BlockchainNZ & FinTechNZ presents: The Great Merge — TradFi vs DeFi: Where Should I Put My Money?

TradFi vs DeFi: Where Should I Put My Money? aims to spark a fresh conversation around the rapid changes reshaping the financial industry. This debate seeks to explore both the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s traditional finance sector alongside the fast-growing distributed finance ecosystem. A collaboration between BlockchainNZ and FinTechNZ, this dynamic, members-only event builds on strong interest from BlockchainNZ’s, CryptoWinter event, subsequent FinTech roundtables, and significant market activity overseas.

Format:

Designed as a forum for education, issue exploration, and lively entertainment, the event will feature an in-person debate hosted by the Worldline team. The debate follows Chatham House rules to encourage open, practical perspectives from both sides of the discussion. There is no right or wrong answer, as both TradFi and DeFi communities share an interest in topics like tokenisation, stablecoins, cross-boarder payments, and so much more.

Debaters from the more ‘Traditional Finance’ worl,d including banks, regulatory bodies, investment firms, and payment providers, will go head-to-head with knowledgeable voices from the DeFi community, including representatives from exchanges, stablecoin providers, and digital asset experts.

The debate consists of three themed rounds — ‘Trust & Transparency’, ‘Regulation & Responsibility’, and ‘Innovation & Chaos’ — concluding with a forward-looking discussion on ‘The Future of Money’- a focus for the upcoming Fintech Hui next March.

Speakers will present timed arguments and rebuttals, while the audience votes after each round to indicate which side made the stronger case. The goal isn’t to declare a winner, but to surface the key questions as finance evolves: where each system excels, how they might merge, and what coexistence could look like in Aotearoa.

Expect a frank, humorous, and forward-thinking conversation — the kind that happens when the suits and the hoodies share the same stage.

Confirmed Debaters Include:

Team TradFi

• Peter Dingle | Investor
• Lenka Kulhava | Western Union
• Rupert Karlyon | Kōura Wealth

Team DeFi

• Alan Crofts | Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
• Paul Quickenden | Easy Crypto
• Rachael Gemming | EY

Moderator: Julia Nicol | Worldline

Event Details:

Date: 25 November 2025

Time:  5:00PM – 7:30PM

Location:  Worldline, Level 18, 88 Shortland Street, Auckland 1010

Event Type:  in person

Cost: Free for members Fintech and BCNZ & $30 for non-Members