For too long, internet freedom advocates and financial inclusion champions have operated in parallel universes. One side fights for privacy, decentralization, and user rights. The other pushes for accessible banking, payment systems, and economic opportunity. But what if these aren't separate battles?

This panel brings together voices from both worlds to examine why the future of digital finance depends on open internet infrastructure (and vice versa). When payment rails are controlled by a handful of gatekeepers, financial inclusion becomes impossible for activists, dissidents, and marginalized communities. When internet freedom is under attack, so are the decentralized financial tools that could level the economic playing field.

Our panelists will share lessons from their different funding approaches and identify opportunities for collaboration that neither sector can achieve alone. Join us for an honest conversation about breaking down institutional silos, aligning resources, and building the infrastructure for both an open internet and an inclusive financial system.