Payments of the Future: Law, Innovation, and Access in a Digital Economy
January 29 – 30, 2026
Dallas
The SMU Science & Technology Law Review 2026 annual symposium, hosted in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will bring together esteemed scholars, practitioners and industry experts to explore the emerging topics and trends in the digital payments landscape. Participants can expect engaging discussions on critical topics across multiple panels.
When
- Thursday, Jan. 29–Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
Where
- Day 1: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- Day 2: Southern Methodist University
Registration
Register online
Thursday, Jan. 29
Agenda
| 2:30 p.m. |
Check-in |
| 3:00 p.m. |
Opening remarks
- David Teeples, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
|
| 3:10 p.m. |
Panel 1: Stablecoin regulation
Stablecoins represent a transformative development in digital payments, yet their private law and regulatory treatment remains unsettled. This panel examines the evolving legal framework governing stablecoins, including recently enacted federal legislation and prospective state-level regulatory. Panelists will discuss whether existing regulations adequately address stablecoin risks, explore the implications of treating stablecoins as “money”, and consider how regulatory approaches might affect innovation, consumer protection, and financial stability. The discussion will also address international coordination efforts and cross-border payment implications.
|
| 4:10 p.m. |
Keynote address/moderated conversation
- Introduction: Lorie Logan, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- Travis Hill, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
|
| 4:50 p.m. |
Closing remarks and administrative items
- Jason P. Nance, Southern Methodist University
|
| 5:00 p.m. |
Networking reception |
Friday, Jan. 30
Agenda
| 9:00 a.m. |
Opening remarks
- Introduction: Jason P. Nance, Southern Methodist University
|
| 9:15 a.m. |
Panel 2: Financial privacy in a data economy
Digital payment systems generate vast quantities of transaction data, raising critical questions about financial privacy rights and data governance. This panel explores the tension between payment innovation and privacy protection, examining how financial institutions collect, use, and share consumer payment data. Panelists will address the adequacy of current privacy frameworks and state consumer privacy laws, in regulating digital payment data. The discussion will consider surveillance risks, data breach vulnerabilities, law enforcement access, and whether consumers retain meaningful control over their financial information in an increasingly data-driven payments ecosystem.
|
| 10:15 a.m. |
Break |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Panel 3: Checks of the future and electronic negotiable instruments
The legal framework for negotiable instruments, developed for paper-based transactions, faces challenges as payment systems digitize. This panel examines how law adapts negotiable instruments doctrine to electronic environments, including the treatment of electronic checks under the Uniform Commercial Code. Panelists will address whether traditional negotiability concepts translate effectively to digital formats, explore emerging technologies that might supplant traditional checking systems, and consider how electronic payment innovations affect legal concepts such as holder in due course status, presentment, and dishonor.
|
| 11:30 p.m. |
Lunch
|
| 12:00 p.m. |
Panel 4: Financial access
Digital payment technologies promise to expand financial access for underserved populations, yet significant barriers persist. This panel examines whether digital payments can meaningfully advance financial access or risk deepening existing disparities. Panelists will explore infrastructure requirements and regulatory structures that may exclude certain populations and the role of alternative payment systems in serving unbanked and underbanked communities. The discussion will address concerns about discriminatory algorithmic decision-making, the importance of maintaining cash alternatives, and policy considerations that could promote equitable access to digital financial services.
|
| 1:00 p.m. |
Closing remarks
|