Washington, D.C., October 7, 2026 — The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA), a nonprofit focused on clear and ethical public policy, research, and education around emerging technologies, announced today that its white paper, “Modern Foundations of Personal Finance: Literacy and Infrastructure in the Digital Economy,” is one of five winning papers in DC Fintech Week’s 2026 Call for Papers and has been selected as 2026 Featured Research. The paper was led by DSA Senior Policy Advisor Molly Woodman, with contributions from Managing Director Adrian Wall, Content Manager Emily Ekshian, and Policy Associate Maghan Lusk. Chosen from dozens of submissions, the winning papers appear on the DC Fintech Week website at dcfintechweek.org and in the event’s announcement to its community. DC Fintech Week 2026 runs October 13–16 in Washington, D.C. The paper looks at how the shift to digital financial systems is outpacing Americans’ financial literacy, with understanding risk being the weakest area. It also examines how gaps in knowledge and access affect households unevenly, and concludes that regulation and financial education must move forward 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 selection reflects DSA’s ongoing work to bring emerging technology expertise into policy discussions on digital assets, financial infrastructure, consumer protection, and responsible innovation. Through research, education, and engagement with stakeholders across the public and private sectors, DSA works to advance policy frameworks that support innovation while prioritizing transparency, individual rights, and public welfare. About the Digital Sovereignty Alliance The Digital Sovereignty Alliance (DSA) is a nonprofit social welfare organization committed to advocating for public policies that support ethical innovation in decentralized technologies, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, and artificial intelligence. DSA conducts research, organizes educational events, and promotes policies that prioritize public welfare and digital sovereignty. Media contact Maghan Lusk maghan.lusk@discoverdsa.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about The DSA White Paper winning at DC Fintech Week 2026
Beginner Questions
What is The DSA White Paper
It is a research paper focused on Digital Service Act regulations likely exploring how they intersect with financial technology and digital markets
What does DSA stand for in this context
In this context DSA refers to the Digital Services Act a set of European regulations designed to make the online environment safer and more accountable
What is DC Fintech Week
It is a major annual event in Washington DC that brings together policymakers regulators and industry leaders to discuss the future of financial technology
What does it mean that the paper won
It means a panel of judges at the 2026 event selected it as one of the best submissions for its quality relevance and potential impact on the fintech industry
Who wrote the paper
The specific authors are not listed here but winning papers are typically written by legal experts economists or policy researchers from universities law firms or think tanks
Is this paper a new law
No A white paper is a research report or proposal It explains an issue and suggests solutions but it does not have the force of law
Why is this topic important
Because the DSA affects how large tech platforms operate which directly impacts digital payments online banking and how financial data is handled
Advanced Questions
What specific problem does this paper address
It likely addresses the regulatory gap between traditional financial laws and the new DSA rules specifically regarding how Very Large Online Platforms handle financial advertising and user data
How does the DSA impact fintech companies specifically
The DSA imposes transparency and riskassessment obligations on platforms Fintech companies that rely on these platforms for marketing or data must adapt to new compliance standards
What is the papers main argument or thesis
While the abstract is not provided winning papers in this space usually argue for a harmonized approachmeaning the DSA and financial regulations should work together rather than conflict
Does this paper propose a new regulatory framework
It likely proposes a bridging framework that helps financial regulators and digital regulators share data and enforcement responsibilities