Moody's Senior VP Rajeev Bamra Bridges Gap Between DeFi And Ratings Agency

As one of the oldest, most renowned credit rating agencies, Moody’s plays a crucial role in global financial markets by assessing credit risk.

Credit analysis is fundamental in turbulent times as it focuses on the downside risk — the primary variable in debt instruments. At Moody’s, Rajeev Bamra is bridging digital finance and traditional infrastructure, identifying emerging risks, and crafting resilient strategies.

Bamra, the firm’s senior vice president and head of DeFi and digital assets strategy, is among the many finance professionals who will be speaking at Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event in NYC on Nov. 14, 2023.

His journey started in India. He obtained a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai before moving to the U.S. Bamra completed a Master of Science degree in Financial Engineering at New York University.

Before his current role, Bamra was at KPMG. He spent eight years as the firm’s director of blockchain, emerging tech and digital transformation.

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At the recent Digital Securities and Tokenization conference, Bamra reflected on the role of tokenization in lowering the cost of issuing and administering funds. He highlighted how tokenization enables a shift in demand toward illiquid assets driven by investors seeking higher returns. This trend aligns with recent research, such as the survey published by Citi Securities Services. The survey underscores the appeal of tokenization for private equities and debt among institutional investors.

"With a market that is exponentially growing, tokenization can potentially drive growth in private asset investing, generating new flows and leading to revenue expansion for the industry overall," Bamra said, pointing out tokenization as a way to support fractional ownership.

Keeping An Eye On Regulators And Innovators

Regulatory compliance seems to be at the center of Bamra's work. He told CoinDesk that the digital infrastructure developed ahead of the regulatory framework. Bamra also emphasizes the importance of such a framework for the domestic market.

"The lack of bipartisan agreement and progress on digital asset-specific legislation may diminish the attractiveness of the United States for firms and investors, especially considering the advancement of comprehensive rules in other jurisdictions and the migration of resources to more accommodating laws. That’s why the priority of having digital asset-specific regulation in the U.S. is important," he said.

Join Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets in NYC on Nov. 14, 2023, to stay updated on trends like AI, regulations, SEC actions & institutional adoption in the crypto space. Secure early bird discounted tickets now!

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