Fintech on the Seas 2026 is officially underway at Oil Nut Bay. The three-day conference, organised by BVI Finance, began on Monday, June 22, 2026. This year’s conference is said to be sold out. Photo: BVI Finance

Scenes from the Regulatory and Policy Summit on Day 1 of Fintech on the Seas 2026. Photo: BVI Finance

unior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development, Hon Lorna Smith (AL), OBE, highlighted the Virgin Islands' focus on responsible growth, trusted regulation and practical adoption as fintech becomes more deeply embedded in global financial services during her remarks on Day 1 of Fintech on the Seas 2026. Photo: BVI Finance

Scenes from the Regulatory and Policy Summit on Day 1 of Fintech on the Seas 2026. Photo: BVI Finance

BVI Finance’s Chief Executive Officer, Elise Donovan, welcomed returning attendees and also highlighted the large number of first-time visitors to the Virgin Islands (VI) and Fintech on the Seas. 

Also giving remarks on day one were BVI Finance Co-Chair George Weston and Junior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development, Hon Lorna G. Smith (AL), OBE.

Hon Smith highlighted the VI’s focus on responsible growth, trusted regulation and practical adoption as fintech becomes more deeply embedded in global financial services. 

She also pointed to the VI’s robust but flexible framework, its growing digital asset ecosystem and the importance of maintaining confidence as stablecoins, tokenised assets and digital finance scale across markets.

Regulatory and Policy Summit

The afternoon session at Fintech on the Seas saw participants engage in a Regulatory and Policy Summit, which kept the momentum going with practical, forward-looking conversations on supervision, stablecoins and the next decade of digital finance.

The summit discussed the topic, ‘Public Private Supervision 2.0: Who Does What in the Next Decade?’ and on the expert roundtable were George B. Alayon Jr, Glenford V. Malone, Lesley-Anne Pearson, Pamela Clegg and Amardeep Thandi, facilitated by Nia Statham.

According to BVI Finance, the discussion explored how public and private sector collaboration will need to evolve as digital asset markets mature, regulatory expectations increase, and new financial technologies move further into the mainstream.

The conversation continued with “Stablecoins as Financial Infrastructure: GENIUS Aligned Controls, Tokenised Assets, and the End of Anonymous Offshore,” moderated by Ayana S. Hull.

Deputy Managing Director of the BVI Financial Services Commission, Glenford V. Malone, said, “Fintech on the Seas conference brings together an interesting group of individuals…from the private, public and other sectors that speak about the benefits of being in the BVI; the benefits of supervisory regulation, as well as the beauty of the BVI being out there at Oil Nut Bay.”

Meanwhile, BVI Finance Fintech Lead, Trevaughn Smith, said, “We’re really excited. I think the attendees are in for a really good time.”

Day 2 schedule 

Fintech on the Seas 2026 continues today, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, on Necker Island, where Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard C.N. Branson will deliver welcome remarks. 

Several panel discussions are also scheduled to take place on the topics: The Tokenisation Opportunity: Turning Real Assets into Global Markets; Structuring the Future: Foundations, Companies, Protocols, and Digital Governance; Prediction Markets and the Future of Market Intellegience; Funds Reimagines: Tokenised Funds and the Future of Investment Products; From Launch to Scale: What Digital Asset Businesses Need to Grow; and The Deal Flow Dialogue: Where Capital, Code and Jurisdiction Meet. 

Fintech on the Seas has been dubbed a place where “ideas turn into action”; it brings together the world’s leading regulators, investors, and innovators for an exclusive experience in the VI. They engage in high-impact discussions, build meaningful connections, and gain insights that shape the future of digital finance. 

The event is being held under the patronage of the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and Hon Smith.