The Future of Assets: Building Trust and Infrastructure in a Tokenized World

Dr. Max Bernt of Taxbit on blockchain’s real promise, regulatory transformation, and why trust—not tech—remains finance’s greatest asset

As part of our continuing series on the future of finance, we sit down with Dr. Max Bernt, Managing Director of Taxbit Europe and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs. A lawyer by training with deep expertise in compliance, crypto-assets, and public policy, Dr. Bernt is helping steer one of the world’s most advanced digital asset compliance platforms into a new era of global finance. We talk about regulation, tokenization, and what it really takes for blockchain to go mainstream.

From Defense Attorney to Digital Asset Strategist

“I began my career as a criminal defense attorney,” Max recalls—hardly the typical path into the world of crypto and digital finance. But that early work provided a foundation in regulatory complexity and risk management, which would later prove essential. His academic journey, which includes a Ph.D. on transnational crime and corruption, led to early encounters with blockchain—both for its legitimate applications and its role in illicit trafficking networks.

It was this duality—promise and peril—that sparked a long-standing interest in how emerging technologies intersect with regulation and financial infrastructure. Max eventually joined a rapidly scaling crypto start-up as Chief Legal Officer, where he helped shape EU-wide policy frameworks like DAC8 and contributed to global initiatives like the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), which he now co-chairs in an advisory capacity.

That momentum brought him to Taxbit in 2024, as the company’s first international hire.

What is Taxbit?

“People often think we do tax filings—but that’s not exactly it,” Max says. Taxbit is, in fact, the leading financial compliance platform for digital assets, powering reporting and reconciliation for banks, brokers, exchanges, and regulators across the globe.

What makes Taxbit unique is its foundation: it’s built by a team of lawyers, CPAs, engineers, and policy experts. At its core, it’s a SaaS company with plug-and-play APIs, enabling institutions to modernize their legacy systems and become blockchain-ready.

From ledger reconciliation to stablecoin tracking, Taxbit supports clients navigating the new world of crypto and tokenized finance. And with over 135 professionals globally, it’s scaling fast across Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific.

“Our mission is simple but ambitious,” Max explains, “to build the compliance infrastructure that powers digital assets for the global economy.”

The Evolution of Crypto: From Speculation to Real Value

Max is pragmatic when it comes to the state of the crypto market: “Some ‘meme’ tokens won’t outlive their novelty. But leading crypto-assets, especially those with utility, still have relevance—particularly in institutional portfolios.”

Yet the real opportunity, in his view, lies elsewhere: tokenized financial instruments and real-world assets.

“Blockchain enables fractional ownership and lower barriers to entry, making historically exclusive markets more inclusive,” Max says. Tokenized funds, tokenized real estate, and stablecoins represent the future—not as flashy hype, but as function-driven, scalable tools that align with regulatory norms and public needs.

New regulations like MiCA in Europe are already pushing the industry in this direction, requiring projects to publish white papers that clearly define value and functionality. “It’s a welcome shift—from speculation to substance.”

What Needs to Happen Next?

The shift to the mainstream is already underway. “We’re deep into a clean-up phase,” Max explains. Regulations like DAC8 and CARF, which come into effect in 2026 across over 65 jurisdictions, are driving this transformation. Under these rules, digital asset users must be identifiable by a Tax ID, and all relevant transactions—on-chain and off-chain—will be subject to reporting.

“This levels the playing field and exposes bad actors who rely on regulatory ambiguity,” Max says. But more importantly, it lays the foundation for institutional trust.

And yet, regulation alone isn’t enough. “We also need a cultural shift,” he emphasizes. Too many banks still run on legacy infrastructure that’s slow, costly, and outdated. In contrast, blockchain enables near-instant, cross-border transactions with minimal fees.

“The benefits are clear. What’s missing is the infrastructure and mindset to scale them responsibly. That’s what we’re building at Taxbit.”

Will the Entire Financial System Move On-Chain?

Not entirely—and that’s a good thing. “Blockchain won’t run the world, but it will support the parts of it where it adds real value,” Max says.

What we’ll see, he predicts, is convergence: traditional financial institutions quietly adopting blockchain rails in the background, enabling faster, more transparent operations without sacrificing human relationships or trust.

Regulatory frameworks like CARF and DAC8 are key to making this future viable. They don’t just establish rules—they raise standards, paving the way for a more secure, compliant, and efficient financial ecosystem.

“We’re not just easing compliance,” Max concludes. “We’re enabling the responsible growth of digital assets at a global scale.”

A New Financial Era, Grounded in Trust

The future of assets isn’t just a story about technology. It’s a story about trust, transparency, and transformation. Platforms like Taxbit—and leaders like Dr. Max Bernt—are helping to shape that story, ensuring the tools we use to build the next financial era are just as responsible and resilient as they are revolutionary.

In a world where code increasingly governs capital, compliance becomes the cornerstone of credibility—and that, as Max reminds us, is where true value lies.