Humanitarian Payments Council Meeting

July 2026 | Washington, D.C.

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Exploring the effective and responsible deployment of stablecoins and blockchain-based payment rails within the humanitarian system.

Stablecoins are not a replacement for traditional humanitarian payment systems — they are an additional tool that can reduce costs, accelerate delivery, improve transparency, and reach recipients where banking infrastructure is limited or unavailable. The opportunity now is understanding when they are the right tool, how to deploy them effectively, and what is needed to scale their use responsibly.

Created by the Algorand Foundation, the Humanitarian Payments Council (HPC) brings together humanitarian organizations, payment providers, fintech leaders, researchers, and policymakers to answer those questions through real-world experience. Members have led stablecoin-based aid deployments in Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Haiti, Colombia, and beyond.

The 2026 gathering is HPC's third annual. Prior editions were in Barcelona and Berlin. This year, we will convene in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Treasurers Roundtable, as we explore field deployments, operational challenges, treasury management, donor policy, and regulation — all with the goal of advancing practical, responsible adoption of stablecoins for humanitarian assistance.   

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July 13-14: The Treasurers Roundtable

TRT is a peer forum for CFOs, treasurers, and finance leaders from major humanitarian organizations. It addresses all aspects of treasury management, including the operational realities, risks, and opportunities of stablecoin adoption.

Note: HPC members are encouraged to attend the TRT sessions on July 13–14, though registration and associated costs are the responsibility of each individual.
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July 15-16: The Humanitarian Payments Council meeting

HPC convenes a broader coalition — humanitarian agencies, payment networks, fintech providers, researchers, and policymakers — to examine field deployments, build the evidence base, and engage Washington on the regulatory environment.

What you can expect from the event

  1. Build a shared foundation. Leave with a clear-eyed understanding of where stablecoin-based payments have worked in humanitarian contexts, what they've actually solved, and where the evidence is still thin.

  2. Understand how stablecoins fit in practice. Develop a working understanding of how stablecoin solutions connect to, and how they can augment, the payment architectures humanitarian organisations already operate.

  3. Surface operational challenges. Surface the operational challenges, institutional friction, and regulatory and reputational risks that practitioners and treasurers encounter.

  4. Identify realizable policy wins. Arrive at a shared view of the near-term regulatory and policy asks that this community is positioned to advance together when in front of decision-makers, both in donor and recipient countries.

  5. Leave with a plan. Agree on concrete next steps — for the Council, for member organisations, and for the advocacy agenda — so that momentum from the convening carries forward. 

2026 Agenda

 

Monday, July 13
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Treasurers Roundtable (AGENDA)

Location: Aspen Institute, 2300 N St NW #700, Washington, DC 20037

*No stablecoin-specific sessions. 

HPC members are welcome to attend, though registration and associated costs are the responsibility of each individual. 
Tuesday, July 14
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Treasurers Roundtable (AGENDA)

Location: Aspen Institute, 2300 N St NW #700, Washington, DC 20037

*Recommended sessions for HPC members are listed below.

 HPC members are welcome to attend, though registration and associated costs are the responsibility of each individual.
11:00 AM

Treasurers Stablecoin Handbook - introduction and invitation for comment

  
11:15 AM

Stablecoins in Humanitarian and Development Sector: From Awareness to Action

  
3:30 PM

Stablecoin & Tokenization: Treasury at the Tipping Point

  
Wednesday, July 15
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Humanitarian Payments Council meeting

Location: Hotel Washington, Meeting Room: Elevation (11th Floor), 515 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

 Crossover day with TRT guests, Washington policymakers, and regulatory staff as invited observers. 
8:30 - 9:00 AM

Arrivals & coffee

  
9:00 - 9:30 AM

Welcome & scene-setting

This opening session welcomes participants to Washington, introduces the combined HPC and TRT format, summarizes the key takeaways from the Treasurer’s Roundtable and outlines what we expect to achieve across the two days ahead.We will reflect on developments since Berlin before framing why this moment — in the policy, regulatory, and operational landscape — makes this convening particularly timely.

  
9:30 - 10:30 AM

What has worked: A world tour of successful humanitarian stablecoins deployments

 HPC members present recent cases of stablecoins in aid and lessons learned (15 mins per). Some audience Q&A, followed by a “marketplace” where all participants can engage with presenters in smaller groups in more detail.

  
10:30 - 11:30 AM

Marketplace (& coffee!)

All participants are invited to meet with presenters at dedicated tables to ask questions and learn more about the presented cases.

  
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

What did it take: Operational challenges and opportunities

Panel and audience Q&A: Distilling and discussing the insights from the previous session: What are the operational challenges in fragile environments? What are the compliance and regulatory considerations? What are the advantages over existing payment systems?

  
12:30 - 2:00 PM

Lunch 

Optional lunch roundtables:

  1. Blockchain "AMA" with expert Dr. Nikhil Varma, PHD

  2. Lunch discussion on the Treasurers stablecoin handbook, with Thomas Byrnes, CEO, MarketImpact 
  
2:00 - 3:00 PM

Policy challenges and opportunities 

Policymakers in Washington, London, Brussels, and beyond are actively evaluating stablecoins for aid payments.  This session examines the state of this process within governments and what governments would need to see and do before they can meaningfully scale.

  
3:00 - 3:30 PM Break   
3:30 - 5:00 PM

Technology Show and Tell: HPC member product demos and updates 

Strategy updates and product demos from various council members. 

  
7:00 PM

HPC Dinner (offsite)

An informal dinner for Council members and invited guests. An opportunity for off-the-record conversation following the day’s sessions.

 The dinner location has been shared directly with participants.
Thursday, July 16
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Humanitarian Payments Council meeting

Location: Hotel Washington, Meeting Room: Elevation (11th Floor), 515 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

 Open only to HPC members.
9:00 - 9:30 AM Recap of day one, and welcome introductions of new Council members  
9:30 - 11:00 AM

The big picture: Understanding stablecoin adoption in humanitarian crises

CALP and King's College London present early findings from their joint research on stablecoin adoption in humanitarian crisis settings. This interactive session validates the emerging findings and generates recommendations through an online platform and role-based tabletop exercises.

  
11:00 - 11:30 AM Break  
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Treasurers: Concrete next steps to support treasurers

What did we learn from the TRT survey, The Treasurers Stablecoin Handbook, TRT meetings and engagement in the last 3 days?  How do we take it forward and maintain momentum? 

  
12:15 - 1:00 PM

Donors: strengthening understanding and consideration within Govts of evolving opportunities 

Where do donors stand regarding stablecoin adoption?  If stablecoins are to become a reliable payment option for the aid community, donors are a critical stakeholder.  What can the payments council do to support the donor community in this regard? 

  
1:00 - 2:00 PM 

Lunch 

  
2:00 - 2:30 PM

PayCode product demo

  
2:30 - 3:30 PM

Public stakeholders: Develop coherent messaging towards regulators and policymakers

  
3:30 - 4:00 PM

Break 

  
4:00 - 5:00 PM

Action items and wrap-up

How can the council be most effective in supporting stablecoin adoption in the aid sector in the next 12 months? From treasurers to donors to regulators and policy makers to product builders to implementers. Bringing it all together.

  
6:00 PM

Closing drinks

Location: Hotel Washington rooftop

  

 

Key info:

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Treasurers Roundtable location

Aspen Institute, 2300 N St NW #700, Washington, DC 20037

Registration and associated fees are the responsibility of individual HPC members

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Humanitarian Payments Council location

Hotel Washington, Meeting Room: Elevation (11th Floor), 515 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

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Contacts

For Council or program inquiries:
Matt Keller, Algorand Foundation Director of Impact, matt@algorand.foundation

For hotel, travel, or other logistical needs:
Danuta Othman, danuta.othman@algorand.foundation

Please note, attendance at the Humanitarian Payments Council event, and participation in Council activities, is subject to invitation. This is not an open event and invitations are non-transferrable without authorization.