SINGAPORE, November 9, 2025 — The Global Fintech Institute (GFI) successfully concluded the Web3 Leader Programme, a four-day initiative held from 6 to 9 November 2025 in Singapore, bringing together founders, policymakers, executives, and academics from across Asia to explore the evolution of decentralised finance, digital assets, and financial innovation.
Hosted in collaboration with leading fintech institutions and ecosystem partners, the programme aimed to strengthen knowledge exchange across education, regulation, and innovation — fostering a community of leaders committed to advancing responsible Web3 adoption.
Day 1: Setting the Stage for Responsible Innovation
The programme opened with Prof. David Lee Kuo Chuen 李国权 CFtP, Chairman of GFI, who delivered an opening address on the macro evolution of Web3, digital assets, and global trust frameworks.
Dr. Zhang Xiao, Founder of zCloak Network and GFI Industry Chartered Fellow, presented on Smart Contracts and Privacy Protection, highlighting the delicate balance between data transparency and user privacy in decentralised ecosystems.
The session set the tone for an immersive week of dialogue on innovation, governance, and regulation within the digital economy.
Day 2: Exploring Singapore’s Fintech Infrastructure
Participants visited StraitsX, Singapore’s pioneer in regulated stablecoin infrastructure, for a hands-on session led by Tianwei Liu (CEO), Jason Tay, and Gloria He.
The visit offered insights into:
- Building a Singapore-compliant stablecoin framework and lessons from the nation’s first CBDC pilot
- The founding journey of StraitsX and its growth from startup to ecosystem leader
- Product innovation bridging Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 payment systems
- The future of digital money interoperability and regional regulatory collaboration
The day concluded with a high-level dialogue on digital payments in ASEAN, followed by a keynote from 汪静波 (Jingbo Wang), Founder and Chairwoman of Noah Holdings, who shared perspectives on digital transformation, leadership, and global wealth management in a tokenised financial era.
Day 3: Industry Perspectives on Digital Assets
Day 3 featured four industry pioneers from Asia’s fintech and blockchain sectors, each offering distinct insights into digital asset infrastructure, payments, and AI integration:
- Sailor Zhong, Founder & CEO of ChainUp, shared how institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure underpins the Web3 economy, supporting over 30 markets globally.
- Darius Sit, Founder of QCP, and Stephanie Lim discussed market dynamics in digital-asset trading and derivatives, emphasising the role of liquidity frameworks and governance in ensuring trust and stability.
- Jack Li, Founder & CEO of UQPAY, highlighted how compliance and innovation intersect in cross-border payments, noting UQPAY’s status as a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-licensed Major Payment Institution and principal member of Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay.
- Zhang Nangeng, Founder & CEO of Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN), spoke on the convergence of AI and blockchain hardware, advancing scalability and efficiency in digital infrastructure.
Each discussion concluded with interactive Q&A sessions that encouraged participants to examine institutional adoption, liquidity management, and the role of AI in the next generation of financial systems.
Day 4: Leadership, Governance, and the Future of Web3
The final day, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, brought together distinguished voices shaping Web3 leadership across academia and industry.
Speakers included:
- Jun Du, Founder of Vernal Group, who shared on exchange ecosystems, market structures, and Web3 investment logic
- Alice Liu, CEO of dtcpay, a MAS-licensed payment institution, who presented on digital asset payments and their role in financial inclusion
- Lily Z. King, COO of Cobo, on wallet infrastructure, compliance, and institutional adoption
- Shixing “Discus Fish” Mao, CEO & Co-Founder of Cobo, who joined Prof. David Lee Kuo Chuen 李国权 CFtP for a fireside chat on digital asset governance and trust
- Dr. Cindy Deng, Associate Professor of Practice at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), who examined DAO governance models, incentive structures, and decentralisation trade-offs
The programme concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony, recognising participants for their achievements and commitment to advancing fintech and Web3 education through collaboration.
Strengthening Fintech Leadership Through Education
The Web3 Leader Programme underscores GFI’s mission to empower professionals through education, research, and cross-sector dialogue. By facilitating direct engagement between industry pioneers, regulators, and academics, the programme reinforces Singapore’s position as a global hub for responsible financial innovation.
GFI continues to expand its Fintech Leadership Series, offering future opportunities for professionals to build expertise, exchange knowledge, and collaborate on shaping the future of finance.
Join the Next Cohort
📬 For partnerships or enquiries about upcoming Web3 Leader Programmes: [email protected], cc: [email protected]
About the Global Fintech Institute (GFI)
The Global Fintech Institute (GFI) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Singapore that fosters collaboration among regulatory bodies, corporations, and academic institutions. Through research, certifications, and policy dialogues, GFI advances standards and best practices in fintech and digital finance worldwide.
Our flagship initiatives include the Chartered Fintech Professional (CFtP) and Chartered Fintech Associate (CFtA) certifications, which equip professionals with essential skills for the evolving fintech environment.