​Proof Before Promises: How Family Offices and Financial Services Leverage Regulator-Backed Fintech Rails

​Hosted By

​Hong Kong Digital Finance Association & HKBU School of Business

​Event management: SIDAN Lab Limited

​About This Event

​Join us for an academic and executive dialogue exploring the convergence of Stablecoins, Agentic AI, and Digital Assets in modern financial services and family office management.

​We are honored to welcome Colin Payne, Head of Innovation at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), for an in-depth exchange on regulatory sandboxes, responsible AI adoption, and cross-border innovation frameworks.

​The session is integrated into a postgraduate class at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) School of Business, co-hosted alongside HKBU academic leadership, the Hong Kong Digital Finance Association (HKDiFi), and senior Web3 and fintech industry practitioners.

​Key Discussion Pillars

• ​"Proof Before Promises": The role of regulatory sandboxes (e.g., FCA AI Lab, HKMA Sandbox) in validating fintech solutions before deployment.

• ​Agentic AI & Fiduciary Boundaries: Exploring the impact of autonomous AI agents on portfolio rebalancing, compliance, and treasury workflows within family offices.

• ​Programmable Settlement & Digital Assets: Replacing legacy correspondent banking with regulated stablecoins, supported by smart contract security and real-time AML monitoring.

• ​Mitigating "Unknown Unknowns": Safeguarding institutions and private wealth against cyber threats, deepfake impersonation, and frontier risk.

• ​Cross-Border Harmonisation: Aligning digital asset custody, tokenised real-world assets (RWA), and regulatory frameworks between the UK and Hong Kong financial hubs.

​Academic Co-Hosts & Featured Panelists

• ​Featured Guest:

  • ​Colin Payne — Head of Innovation, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UK

• ​Academic Chairs & Co-Hosts:

  • ​Prof. Monique Shui-ki Wan — Associate Dean (Taught Postgraduate Studies) & Programme Director, MSc in Family Office Management (MScFOM), HKBU

  • ​Prof. Emil Chan — Visiting Lecturer, HKBU School of Business; Co-Chair, Hong Kong Digital Finance Association (HKDiFi)

  • ​Prof. Andre Leung — Adjunct Professor, HKBU School of Business; CEO and Founder, Aereve.

• ​Panelists & Industry Experts:

  • ​Dr. Raymond Chan — EMBA Visiting Lecturer, HKBU; Senior Executive, a global crypto exchange

  • ​Mr. Alex Cheng — Chief Operating Officer (COO), Beosin.

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Agenda

• ​6:30 PM – 7:15 PM | Class Commences (Prof. Emil Chan’s Postgraduate Session)

  • ​How Midnight Bridges Privacy and Regulatory Compliance in Digital Finance (Neal Lam Midnight Ambassador)

• ​7:15 PM – 8:00 PM | Academic Panel & Interactive Q&A

  • ​Colin Payne, Prof. Monique Shui-ki Wan, Prof. Emil Chan, and Prof. Andre Leung, alongside guest panelists, join the class for an opening perspective from Colin followed by an extended, moderated interactive discussion and Q&A with postgraduate students and industry guests.

• ​8:00 PM – 9:15 PM | Hosted Executive Dinner & Interactive Exchange (by invitation only)

  • ​Campus Chinese Restaurant — by invitation only. Features an informal, interactive exchange session among invited guests, faculty, and industry leaders, arranged strictly in compliance with hospitality guidelines.

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​Supporting organizations

​About Automated Systems (H.K.) Limited (ASL):

​Founded in 1973, Automated Systems (H.K.) Limited (ASL) is a Hong Kong-based technology services provider specializing in digital transformation, cybersecurity, application development, and managed IT services. With over 50 years of experience and operations across Asia-Pacific and beyond, ASL helps businesses and institutions modernize their technology infrastructure, enhance security, and improve operational efficiency.

​About A3A PayTech Limited

​A3A PayTech Limited is a Hong Kong fintech company building the infrastructure behind modern payments. A3A cloud-native technology supports acquiring, issuing and processing, providing businesses with a scalable foundation for payment innovation. Established in 2024 as part of The Payment Cards Group Limited (PCG), A3A was recognised at the HKICT Awards 2024 for its payment technology

​About Midnight Network:

​Midnight is a privacy-focused blockchain network that enables secure and compliant decentralized applications through zero-knowledge technology. By combining data protection with selective disclosure, Midnight allows businesses and developers to build applications that protect sensitive information while meeting regulatory requirements, supporting real-world use cases in finance, digital identity, and Web3.