Stockholm, Sweden, May 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Digital Asset Regulatory Authority (DARA), a self-regulatory industry organization, will be represented at the Nordic Blockchain Conference 2026 by Jacqueline Cooper, JD, chief executive officer of the Maryland Blockchain Association and a director of DARA. The conference, hosted by the Nordic Blockchain Association at Epicenter in Stockholm on May 26-27, is expected to convene more than 1,250 delegates and 125 speakers.
Cooper will use the forum to advance DARA’s international focus on the establishment of jurisdictional task forces in support of local legislative and regulatory action. The model treats responsible digital asset oversight as the product of organized, locally accountable coalitions — bringing together legislators, regulators, technologists, attorneys and industry participants — rather than top-down rulemaking alone.
The approach was recently validated in the United States. On May 13, 2026, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed two pieces of blockchain legislation into law, including House Bill 470, which establishes a state task force charged with evaluating distributed ledger applications for public records and recommending implementation pathways. Cooper, who testified in support of the legislation before the Maryland General Assembly, was instrumental in the formation of the task force.
“The task force is the most underused instrument in digital asset policy,” Cooper said. “It gives policymakers a structured way to bring expertise into the room without ceding authority or the context, and it gives industry a structured way to contribute. Maryland is a working example of what that produces.”
DARA’s research and advocacy, supports digital asset service provider registration across multiple jurisdictions, with regulatory citations and review workflows tailored to each market’s statutory framework.
At NBC2026, Cooper will participate in sessions across the conference’s three core tracks: emerging technology, regulation and policy, and digital finance. The DARA leadership advisory will also convene a meeting during the multi-day event to focus on the fast moving development in the Nordic region.
About Digital Asset Regulatory Authority (DARA)
The Digital Asset Regulatory Authority is a self-regulatory organization initiative dedicated to advancing industry goals, registration infrastructure and jurisdictional task force leadership worldwide. DARA partners with national authorities, industry associations and academic institutions in multiple regions. More information is available at dara.foundation.
About Maryland Blockchain Association (MDBA)
The Maryland Blockchain Association is a nonprofit industry association that represents blockchain technologists, attorneys, entrepreneurs and policymakers in the state of Maryland. MDBA contributes expert testimony, policy research and stakeholder convening to support responsible blockchain adoption in Maryland and serves as a partner organization in the DARA network. Learn more at marylandblockchainassociation.org. Register to attend the BlockChAIn Bootcamp by visiting: https://marylandblockchainassociation.org/summer-conference/
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