Society for Digital Finance
Advancing Research in Blockchain, Fintech, and AI-Driven Finance
An international academic organization bringing together researchers, practitioners, regulators, and students to shape the future of digital financial services.
In collaboration with
About SDF
Our Mission
The Society for Digital Finance (SDF) is an international academic organization dedicated to advancing research, education, and policy discourse in digital finance. We bring together academics, practitioners, regulators, and students to foster innovation and understanding in blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fintech, artificial intelligence in finance, and the broader digital transformation of financial services.
Core Values
- Academic Rigor: Promoting high-quality, peer-reviewed research
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Bridging finance, computer science, economics, and law
- Global Inclusivity: Welcoming researchers from all regions and backgrounds
- Practical Relevance: Connecting research to industry and policy needs
- Open Access: Making research freely available to advance knowledge
SDF is affiliated with Digital Finance, the leading Springer journal in blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fintech, and digital banking research.
News & Events
Stay updated with the latest developments in the SDF community and digital finance research.
SDF Society Launch
The Society for Digital Finance officially launches, bringing together leading researchers in blockchain, fintech, and AI in finance.
AnnouncementSDF 2027 Inaugural Conference
First annual conference of the Society for Digital Finance at ASE Bucharest. Call for papers coming soon.
ConferenceMSCA Digital Finance PhD Positions
17 fully-funded PhD positions available across European universities in the MSCA Industrial Doctoral Network.
Learn more OpportunityDigital Finance Journal Call for Papers
Submit your research to Digital Finance (Springer) - covering blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fintech, and digital banking.
Submit paper PublicationResearch Topics
SDF covers the full spectrum of digital finance research, from foundational blockchain technology to emerging applications in AI-driven financial services.
Blockchain & DLT
Smart contracts, consensus mechanisms, scalability, enterprise applications
Cryptocurrencies & Digital Assets
Bitcoin, Ethereum, tokenomics, market microstructure, NFTs
Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
Lending protocols, DEXs, yield farming, DeFi risk and governance
AI & Machine Learning
Algorithmic trading, robo-advisory, credit scoring, NLP for finance
Central Bank Digital Currencies
CBDC design, implementation, monetary policy, cross-border systems
Fintech Innovation
Payments, mobile banking, InsurTech, WealthTech, open banking
Financial Inclusion
Access to financial services, microfinance tech, developing economies
Regulation & Policy
Crypto frameworks, EU DORA, MiCA, GDPR, RegTech compliance
Quantitative Methods
High-frequency data, risk modeling, cryptocurrency econometrics
Green Finance & ESG
ESG in digital finance, carbon tokenization, sustainable fintech
Policy & Government Directions
Government policies, regulatory roadmaps, G20/FATF/BIS coordination
Industry & Market Analysis
Market gaps, adoption challenges, critical assessment of hypes
Technology Integration
Mobile apps, online transactions, legacy modernization, APIs
Explainable AI & Consumer Trust
ML/LLM in finance, XAI for compliance, consumer confidence
Membership
Join SDF to connect with the global digital finance research community. We offer tiered membership to accommodate researchers at all career stages.
| Tier | Price | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Student Member | EUR 25/year | All member benefits, conference discount, working paper access, travel grant eligibility |
| Regular Member | EUR 80/year | Voting rights, 1 paper submission, reduced conference rate, newsletter & job board, recorded sessions access |
| Early Career | EUR 50/year | First 3 years post-PhD, full member benefits, mentorship program, career resources |
| Institutional | EUR 500/year | 5 memberships included, logo on website, priority sponsorship, recruitment access |
| Lifetime Fellow | EUR 1,500 one-time | Permanent membership, fellow designation, all benefits for life, recognition at events |
| Developing Country | FREE | Low-income countries, full member benefits, conference support (subject to verification) |
To join SDF, please contact us at membership@sdf-finance.org
Annual Conference
The SDF Annual Conference brings together leading researchers and practitioners to present cutting-edge research in digital finance.
SDF 2027 Inaugural Conference
October 2027
ASE Bucharest, Romania
Hybrid Format: In-Person + Virtual Participation
Paper submission deadline: TBA
Conference Program
1. Keynotes & Industry Insights
Distinguished speakers from academia, industry, and central banks with practitioner panels
2. Paper Sessions
Parallel tracks covering all 14 research areas
3. PhD Sessions & Workshops
Poster sessions, travel grants, and pre-conference tutorials on methods and tools
4. Regulatory Roundtable
Policy discussions with regulators and policymakers
Submission Guidelines
Papers are invited on all topics within the SDF scope. Submissions undergo double-blind review by the Program Committee.
- Full papers: Max 40 pages (including references)
- Extended abstracts for poster session: Max 5 pages
- SDF members receive one complimentary paper submission per year
Awards
SDF recognizes outstanding contributions to digital finance research through annual awards presented at the conference.
Best Paper Award
Recognizes the most significant research contribution presented at the annual conference.
Best PhD Paper Award
Honors exceptional doctoral research in digital finance.
Early Career Researcher Award
Recognizes outstanding achievements by researchers within 5 years of PhD completion.
Industry-Academic Collaboration
Celebrates impactful partnerships between researchers and practitioners.
Distinguished Service Award
Honors exceptional service to the SDF community and digital finance field.
PhD Travel Grants
Travel grants for PhD students presenting at the conference, covering registration, travel, and accommodation.
People
Founding Members
Steven Kou (Boston University) | Min Dai (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) | Joerg Osterrieder (University of Twente) | Wolfgang Karl Härdle (Humboldt University Berlin) | Codruta Mare (Babes-Bolyai University) | Simon Trimborn (University of Amsterdam) | Cathy Yi-Hsuan Chen (University of Glasgow) | Yongmiao Hong (Chinese Academy of Sciences) | Yezhou Sha (CUEB Beijing) | Yanchu Liu (SYSU Guangzhou) | Piotr Wojcik (University of Warsaw)
Advisory Board
Mete Soner (Princeton University) | Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo (UT San Antonio) | Matthias Fengler (University of St. Gallen) | Stefan Lessmann (Humboldt University Berlin) | Lennart Ante (Blockchain Research Lab) | Peter Schwendner (ZHAW)
Standing Committees
- Program Committee - Conference content and review
- Awards Committee - Prize selection and evaluation
- Membership Committee - Member services and outreach
- Publications Committee - Working papers and newsletter
- Education Committee - PhD events and tutorials
- Ethics Committee - Research integrity
- Industry Relations - Practitioner engagement
Governance
- Executive Board (EB) - 11 members, consisting of founding members initially; all SDF members vote after 2 years
- President (P) - Elected by Executive Board
- Vice President (VP) - Elected by Executive Board
- Managing Director (MD) - Elected by Executive Board
- Advisory Board (AB) - Provides feedback on scientific progress and strategic plans
Legal Founders (Romania)
Ioana-Laura Tibulca (FABIZ, Finance) | Daniel Traian Pele (ASE, Cybernetics) | Sorin Anagnoste (FABIZ, Finance) | Catalina Chinie (FABIZ, Management) | Mihai Toma (FABIZ, Finance)
Publications & Resources
SDF Working Paper Series
Open access repository of research papers in digital finance. All working papers are freely available with DOI assignment.
Working papers will be listed here upon launch.
SDF Newsletter
Quarterly publication featuring:
- Research highlights and paper summaries
- Member news and achievements
- Job postings and opportunities
- Event calendar and announcements
- Industry developments
Affiliated Journal
SDF is affiliated with Digital Finance (Springer), the leading academic journal covering blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fintech, and digital banking.
Visit Digital Finance JournalSpecial Interest Groups (SIGs)
SDF members can join Special Interest Groups to collaborate with researchers in specific areas: