Hong Kong, November 6, 2026 — The second Hong Kong Digital Asset Forum (HKDAF 2026) was held at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong on November 1, bringing together representatives from the financial services, technology, and policy sectors to explore institutional onchain finance and financial infrastructure for the agentic economy.
Hosted by BlockUnion, SNZ Capital, and Web3 Innovation Hub, and co-hosted by Visa, ETH HK Hub, and Chainlink, the Forum welcomed representatives from over 260 organizations and institutions, 30 more than the previous year, also participated by 15 Ecosystem Partners and Supporting Organizations.
Ahead of the main forum, two invitation-only side events offered more focused settings for industry discussion: the “Agentic Finance Solutions” roundtable seminar, co-hosted by SNZ, Gaorong Ventures, and Cross River; and the “Institutional Onchain Solutions” industry luncheon, co-hosted by BlockUnion, EthSystems, and Chainlink.
Hon. Joseph Chan, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR Government, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the importance of digital assets in strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre. He emphasised the city’s established financial ecosystem, predictable regulatory framework, and practical initiatives, including tokenised bonds and Project Ensemble, in advancing the integration of traditional finance and digital assets. Bryan Peng, Executive Director of OASES participated in the opening panel on Hong Kong strategic positioning. King Leung, Associate Director-General Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion for Invest Hong Kong participated in the panel to discuss regulated onchain payment especially for stablecoin.
Mr Joseph H. L. Chan, JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Other representatives from Anchorpoint, Ant International, Baillie Gifford, Chainlink, Circle, Cross River, Ethereum Institutional, EthSystems, Fidelity International, HashKey, HCFA, InfiX.ai, Lido, Morpho, Offchain Labs (Arbitrum), Plug and Play China, PolyU, Reap, SignalPlus, Standard Chartered, UBS and more shared perspectives on digital asset applications, including tokenization, digital payments and settlement, AI-driven trading, and infrastructure for onchain finance.
During the forum, SNZ announced the operational launch of BlockUnion and introduced its collaborations with Lido Institutional and EthSystems. The forum also marked ETH HK Hub's first anniversary.
Hong Kong as a Global Connector for Finance and Technology Innovation
A panel on Hong Kong's role as an international finance and technology hub was moderated by Alex Yang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong (HCFA) and CEO of Volmart.
From left to right:
Alex Yang, Vice Chairman of HCFA , CEO of Volmart
Bryan Peng, Executive Director, OASES
Chen Zhao, Managing Partner, Plug and Play China
Prof. Hongxia Yang, Founder & Chief Scientist of InfiX.ai
Chair Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The discussion examined Hong Kong's ability to connect international capital, research institutions, and technology enterprises, as well as the practical requirements for business expansion and technology commercialization.
Bryan outlined policy initiatives and resources available to strategic technology enterprises in Hong Kong. Chen discussed the challenges of technology commercialization, including fundraising, market entry, and securing early customers. Prof. Hongxia shared perspectives on generative AI, data privacy, computational efficiency, and distributed AI collaboration.
From Pilot to Allocation: How Global Institutions Are Scaling Tokenized Assets
The panel examined how tokenized financial products can move beyond pilot projects toward institutional adoption, covering fund structures, subscriptions and redemptions, asset transfers, collateral management, and distribution.
From left to right:
Laurens Schepens, Head of APAC, Ethereum Institutional
Niki Ariyasinghe, VP, APAC & Middle East, Chainlink
Sandy Jones, Director of Digital Assets, Baillie Gifford
Allan Song, Head of Data & Digital, Financing & Securities Services, Standard Chartered
Kayan Chan, APAC Head of Digital Assets, UGM, UBS
Eason Lai, Digital Assets Manager, Fidelity International
Sandy discussed Baillie Gifford's fully native tokenized fund, including its onchain ownership structure and potential applications in collateral and liquidity management. Kayan highlighted the importance of delivering tangible benefits to investors, while Eason shared Fidelity's experience in developing digital-native investment products.
Allan examined the operational challenges of bringing securities services onchain, including transfer agency, order processing, and execution. Niki emphasized that scaling tokenized financial products requires stakeholder coordination, integration with existing processes, and regulatory alignment.
The discussion highlighted investor demand, operational efficiency, and the integration of onchain and offchain infrastructure as key considerations for institutional adoption.
Dr. XIAO Feng and Gilles Shi: The Next Chapter of AI and Blockchain
Dr. XIAO Feng, Chairman and CEO of HashKey Group, joined Gilles Shi, Founder of SNZ, for a fireside chat on the evolution of blockchain and its convergence with artificial intelligence.
From left to right:
Dr. Xiao Feng, Chairman and CEO, HashKey Group
Gilles Shi, Founder, SNZ
Dr. Xiao emphasized that broader blockchain adoption requires technological innovation to be supported by legal frameworks, governance structures, and established business practices. As AI agents increasingly participate in economic activity, digital currencies, digital assets, and programmable financial infrastructure could play an important role in enabling agent-driven transactions.
Gilles reflected on the industry's development over the past decade, highlighting security, regulatory compliance, and market confidence as essential foundations for sustainable growth.
Money in Motion: Building Regulated Onchain Rails for Global Commerce
From left to right:
Dr. Jim Lai, Chairman & CEO, Hues Capital
King Leung, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, InvestHK
Daren Guo, Co-Founder, Reap
David Katz, Vice President for Strategy & Public Policy, Asia Pacific, Circle
Milton Lam, Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder, Anchorpoint
The panel examined the role of stablecoins in cross-border payments and international commerce, focusing on settlement efficiency, regulatory requirements, and practical adoption challenges.
David discussed how stablecoins could improve cross-border settlement and payment infrastructure. Milton addressed regulatory considerations and the challenges of scaling stablecoin adoption, while Daren highlighted financial accessibility and the importance of connecting stablecoin solutions with existing payment systems. King discussed Hong Kong's role as a hub for international trade and payment innovation.
The discussion also explored the complementary roles of stablecoins and tokenized deposits, alongside emerging questions of authorization and accountability in AI-driven payments.
Smarter Agents, Open Finance — The Critical Infrastructure for the Future of Trading
From left to right:
Gavin Wang, Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer, SNZ Holding & SNZ Capital
Augustine Fan, Partner & CFO, SignalPlus
Zhilin Hu, Co-Founder & Head of AI, Torchcast AI
Alex Li, Co-Founder, Distilla
Willy Chuang, Co-Founder, TrueNorth
Drawing on their respective businesses, the panelists explored applications of AI in investment research, market analysis, trading, and personal financial services.
The discussion covered AI agent operating environments, investment decision-making, automated execution, and AI-powered consumer applications. Speakers also examined the importance of reliable data, risk controls, and appropriate safeguards as AI systems take on greater responsibility for financial decisions and transactions.
ETH HK Hub's First Anniversary: Ecosystem Growth and Strategic Partnerships
In Henry’s keynote marking ETH HK Hub's first anniversary, he reviewed the Hub's development over the past year. ETH HK Hub organized 25 events and expanded its membership to 48 organizations. Its ecosystem activities have also extended to Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, and Seoul.
Henry Chen, CBO of SNZ Holding; Partner of BlockUnion
Henry also announced the operational launch of BlockUnion, as determination to scale the mission of “Connect to Empower” for Web3, and outlined its four core missions: Community Building, Research and Innovation, Bridging East and West, and Web3 Acceleration and Adoption. While SNZ Capital focuses on investment opportunities in Web3 and frontier technologies, BlockUnion supports infrastructure development, ecosystem collaboration, strategic partnerships, and developer communities.
Guided by the principle of “Connect to Empower”, BlockUnion focuses on the Ethereum ecosystem, tokenization and onchain finance, agentic payments, and privacy. Henry also introduced BlockUnion's collaborations with Lido Institutional and EthSystems.
Building New Financial Infrastructure for an Onchain and AI-Enabled Economy
From left to right:
Henry Chen, CBO of SNZ Holding; Partner of BlockUnion
Pravesh Rijal, EVP, Chief AI Officer, Cross River
Steven Goldfeder, Co-Founder & CEO, Offchain Labs (Arbitrum)
The discussion examined how financial institutions are adopting blockchain infrastructure, from tokenized credit assets and cross-border payments to enterprise blockchain networks. Steven highlighted the importance of flexible infrastructure, security, and governance, while Pravesh discussed the role of banks in establishing trust and verifying transaction intent in AI-driven payments.
Both speakers anticipated broader adoption of onchain payment infrastructure and continued innovation in agentic finance, with Hong Kong presenting opportunities for further development.
From Neutral Foundation to Institutional Backbone: The Next Decade of Onchain Financial Infrastructure
From left to right:
Samuel Chong, Head of APAC Institutional Relations, Lido Ecosystem Foundation
Chao Deng, CEO, HashKey Capital
Mo Jalil, CEO & Co-Founder, EthSystems
Dharani Kishore, Head of Product, APAC, Nethermind
Jonathan Tse, APAC Credit Desk Lead, Morpho
Mo discussed confidentiality and selective disclosure technologies for institutional applications. Dharani examined blockchain infrastructure design and the operational and compliance requirements of institutional adoption. Jonathan discussed capital demand, liquidity, and product structures in onchain credit markets.Drawing on HashKey's experience, DC emphasized security, trust, and the importance of addressing institutional compliance concerns to support broader onchain adoption.
The discussion also explored emerging security challenges associated with AI and quantum computing, as well as Hong Kong's opportunities in institutional onchain finance.
Forum Highlights and Outlook
HKDAF 2026 brought together perspectives from financial institutions, technology providers, policymakers, and blockchain ecosystem participants on the practical adoption of digital assets.
Across the main forum and its two invitation-only side events, the programme connected discussions on tokenized assets, stablecoin payments, AI agents, and institutional blockchain infrastructure with more focused exchanges on agentic finance and institutional onchain solutions. Speakers and participants explored both the opportunities and the implementation requirements associated with integrating blockchain technology into financial services.
The forum was supported by eight Ecosystem Partners: EthSystems, HashKey Group, Baillie Gifford, Cross River, Lido Institutional, Plug and Play China, Finoverse, and A2Z Capital. Seven Supporting Organizations also contributed to the event: OASES, Cyberport, Chinese Financial Association of Hong Kong (HCFA), HKDAS, HKVCA, Asia Technology Innovation Companies Going Global Association, and EX.IO.
Building on this year's discussions, the Hong Kong Digital Asset Forum will continue to facilitate engagement among policymakers, financial institutions, technology companies, and ecosystem participants, supporting the development and adoption of digital financial infrastructure in Hong Kong and beyond.