Continuously, our series of interviews dedicated to the future of the financial industry, and we sit down with Dr. Max Bernt, managing director of Taxbit Europe and head of regulatory issues of the company’s company. Max leads the company’s strategy beyond the USA. And brings a history as a lawyer with a deep experience in compliance, cryptographic axis and public policies. Let’s ask a couple of questions about blockchain, digital assets and the future of money as well.
Who are you and how did you compat yourself in Taxbit?
I started my career as a criminal defense lawyer; It is not the most conventional point of entry in cryptographic assets, but one that gave me a solid base in regulatory complexity and risk management. On the way, I completed a Ph.D. Focused on transnational collaboration in the combination of organized crime and corruption, with academic periods in both Austria and Australia.
My first exposure to cryptographic assets arrived in 2015/16 while investigating its use, both legitimate and illicit, in global traffic networks. That caused a long -standing interest in how emerging technologies cross with the regulation, compliance and financial infrastructure.
Later I joined a new cryptography company as legal director and helped climb its duration of a period or intense growth. That possible path led me to work in close collaboration with the European Commission on the DAC8 rules and with the OECD in the framework of Crypto Assets (CARF) reports, where I currently copied your business advisory group.
That growing focus on regulatory transformation led me to Taxbit. I joined in 2024 as our first hiring outside the United States, and we have built an international presence in rapid expansion. Today, we support compliance infrastructure for global institutions and governments, helping them to address the complexities of financial reports, including DAC8 and CARF. It is a bone excitation trip at the intersection of public policies and product innovation.
Tell us a little about Taxbit.
Taxbit is the leading financial compliance platform for digital assets. We work with banks, corridors, exchanges and global regulators to help them navigate reports and accounting in a domain where traditional systems fall short.
What makes us unique is the depth of our regulatory, financial and technical experience. Our platform was built by professionals who deeply understand the rules and rails, the CPA, the lawyers and engineers who join to support compliance in an emerging space. While our name can suggest tax files, that is not exactly what we do. Taxbit focuses on information and financial reports. Think of us as the CRS or Fatca solution supplier, but especially designed for cryptocurrency and tokenized instruments. We are a true Saas company, with API plug and play that allow customers to update inherited systems and be prepared for blockchain. Our tools support everything, from the reconciliation of LEDger and regulatory disseminations to crypto-active and stablecoin reports.
Since I joined, we have cultivated our global team to 135 professionals, and we are quickly climbing in Europe, Latam and Apac. Our mission is simple but ambitious: building compliance infrastructure that will boost digital assets for the global economy.
What do you think of the crypt per se?
We are seeing a natural maturation of space. Speculative assets promoted by exaggeration will have difficulty finding a long -term relationship as regulation is tense. It is unlikely that some of the tokens “Meme” survive their novelty. But the main cryptographic assets still have value, in part as tools for diversification in institutional portfolios.
That said, I believe that the true promise lies in tokenized and active financial instruments of the real world. Blockchain technology allows us to fractionate the lowest property and barriers for markets that were historic limited to the rich, due to the high thresholds of entry or structural inefficiencies. That’s where Blockchain offers tangible and scalable value.
We are already seeing that regulation promotes this change. Under Mica, for example, tokens emitters in Europe must now publish white documents that subvantile value and functionality. That is pushing the market towards credible products and based on public services. Looking towards the future, I hope that conventional adoption is driven by tokenized products that simplify compliance and expand access, such as stables and tokenized funds that make financial infrastructure faster, faster, safe and more inclusive.
What should happen so that the space becomes the mainstream?
We are already deeply in a cleaning phase. The space is maturing rapidly, and regulatory clarity is a key controller. As of January 1, 2026, under DAC8 and CARF, all users of digital asset platforms in more than 65 jurisdictions, including Europe, EAU, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong and others, must be identifiable by a tax identification (or equivalent). Report obligations will be applied to chain and outside transactions. That is a great step forward for transparency and responsibility.
This will help eliminate bad actors that often exploit regulatory gray areas. But it is not just rules; These are systems. Traditional banks are still operating with inherited infrastructure, and there are deeply rooted inefficiencies. The transformation ahead is not only technological, it is cultural. We need a change in the way institutions think about infrastructure, value transfer and trust. The benefits are substantial. Blockchain allows almost instant, low and cross -border transactions. That contrasts strongly with the current system, where transfers take days and incur significant rates. We have the tools to unlock liquidity in real time and democratize access to capital. Regulation will accelerate this change, and also platforms such as Taxbit that provide compliance rails to do everything.
Will the financial system in the chain be executed in the future?
Blockchain will not direct the world. And that is a good thing. It is not a unique solution for everyone, but it is incredible when used where it adds a real value. We will continually see blockchain adopted in areas where it brings transparency, speed and profitability. Around time, traditional institutions will evolve, they will become thinner, more automated and more agile. But the human layer of financial services, namely trust, responsibility, customer relations, will continue to be essential. What we will see is convergence: Blockchain rails of traditional finance lever in the background. Regulatory frameworks such as CARF and DAC8 will support it by raising the bar for compliance, transparency and security. In Taxbit, we are building the infrastructure to support that convergence. We trace and report cryptographic and active assets tokenized in environments both in chain and outside the chain. We help institutions comply with regulatory obligations while preparing for a more digitized financial future. Ultimately, we are not only making compliance easier. We are allowing the responsible growth of digital assets on a global scale
