DSA White Paper Earns Spot Among DC Fintech Week 2026 Winners

The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA), a nonprofit focused on promoting clear and ethical policy, research, and education around emerging technologies, has revealed that its white paper, titled “Modern Foundations of Personal Finance: Literacy and Infrastructure in the Digital Economy,” was selected as one of five winning papers in DC Fintech Week’s 2026 Call for Papers and designated as 2026 Featured Research.

The lead author of the paper is DSA Senior Policy Advisor Molly Woodman, with contributions from Managing Director Adrian Wall, Content Manager Emily Ekshian, and Policy Associate Maghan Lusk.

Selected from over dozens of entries, the winning papers are highlighted on the DC Fintech Week website at dcfintechweek.org and included in the event’s community announcement. DC Fintech Week 2026 is scheduled for October 13-16 in Washington, D.C.

The white paper explores how the move toward digital financial systems is outpacing Americans' financial literacy, with risk comprehension being the weakest knowledge area. It further examines how disparities in understanding and access are unevenly distributed among households, concluding that regulation and financial education need to progress together.

“We’re grateful to DC Fintech Week for including our paper alongside such strong research,” said Molly Woodman, Senior Policy Advisor at DSA. “Most people are still getting comfortable with traditional finance, and now they’re being asked to make sense of digital assets too. Good rules can make these products safer, but they won’t help someone understand the risk they’re taking on. We hope this work encourages policymakers and educators to treat financial literacy as a priority along with regulation.”

The recognition underscores DSA’s continued efforts to introduce expertise in emerging technologies into policy discussions regarding digital assets, financial infrastructure, consumer protection, and responsible innovation. Through research, education, and engagement with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, DSA strives to advance policy frameworks that foster innovation while emphasizing transparency, individual rights, and public welfare.

About the Digital Sovereignty Alliance

The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA) is a nonprofit social welfare organization dedicated to supporting public policies that back ethical innovation in decentralized technologies, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, and artificial intelligence. DSA carries out research, organizes educational events, and advocates for policies that put public welfare and digital sovereignty first.