETFs and Beyond “was the theme of the March 10, 2022, FCS luncheon held at the New York Yacht Club. Event co-sponsors Ptarmigan Media and Quartz began the event by providing a case study which helped the audience understand what and how they should be messaging to their target audiences (institutional or retail) about the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrencies.

A panel discussion followed, which was moderated by Quartz co-founder and CEO Zach Seward. He interviewed three senior marketers representing a variety of organizations involved in the burgeoning realm of digital assets. The panelists included Mike Demissie, Head of Digital Assets Unit and Advanced Solutions Group, BNY Mellon; Victoria Watters, Director of Marketing, Asset Management, Galaxy Digital Holdings; and Michelle DeWitt, Head of ETF Marketing, Invesco U.S.

The panelists noted that the crypto / digital asset class had simply become too big to ignore, yet not surprisingly, many of their clients (even on the institutional side) still do not have a working understanding of the category. As the conversation continued, the panelists mentioned that many of their clients were discussing crypto as “new and interesting” and as a result, were seeking more information to help them get a handle on it.

The panelists all said they are working to increase exposure of the crypto / digital asset class to their clients, ranging from investment intermediaries to institutional investors and consumers. These efforts include providing crypto-oriented educational content. They noted that providing information about the crypto / digital asset class has helped build trust for their respective organizations with their clients.

They also agreed that their organizations were facing mounting challenges in terms of a fast-changing regulatory environment around crypto currencies and other digital assets.

Going forward, the FCS will continue to foster the conversation among its members (and the broader financial services marketing community) around the current state and potential future of crypto

This story was written by FCS member Christopher Abelt who works on business strategy at the Edinburgh, Scotland based full-service agency Always Be Content.