Digital Money Forum

Every year we ask the audience how much cash they have in the pocket. Every year the answer is less and less. For the fifth year, CES is producing The Digital Money Forum. The day-long conference and 4-day exhibit marketplace are devoted to helping the technology community navigate the circuitous transition from paper currencies to digital.

Like any trip worth taking, the path to a cashless digital economy has been fraught with bumps, retributions, recriminations and turf wars, but it’s paved the way for a new, mature generation of problem solvers who are prepared to lead the way. At our 2020 show, we’ll focus on the companies and leaders who’ve been at the forefront of fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency advancements.

On the fintech front, 2020 is the year when chatting with a robo advisor will become nearly indistinguishable from talking to a human financial expert. It’s the year when fintech companies will rely on AI, voice and 5G devices to help redefine everything from how credit is scored to how loans and payments are made. And it’s a year where all banking and payments will become mobile first.

For blockchain and crypto you’ll see the industry move from what Deloitte calls “blockchain tourism” to prioritizing blockchain right up there with AI and 5G as their business stay competitive. This will be the year where you’ll see new currencies working alongside traditional ones, and new asset classes born as the digital tokens go mainstream.

You’ll see major hardware manufacturers jumping on board with blockchain-ready mobile devices, plug-in blockchains, automated kiosks and newly designed chipsets that will both speed and secure blockchain’s operations. Regulators will provide a much-needed framework for weeding out bad actors. And you’ll see the “suits” — everyone from the major exchanges to funds and traders — all gathered to figure out their rightful places in a financial world we’ve only just begun to imagine.

There’s no better place to explore the future of money then at CES, the epicenter of innovation and the most likely place on the planet for technologists to gamble on the future.