PhD in Political Science · Researcher · Entrepreneur
Investigating how digital identity systems, fintech infrastructure, and institutional innovation reshape governance, trust, and cross-border coordination in an era of programmable systems.
My research examines how digital identity infrastructure, financial technology, and institutional design interact to create new forms of governance and trust. Drawing from my doctoral work in territorial marketing—the study of how institutions and nations build credibility—and extensive field experience building regulated financial institutions across 26 jurisdictions, I investigate the mechanisms by which programmable identity and decentralized systems transform public administration, compliance, and cross-border coordination.
Government digital ID architectures (Aadhaar, e-Estonia, PhilID), identity aggregation protocols, verifiable credentials, decentralized identifiers (DIDs), and the relationship between identity infrastructure and democratic participation.
Digital transformation of public services, algorithmic governance, e-government maturity models, and how technology reshapes citizen-state relationships and administrative efficiency.
How jurisdictions compete for talent, investment, and financial services through regulatory positioning. Extending place marketing theory to fintech hubs, special economic zones, and digital governance frameworks.
Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) architectures, embedded finance, open banking APIs, challenger/neobank models, correspondent banking networks, and de novo licensing frameworks.
Regulatory technology systems, anti-money laundering (AML) automation, KYC/KYB/KYCC processes, sanctions screening, enhanced due diligence, and OSINT applications in compliance.
Central bank digital currency design, stablecoin regulation, programmable money, and the implications of digital currencies for monetary sovereignty and financial inclusion.
Balaji Srinivasan's network state concept, Vitalik Buterin's Zuzalu experiments, chartered cities, special jurisdictions, and pop-up governance structures as alternatives to traditional nation-states.
Decentralized AI compute networks, edge computing, data sovereignty, AI workstation markets, and the intersection of artificial intelligence with identity verification systems.
AI applications in defence, critical infrastructure protection, technological sovereignty, and the relationship between decentralized systems and national security.
Self-litigation concepts, anti-SLAPP frameworks, AI in legal practice, access to justice, and ethical frameworks for algorithmic legal systems. "Hercules.Law" research project.
Cryptographic infrastructure, smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization, and blockchain applications in identity and financial services.
SpaceTech, NuclearTech, HydrogenTech, Waste-to-Energy systems, DNA computing, robotics, and their implications for governance and infrastructure.
Immigration policy & talent mobility · Refugees and displaced persons · InmateTech & prison reform · Assisted dying legislation · Psychedelic therapy legalization · Design thinking methodology · Ethical M&A frameworks · Political theory & new political concepts
Higher School of Economics (HSE) · Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO · Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)
Empirical analysis of 71 alumni-founded startups from Revolut, demonstrating 4× larger pre-seed and 3× larger seed rounds compared to European baselines. Quantifies network effects in venture formation.
Comprehensive framework for challenger banking architecture and Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure. 11,000+ readers. Cited in regulatory and industry analyses.
Comprehensive annual tracking of global fintech evolution. Cited as primary industry reference by institutional investors, regulators, and policymakers worldwide.
Regular contributor to Forbes, The Next Web, European Financial Review, VentureBeat, CoinDesk, CoinTelegraph, The Asian Banker, TechInAsia, e27, and DealStreetAsia. Full publication list with DOI links available on Figshare, Academia.edu, and SSRN.
Guest Lecturer · Fintech & Innovation
Guest Lecturer · Digital Banking
Lecturer · Financial Innovation
Lecturer · International Finance
Visiting Researcher
PhD Programme Affiliate
Singapore Fintech Festival x SWITCH (2016, 2019) · India Fintech Awards 2019 · Future of Fintech Summit (Beijing, 2018) · Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2018) · FinnovAsia (Hong Kong, 2017) · Fintech Awards LatAm (Miami, 2017) · Paris Fintech Forum (2017) · European Fintech Awards (2016) · FINSPIRE (Jakarta, 2016)
Volunteer Mentor: Clos (AI) · Ursa.ai (Robotics) · Hive.bio (Mental Health) · Exactly.AI · Maroo (Y Combinator) · TechNation UK · DigitalBoost UK · Help to Grow (Enterprise Nation UK)
Top 21 Fintech Influencers in Europe — Disruptive Finance Magazine
Fintech Finance 40 — Institutional Investor (2016, 2017)
#6 Fintech Influencer in Singapore — Social Media Ranking
#FintechAsia100 — Best Fintech Talents, Leaders and Community Builders (EY)
Finovate Best of Show — FinovateAsia 2018 (Arival Bank)
EFFIE Award / Brand of the Year — Russian Standard Bank
20,000+ LinkedIn followers · 670,000+ YouTube views · Regular amplification from fintech thought leaders including Brett King, Chris Skinner, David GW Birch, Simon Taylor, and Marcel van Oost.
Open to PhD supervision, PostDoc collaboration, visiting researcher positions, and research partnerships.
Particularly interested in opportunities at UK, Irish, Dutch, Nordic, and Australian institutions.
slava@identity.global · Download Full CV (PDF)