Trust Talks: Exploring Organizational Identity in the Digital Age

Europe's move to T+1 settlement by October 2027 is putting pressure on every link in the post-trade chain. Matching, confirmation, settlement, collateral management, liquidity — all of it needs to move faster, and with far fewer errors.  In this episode, GLEIF CEO Alexandre Kech sits down with Maria Keller, Head of Data, Channels and Digital Operations at Clearstream, part of Deutsche Börse Group, to explore what that shift demands from post-trade data infrastructure — and how Clearstream is responding.  They discuss: - Why instruction quality is the real bottleneck on the path to straight-through processing - How AI is enabling clients to interrogate their own post-trade data in natural language - The role of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) in reducing friction in cross-border settlement - Clearstream's runner-up recognition at the GLEIF Hackathon for using the verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (vLEI) as a secure login standard - What "proactive" post-trade operations actually look like in practice  "High-quality data creates trust. And trust is really important if we want to move to the next level of financial markets." — Eva-Maria Keller

Who’s behind the smart contract?In this episode of Trust Talks, host Alexandre Kech, CEO of GLEIF, speaks with Thomas A. Mayfield, Head of Decentralized Trust and Identity Solutions at the Cardano Foundation, about why secure and verifiable organizational identity is becoming a foundational layer of trust for tokenized finance.They explore why it is still so difficult to answer a basic question in digital asset markets: who is behind the smart contract and the wallet? The conversation examines how the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and verifiable LEI (vLEI) can help connect on-chain and off-chain governance, strengthen accountability, support regulatory alignment, and make smart contract execution more trusted and auditable.Alexandre and Thomas also discuss the risks created by anonymous smart contract deployment, the strategic opportunity for institutions that can embed identity into programmable finance, and why interoperability and cross-chain trust will be essential to scaling digital asset markets.Listen to this and all upcoming episodes of Trust Talks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Subscribe or follow now.

In this episode of Trust Talks, host Alexandre Kech (CEO, GLEIF) speaks with Pelle Brændgaard (Co-Founder & CEO, Notabene) about why open standards consistently outperform closed networks when scale, adoption, and trust matter most. They explore how organizational identifiers such as the LEI and vLEI can enable faster, more reliable counterparty verification and help shift compliance from reactive checks to pre-transaction decision-making under frameworks such as FATF Recommendation 16 (the Travel Rule).The conversation also covers how open messaging and verification layers can reduce friction in cross-border and digital-asset payments, and how products like Notabene Flow aim to translate interoperability into real operational workflows for institutions and businesses.Key themesWhy open-loop networks win (payments and the internet as reference cases) LEI/vLEI as practical trust anchors for businesses in multi-network ecosystems Pre-transaction verification as the operating model for instant settlement Interoperability as a measurable adoption lever, not a “nice-to-have.”

In this episode of the Trust Talks podcast, GLEIF’s CEO, Alexandre Kech, sits with Eva Chan, CEO of Certizen Technology and Chair at the Asia PKI Consortium, to discuss ongoing projects focused on promoting cross-border trust and interoperability in Asia. Following its qualification as a Qualified vLEI Issuer (QVI) in 2025, Certizen Technology is exploring innovative vLEI use cases in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). This unique region, which encompasses three jurisdictions with distinct currencies and legal frameworks, provides the ideal setting to explore the vLEI’s potential as a key enabler of cross-border digital trust across industries such as education, healthcare, and ESG.

As Europe prepares for the full implementation of the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR), one critical tool stands out as a cornerstone of secure, real-time financial transactions: the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). In this episode, we welcome François Masquelier, Chair of the EACT and a leading voice in European treasury, to explore how LEIs - and soon, vLEIs - can eliminate fraud, streamline payee verification, and future-proof corporate payment infrastructures.François shares the EACT's perspective on the evolution of payments, the challenges corporate treasurers face with cross-border transactions, and why a standardized, global identifier is critical to building trust across financial ecosystems. As the EU moves toward mandatory payee verification by October 2025, this conversation offers essential insights for anyone working in finance, compliance, or treasury management.

Cross-border payments are entering a new era, shaped by real-time rails, digital assets, and the global shift to ISO 20022. At the same time, compliance standards such as FATF Recommendation 16 are raising expectations for transparency and trust across payment networks.In this episode of Trust Talks, Shriyanka Hore, Global Head of Industry Engagement and Managing Director at Swift Corporate Office, joins Alexandre Kech to unpack how the BIC and LEI work together to balance compliance with innovation. The conversation explores why FATF 16 is so critical for transparency, how global identifiers can strengthen identity and routing integrity, and what practical steps financial institutions and digital asset platforms can take to integrate them into AML and ISO 20022 frameworks.Looking ahead, they consider the role of interoperability, the promise of verifiable credentials such as the vLEI, and how digital identity will shape the future of payments.

In this episode of Trust Talks, Alexandre Kech, CEO of GLEIF, sits down with Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink, to discuss how decentralized infrastructure and verifiable organizational identities are reshaping digital trust. The conversation examines how integrating the vLEI with Chainlink’s Automated Compliance Engine and CCIP facilitates tamper-proof cross-border transactions, streamlines compliance, and mitigates the risk of fraud.They cover the real-world impact of bringing organizational identity onchain, the importance of blockchain interoperability, and what the GLEIF–Chainlink partnership unlocks for the digital asset industry. This is a must-listen for anyone working to modernize compliance, improve onboarding, and scale trust in financial systems.

As global commerce accelerates, the need for trusted, cross-border digital identity systems has never been more urgent. In this episode, Alexandre Kech sits down with Luca Castellani, Legal Officer at UNCITRAL, to unpack the groundbreaking potential of the Model Law on the Use and Cross-Border Recognition of Identity Management and Trust Services (MLIT).Together, they explore how MLIT, when paired with the verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (vLEI), creates a new baseline for legal certainty, technical interoperability, and trust in digital transactions.Tune in to discover how governments, regulators, and businesses can move beyond paper-based processes to a future where identity is verifiable, standardized, and globally recognized.*The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.*

This episode examines the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital security, and digital identity. As AI's development continues to accelerate, so too does its potential for misuse. From identity theft to the nefarious creation of content designed to deceive or misdirect, our capacity to separate the real from the fraudulent is under serious—and growing—threat. We're joined by AI expert Prof. Damian Borth to discuss the vital role of the vLEI in curbing AI-driven fraud, verifying the sources and authenticity of AI-generated content, and confirming the identities of organizations and their human or AI-generated representatives.

In a world where AI-generated deepfakes and evolving cyber threats render traditional caller ID obsolete, secure, real-time authentication has never been more critical. In this episode, join Randy Warshaw, CEO of Provenant, as we delve into how cryptographically secured verifiable Legal Entity Identifiers (vLEIs) are revolutionizing telecom security. Learn how these tamper-proof, globally standardized digital attestations are combating fraud—from voice scams to SIM swapping—ensuring that every call and message can be trusted. Tune in for a deep dive into Provenant’s cutting-edge PoCs in the US and Europe and discover the future of secure, trusted communications in the telecom industry.

Step into Trust Talks – the podcast where we explore the future of trusted organizational identities and the digital transformation that underpins them. GLEIF CEO Alexandre Kech invites you to discover how embedding trust into business relationships can streamline global trade and fuel economic growth. Each episode features candid conversations with industry experts, regulators, and forward-thinking innovators. Whether navigating the complexities of modern business or simply interested in the evolving world of digital identity, Trust Talks offers the insights you need to stay ahead.