2026-04-10 –, Limmat (Y15-G-60)
DeFi protocols promise to operate decentralized, yet they routinely process billions in collateral. How do these systems manage risk, and what happens when markets move violently? How does this compare to centralized solutions? This panel examines how DeFi protocols, institutional gateways, and investment firms design and evaluate risk frameworks and respond to market shocks. Ultimately, we discuss how resilient these various approaches are in fulfilling the promise of a stable and inclusive financial future.
DeFi protocols promise to operate without centralized risk managers, yet they routinely process billions in collateral. How do these systems manage risk, and what happens when markets move violently? And how does their approach compare to centralized solutions?
This panel examines how DeFi protocols, institutional gateways, and investment firms design and evaluate risk frameworks and respond to market shocks. We explore the core mechanisms that underpin protocol resilience such as collateralization requirements, liquidation engines, and oracle design. How are risk parameters chosen? How are tail events modeled? And how do protocols balance capital efficiency with safety?
The conversation will also address broader questions: Do automated liquidations stabilize markets or amplify volatility? Can decentralized governance act quickly enough during crises? And ultimately, how resilient are the various approaches to the promise of a stable and inclusive financial future?
The panel consists of:
Miller Jiménez, CEO Wedefin Labs (DeFi investments)
Johannes Kern, Managing Director Frankencoin Association (decentralized stablecoin)
Marco Mariani, Head Strategic Client Solutions Bitcoin Suisse (centralized financial gateway)
Michael Svoboda, CEO Liquity (decentralized stablecoin)
The session will be moderated by Matthias Hafner, Managing Director, Center for Cryptoeconomics.
Michael Svoboda is the CEO of Liquity Protocol, a decentralized borrowing platform on Ethereum. Liquity is known for its fully decentralized and unstoppable stablecoins LUSD and BOLD. Michael has been working in the crypto space in various positions since 2017. He has a background in computer science and economics.
Matthias Hafner is the Managing Director of the Center for Cryptoeconomics. He focuses on projects related to blockchain applications, token economics, and competition. He has led numerous initiatives and supported a diverse range of clients, including startups, top-tier protocols, corporations, and governments. Matthias holds a PhD with a dissertation on "Economics of Decentralized Applications in Finance" from the University of Zurich and regularly publishes in academic journals. Prior to joining the Center for Cryptoeconomics, he worked for the Swiss government.
Johannes is the managing director of the Frankencoin Association, building the largest Swiss Franc stablecoin. Before joining Frankencoin, Johannes has built a smart contract automation platform (Nerif), a startup talent platform (cofoundme) and helped build one of the largest institutional web3 investors in Europe (L1D). Besides putting Switzerland on the map, he is also active in DePin, being the Chairman of the board of Roam Networks. Johannes holds a M.A. in Business Management from the University of St. Gallen.
Miller Mendoza Jimenez is the CEO and co founder of WeDeFin Labs, a Switzerland based team building Ethereum native, non custodial portfolio infrastructure. He works at the intersection of DeFi, risk analytics, and user behavior, focused on making risk a first class input for how people allocate, rebalance, and measure performance onchain. He holds a PhD in Physics from ETH Zürich and applies quantitative methods to portfolio design and onchain risk.
Marco is Head of Strategic Client Solutions at Bitcoin Suisse, where he leads institutional business development, crypto & and DeFi partnerships for Switzerland’s pioneering crypto financial services firm. A CAIA charterholder with a background in traditional Swiss Banking, he specializes in bridging traditional finance and digital asset markets for institutional clients.