Frankfurt School Centre for Digital Economics
The Frankfurt School Centre for Digital Economics is a research center at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. The center studies the technical infrastructure of the digital economy and how digital technologies affect financial systems and markets.
Frankfurt School Centre for Digital Economics combines academic research with software development and prototypes that test technical ideas. The center works with policymakers and industry specialists and provides education for students and professionals. Its work gives these groups methods and evidence for understanding digital infrastructure and assessing how new systems could operate.
Blockchain, AI, and Quantum Computing in Finance
The FS-C4DE researches blockchain, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing and how financial services firms use them. The FS-C4DE builds prototypes, in particular with distributed ledgers and trusted execution environments. The research projects of the FS-C4DE include BLOCKPOOL, iBlockchain, and KOSMoS; the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the latter two.
Frankfurt School teaches the field in its Master in Financial Technology (MSc), a four-semester, full-time program in English. Partners of the center include Ava Labs, Franklin Templeton, WM Gruppe, and Kaiko.
Crypto Assets Conference 2027
The next Crypto Assets Conference, CAC 2027, is on 7 April 2027, on the Frankfurt School campus. The CAC is for decision-makers from the German and European financial industry and for people from regulators and politics.
CAC 2026 took place on 25 March 2026, hosted by Frankfurt School and Deutsche Börse Group. Finance Loop is a regular partner of the CAC. The center also runs the Digital Economy Forum (DEF), next on 9 December 2026.
From Blockchain Center to Digital Economics
The FS-C4DE was the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center until spring 2026. Prof. Dr. Philipp Sandner founded it in 2017, and it co-founded the Digital Euro Association for the digital euro, the blockchain consultancy intas.tech and the certification body DEC Institute. Research at the FS-C4DE now covers AI and quantum computing next to blockchain.
On quantum computing, the center runs the Frankfurt Quantum Finance Forum (FQFF). The 2026 edition on 19 June was organized with Deutsche Bundesbank, IBM, Finance Loop, and Finteda. The next FQFF is on 13 October 2027.