About GDF
Global Digital Finance is an industry association accelerating digital finance through the adoption of best practices and standards and engagement with regulators and policymakers.
The Organization
What is GDF?
GDF is a global member’s association that delivers an OPEN innovation platform that brings together industry firms and policymakers and regulators dedicated to the development of digital finance in the global financial services sector.
What does GDF do?
GDF delivers an annual program of priorities, driven by its members, including policy forums, regulatory consultations, policy and regulatory outreach, and technical working groups to deliver best practices, standards, and codes of conduct.
Where does GDF operate?
GDF is a global network of members who have priorities the US, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as priorities in 2025. GDF is incorporated in the UK, and has team members in each of these locations.
Is GDF a trade association?
GDF falls broadly into the trade association category of trade, industry and business associations, but is global in nature, not representing a specific jurisdiction, due to the “global” and cross border nature of digital finance.
In addition, GDF is an OPEN innovation platform run by paying members and is open to non-paying firms to participate in many of its forums and working groups.
Is GDF a lobby firm?
GDF does not engage in paid lobby work and is not a lobby firm (by the US definition).
GDF engages in education programs with policymakers to create and promote awareness of (global) digital finance industry trends and developments, in line with members annual priorities.
Does GDF engage with regulators?
GDF runs a quarterly regulator only forum for jurisdiction regulators, global agencies, and central banks, with discretionary invites going out to staff members in over 60 agencies from around the world. GDF surveys this forum and endeavors to align these priorities with members priorities and creating education and awareness.
Who runs GDF?
GDF is run by an executive branch which include executive directors and technical staff reporting to a member-led Advisory Council of firms and a GDF Board of independent (non-members) non-executive directors comprised of industry leaders and former regulators.
Is GDF a not-for-profit?
GDF is registered as a UK not-for-profit limited liability company, a common legal structure for (UK) trade and members associations.
Are GDF members eligible for GDF board positions?
No, the GDF board is comprised of independent non-executive directors that are not GDF members helping to ensure membership concentration risks are avoided. Leadership level members comprise a member board that meets with the GDF board twice a year.
Are GDF members eligible to vote for GDF board members?
GDF members are annual subscribers to the association and have no obligations to vote for board members or approve budgets. The annual member’s survey is a discretionary survey for the GDF Advisory Council to “vote” on annual program priorities.
Where are the GDF offices?
GDF has no offices and runs a virtual office hours program on a periodic basis from member’s offices in New York, Washington, London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Singapore.
The Membership
Do I have to be a GDF member to participate in forums and working groups?
No. Most forums and working groups are open to all industry firms, from startups to financial institutions.
Member-only activities focus on policymaker and regulator working groups, outreach and engagement, with discretionary invites going to non-members to participate.
Does GDF have an annual members conference?
No. GDF runs a monthly Advisory Council meeting, several virtual community forums, and hosts a number of member and outreach dinners each calendar year.
Who in my firm is the GDF membership open to?
Your GDF membership gives access to all of the staff in your firm to participate in GDF member benefits. Advisory Council members are asked to provide a single point of contact but are able to invite other members of staff to monthly council meeting, and include staff members not in attendance on the readout distribution list.
Who can chair the GDF Advisory Council?
The GDF Advisory Council is chaired by an elected member representative from the Leadership or Advisory Council membership level, annually at the beginning of the year. Member representatives put themselves forward in Q4 for the upcoming year and an election is held in the January Advisory Council meeting.
Does GDF find members speaking opportunities at conferences?
No. GDF does not do “member promotion” (such as conference speaking engagements, social media, etc.). However, members are invited to curated events, conferences, and dinners including policy outreach and engagement events in Washington, London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, the Middle East, and APAC. Members are also entitled to a FintechTV interview and receive GDF discounts on sponsoring and creating media content.
Who can co-chair a GDF member forum or working group?
GDF members eligible to co-chair forums and working groups are Leadership and Advisory Council level members. Typically, co-chair roles are filled by two representatives from different member firms.
Working member representatives, at times, are invited to co-chair forums and working groups.
What are the benefits of GDF membership?
Membership
tiers and benefits:
$1,000 / $5,000 / $10,000
Working Member Level
Seed / Series A+ / Institution
$5,000 / $10,000 /$25,000
Advisory Member Level
Seed / Series A+ / Institution
$10,000 / $25,000 / $50,000
Leadership Level
Join member-only Technical Working Groups and Policy Working Groups
Invitations to member only events, and industry roundtables
Invitations to participate in GDF regulatory roundtables
Access GDF content repository, with updates from our global policy forums and technical forums (including readouts from the Digital Finance Forum, Tokenization Forum and Digital Payments Forum)
Tickets and discounts to industry events
Join the GDF Advisory Council, and participate in the strategic direction of GDF
- A forum for members to discuss current regulatory topics and issues. It also helps set the tone for GDFs response on consultations and important issues and helps to set GDF's annual programme priorities.
Co-chair GDF Working Groups and Forums
Invitations to private curated dinners and opportunities to engage with the broader GDF community (both public and private sector)
Speak on GDF panels and webinars.
FINTECH.TV appearance
Invitations to submit a piece to the GDF Annual Report.
We host a monthly GDF Advisory Council call (last Monday of each month at 9am ET/2pm GMT on Zoom)
- A forum for members to discuss current regulatory topics and issues. It also helps set the tone for GDFs response on consultations and important issues and helps to set GDF's annual programme priorities.
Customised (global) market, policymaker, regulator, and community development roundtable and dinners
Customised GDF conference partner (physical, virtual, or hybrid), with leading industry, regulatory panels and industry leader keynote speakers (POA)
2 annual Leadership "Board" meetings with the GDF board and external policymaker and regulatory Observers.
Global Digital Finance, together with its community of industry expert members, is driving the acceleration and adoption of digital finance to support the next era of digital commerce.