Merkle Science Meet Hong Kong: Asia’s Digital Asset & Compliance Gateway
Join Merkle Science at Soho House Hong Kong during Hong Kong FinTech Week for an afternoon of focused discussion on the future of digital asset regulation, compliance, and financial infrastructure across Asia-Pacific.
The program will bring together leaders from financial institutions, fintech companies, digital asset businesses, and regulatory and compliance teams to examine how Hong Kong’s digital asset strategy is developing, how traditional finance is engaging with the sector, and how companies are managing regulatory complexity across APAC.
From licensing and institutional adoption to stablecoins and cross-border payments, the sessions will focus on what organizations are building today, how regulatory expectations are evolving, and what the next phase of digital asset adoption could mean for the region.
What to expect
Short, substantive sessions led by industry practitioners
Perspectives from financial services, fintech, compliance, policy, and digital assets
Practical discussions on licensing, risk management, institutional adoption, and cross-border payments
Product demonstrations and opportunities to connect with speakers and attendees
Drinks and networking following the program
Agenda
1:30 PM–1:50 PM | Arrival and networking
Light refreshments and informal networking.
1:50 PM–2:00 PM | Welcome remarks
Opening remarks from Mriganka Pattnaik, Co-Founder and CEO of Merkle Science.
2:00 PM–2:40 PM | Hong Kong’s Digital Asset Strategy: Regulation, Licensing and Global Competitiveness
Hong Kong has positioned itself as one of the world’s leading regulated digital asset hubs, combining an increasingly comprehensive licensing regime with a strong focus on institutional adoption and financial innovation.
This panel will explore how the regulatory framework is evolving, the lessons companies have learned from the licensing process, and how Hong Kong is balancing innovation and investor protection while strengthening its role within the broader Asian financial ecosystem.
Panelists:
Dorina Juhász, Strategy and Operations, Bitvavo
Avina Lobo, Policy and Licensing Lead, Reap
Sean Lee, Chair, Stablecoin and Payment Working Group, Web3 Harbour
2:40 PM–2:55 PM | Product demonstration
Further details to be announced.
2:55 PM–3:35 PM | Bank-Crypto Convergence: How Traditional Finance Is Engaging with Digital Assets
As Hong Kong’s regulatory framework for digital assets continues to develop, banks and other financial institutions are reassessing their approach to crypto custody, stablecoins, tokenized assets, and digital asset services.
This panel will bring together perspectives from banking, compliance, and fintech to examine how this convergence is taking shape in practice. Speakers will discuss what institutions are building or partnering on, how risk and compliance frameworks are adapting, and what Hong Kong’s increasingly institutional digital asset market means for crypto-native companies competing for the same clients.
Speaker lineup to be announced.
3:35 PM–3:55 PM | Break
3:55 PM–4:35 PM | Navigating Compliance Across APAC: Managing Regulatory Complexity at Scale
Operating across Asia-Pacific means navigating one of the world’s most diverse regulatory landscapes.
This panel will examine how financial institutions, digital asset companies, and compliance leaders are adapting to different licensing regimes, anti-money laundering requirements, sanctions obligations, and evolving regulatory expectations across Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other key jurisdictions.
Confirmed speaker:
Tarini Ponniah, Head of Compliance, APAC, Anchorage Digital
Additional speakers to be announced.
4:35 PM–4:50 PM | Product demonstration
Further details to be announced.
4:50 PM–5:30 PM | Stablecoins and Cross-Border Payments
Stablecoins are increasingly being used to address the cost, speed, and accessibility limitations of traditional cross-border payments, particularly across markets served by fragmented banking and payment infrastructure.
This panel will take a practical look at where stablecoin-based payments are already gaining traction across Asia-Pacific and where adoption remains constrained by licensing requirements, foreign-exchange conversion, liquidity, interoperability, and last-mile infrastructure. Speakers will discuss how companies are building compliant payment flows across jurisdictions and how competition is evolving as banks, fintechs, and digital asset businesses enter the market.
Panelists:
Danny Lung, CEO, PQA Labs
Stephen Browne, CEO, Sorted
Chelsea Qianwei Zhou, Head of Legal, Codex
Pablo Che Leon, Head of Customer Growth, Reap
Leandro Meneses, Founder and CEO, Mandioca
Gary Liu, Co-Founder and CEO, Terminal 3
5:30 PM–7:00 PM | Drinks and networking
Continue the conversation with speakers and fellow attendees over drinks at Soho House Hong Kong.
Limited seats are available. Registration is required to attend.
Additional speakers, moderators, and demonstration details will be announced soon. The program and speaker lineup are subject to change.