Hosted by: IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Group, IEEE Silicon Valley Computer Society and Blockchain Technical Community
Speakers: Marc Lijour (Startup Founder, IEEE Canada Blockchain), Revanth Reddy Airre (HippocraticAI, IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Group)

Meeting Date: Monday, December 29, 2025
Time: Checkin via Zoom for presentation at 6:00 PM (PST)
Format: Technical Talks + Volunteering at IEEE Discussion
Cost: none
Reservations: events.vtools.ieee.org/m/521039
Summary: In 2025, the landscape of digital money is shifting rapidly as the GENIUS Act establishes a federal framework for payment stablecoins while U.S. CBDC efforts pause and other regions move ahead with their own digital currency projects. This event will provide a clear overview of how stablecoins, CBDCs, tokenized deposits, and new payment rails are evolving in the U.S. and globally, and what that means for technology and finance professionals. It will conclude with a session on how volunteering within the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community creates opportunities to build leadership, grow networks across industry and academia, and contribute to impactful work in the blockchain ecosystem.

Talk 1: From CBDC Freeze to Stablecoin Law: How the GENIUS Act Is Rewiring Digital Payments
Marc Lijour, Startup Founder; IEEE Canada Blockchain
Abstract: The United States has entered a new phase in the evolution of digital money. Shortly after taking office, President Trump issued an executive directive instructing federal agencies to halt work on a central bank digital currency, signaling a clear policy preference against a government-run digital dollar. In parallel, the House advanced the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to formally restrict the Federal Reserve from creating a consumer-facing CBDC. Into this shifting landscape came the GENIUS Act, a landmark piece of legislation establishing a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. The Act clearly defines which entities may issue payment stablecoins, sets explicit expectations around 100% reserve backing in high-quality liquid assets, and introduces governance, disclosure, and supervisory requirements designed to bring stability to a rapidly growing segment of the digital asset ecosystem.
This talk explores the consequences of this legislative pivot, comparing the United States’ stablecoin-first strategy to the CBDC paths pursued by Europe, China, and Latin America. It examines rising adoption of tokenized deposits within banks and financial institutions, providing clarity on how they differ from payment stablecoins and why they are increasingly attractive for institutional settlement and wholesale financial rails. The presentation also highlights emerging payment capabilities enabled by programmable, low-cost digital dollars, including near-instant cross-border settlements and machine-to-machine micropayments. The session ultimately provides a structured view of how regulatory actions, market adoption, and infrastructure innovation are converging to define the next era of digital payments.

Talk 2: Opportunities to Make an Impact in Blockchain Through IEEE Blockchain Technical Community
Speaker: Revanth Reddy Airre, HippocraticAI; IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Group
Abstract: Blockchain and digital assets are moving quickly from experimentation to real-world use, and the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community offers a place for students and professionals to be part of this transition. Through chapter activities, technical talks, and student programs, volunteers can contribute to research conversations, practical implementations, and education while staying close to the latest developments in blockchain and Web3.
This talk shares a practitioner’s experience being involved in IEEE, from taking on leadership roles in the IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Group to coordinating blockchain initiatives with student clubs at top universities globally. It will describe how involving IEEE standards, organizing events, supporting student activities, and collaborating with other IEEE groups creates chances to learn, connect, and contribute. The session will highlight how volunteering steps can help build leadership skills, expand one’s network across industry and academia, and provide value back to society through knowledge sharing. The goal is to show how IEEE volunteering can be a practical and rewarding way to grow in the STEM field while helping the broader community.

Bio: Marc Lijour is an entrepreneur, researcher, and educator dedicated to expanding human potential in a world shaped by data and software-driven systems. His career spans several continents and sectors, beginning with leadership roles in education, including seven years guiding major technology initiatives at the Ontario Ministry of Education. Marc later joined Cisco Systems, where he contributed to connecting people and devices across large-scale digital infrastructures. He then moved into the blockchain ecosystem through ConsenSys, where he supported the development of financial systems built on Ethereum. He has also contributed to the advancement of sovereign digital infrastructure by helping provide Canadian organizations with access to one of the first data centers integrating AI and quantum capabilities. Today, Marc teaches Strategy to MBA students at the International Business University (IBU), advises early-stage technology founders, and plays an active leadership role across several non-profit and innovation-oriented organizations. He serves as Chair of the Board at the Northstar Foundation, is a board member at TechConnex, and is an advisor at the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) in both the Web3/Blockchain and Quantum streams. Marc also contributes to international collaboration and educational outreach through his role as the US and Canada Coordinator for the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community.
Bio: Revanth Airre is a Staff Engineer at the Silicon Valley AI startup HippocraticAI, a thought leader, and a technology expert with a strong commitment to supporting the broader tech community. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Previously, Revanth worked at the Comcast Silicon Valley Innovation Center, where he helped design and implement large-scale, fault-tolerant distributed systems. He contributed to scaling a major data platform to more than 70M users, addressing complex distributed-systems, and data platform challenges. Before moving to the United States, he worked at the Paris-based code analysis startup CAST Software and later contributed to several Silicon Valley startups in both the blockchain and AI domains. He has a strong technical background and extensive experience building technology across startup environments.
As Chair of the IEEE Silicon Valley Blockchain Chapter and an IEEE Senior Member, Revanth leads initiatives in blockchain, cloud computing, and AI/ML, fostering community engagement and collaboration in emerging technologies. He also serves globally with the IEEE Blockchain Technical Community as the Global Student Clubs Coordinator, where he successfully onboarded dozens of university blockchain clubs, strengthening academic partnerships and expanding IEEE’s worldwide blockchain education network. Revanth served on the Program Committee for the International Conference on Blockchain Research and Applications, contributing to global blockchain research and standards. His expertise spans distributed systems, AI compute inference, large language models, next-generation blockchain platforms, interoperability, scalability solutions, cloud computing, and integrating AI-driven agents to enhance security and efficiency. He started FreeCodingSchool in 2020, a not-for-profit initiative providing accessible coding education through workshops, mentorship, and open learning resources. Additionally, he serves as a conference program committee member, speaker, technology awards judge, career guide, and leader across several non-profit organizations. Through these roles, Revanth actively supports the tech ecosystem by reviewing research work, serving as an expert member of technology judging panels, mentoring early-career technologists, and promoting innovation.