Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum to Advance Singapore's Next Digital Economy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum to Advance Singapore's Next Digital Economy

New forum and strategic regional partnerships bring together leaders in AI, digital finance and blockchain to accelerate cross-border innovation

SINGAPORE, 5 August 2026 – As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and digital assets move into the financial mainstream, Singapore is well positioned to lead the next chapter of digital innovation. Against this backdrop, Singapore Innovation Centre and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry inaugurated the Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum at SMEICC 2026, bringing together leaders from government, finance, academia and technology to explore how AI, blockchain and digital finance are transforming business, capital markets and the wider digital economy.

Held on 6 August 2026 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, the half-day forum will provide a platform for discussions on Agentic AI, decentralised finance (DeFi), tokenised real-world assets, trusted digital infrastructure and the regulatory frameworks needed to support responsible innovation across Asia. The event will also serve as the official media session for the upcoming Singapore Blockchain Week scheduled for November 2026.

SMEICC 2026 features Guest of Honour - Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for National Development. Under this year's theme, "Beyond Partnerships: Where Growth Comes Next," SMEICC is expected to welcome more than 5,000 business leaders from across the region, while the Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum will host approximately 250 invited participants representing the digital finance ecosystem.

More than another industry conference, the Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum reflects Singapore Blockchain Week's growing role as a regional platform where leaders from blockchain, artificial intelligence, fintech and digital assets come together to exchange ideas, foster partnerships and shape the future of innovation. As technologies continue to converge, the forum aims to encourage practical collaboration that extends well beyond the conference itself.

The programme will feature host from CNBC, distinguished speakers from organisations including the National University of Singapore, Singapore FinTech Association, Ant Group, Anchorage Digital, Alpha Ladder Group, BitGo, Chainalysis, Canton Foundation, FOMO Pay, StraitsX, MetaComp, Xapo Bank, Zenith and other regional ecosystem partners. Discussions will examine how autonomous AI agents are reshaping financial decision-making, the rise of tokenised assets, cross-border digital finance, decentralised identity, post-quantum security and the governance frameworks needed to support trusted innovation.

Associate Professor Edward Tay, Chairman & Director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Office at the National University of Singapore School of Computing, Council Member of the Singapore Accreditation Council and ambassador of Singapore Blockchain Week believes Singapore's leadership in AI governance and accreditation provides a strong foundation for the next phase of digital finance. He noted that close collaboration between academia, industry and regulators, together with Singapore's internationally recognised research excellence, positions the country to lead the responsible adoption of Agentic AI and digital assets while reinforcing its standing as a trusted global financial centre.

"Singapore's strength has always been its ability to connect people, capital and ideas across borders," said Heslin Kim, Chair of the Organising Committee of Singapore Blockchain Week and Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer of Zenith. "As AI and blockchain become increasingly interconnected, the opportunity is not simply to adopt new technologies, but to build trusted partnerships that accelerate responsible innovation. The Agentic Finance Forum brings together leaders across policy, finance and technology to shape meaningful collaboration and the future of autonomous financial systems."

MetaComp is honoured to be part of the Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum, organised by Singapore Blockchain Week at SMEICC 2026," said Tin Pei Ling, Co-President, MetaComp. "Singapore Blockchian Week, MetaComp and many other partners are each doing their part to solidify Singapore's position as the region's leading digital finance hub, as we lead up to the ASEAN summit in 2027. Payments are the foundation of a resilient digital economy, and Singapore's position as a trusted, well-regulated hub gives it a real advantage in shaping how that infrastructure develops across the region. We're seeing growing institutional confidence in that regulatory clarity, and forums like this are where that confidence turns into practical, cross-border collaboration.

“The next digital economy won't be built around human users alone, it will increasingly include AI agents participating in commerce. To unlock that future, we need trusted financial infrastructure that allows AI to transact securely, compliantly and at scale. With its strong digital and regulatory foundations, Singapore is well positioned to lead this transition," said Tianwei Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of StraitsX.

Turning dialogue into collaboration, the Agentic Decentralized Finance Forum will also mark an important milestone for Singapore Blockchain Week through the signing of a four-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with organizations spanning agentic commerce, international entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.

The collaboration brings together Singapore Blockchain Week with AIDX Tech, VIA Labs, China-Singapore AI Association (CSAIA) and HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit - China's leading international innovation and entrepreneurship platforms by Beijing Overseas Talents Association (BOTA). Together, the partners aim to strengthen cross-border collaboration, expand innovation networks and create new opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs and technology communities across Singapore and Asia.

The partnership will support several strategic initiatives, including the deployment of an AI-powered Agentic Commerce Ticketing Platform developed by VIA Labs in-collaboration with Animoca Brands for Singapore Blockchain Week, deeper engagement with HICOOL's international entrepreneurship ecosystem, and stronger collaboration with the China-Singapore AI Association to connect AI, DeFi researchers, enterprises and innovators across Singapore and China.

Collectively, the five organisations share a common vision of accelerating responsible technology adoption while fostering greater cooperation between industry, academia and innovation ecosystems. The collaboration reflects Singapore Blockchain Week's broader ambition to serve as a regional platform where ideas, partnerships and emerging technologies converge to shape Asia's next digital economy.

As the boundaries between AI, blockchain and financial services continue to evolve, the conversations taking place at the Agentic Finance Forum are intended to extend well beyond the conference hall. Through new partnerships, shared expertise and cross-border collaboration, Singapore Blockchain Week aims to help build an ecosystem where innovation is not only discussed but realised.

About SMEICC

Singapore’s largest and only bilingual SME conference since 1997, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry presents its flagship event, SMEICC the 2 power-packed days with a carefully curated programme for businesses.

Experience the conference featuring prominent business owners, inspiring thought-leaders and various government agencies. The story began in 1997 with the establishment of 3 business events - SME Conference , SME Expo and Infocomm Commerce Conference to address the learning and procurement needs of businesses.

Through the years, SCCCI has strongly advocated for the spirit of entrepreneurship and continuous capability development by presenting the flagship events at no cost to the business community.

For more information, visit https://www.smeicc.org

About Singapore Blockchain Week

Singapore Blockchain Week (SBW) is a government and association supported event serving as Singapore's premier platform dedicated to advancing conversations around blockchain, Web3, digital assets, fintech and emerging technologies.

Positioned as the world's 1st cross-border blockchain week, the event will span both the Republic of Singapore and the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone in Southern Malaysia, bringing together policymakers, regulators, entrepreneurs, investors, enterprises and innovators from around the world, SBW fosters meaningful dialogue, strategic partnerships and cross-sector collaboration that accelerate responsible

innovation and strengthen Singapore's position as a global hub for the digital economy.

Through conferences, industry forums, networking events and ecosystem initiatives, Singapore Blockchain Week connects the people, ideas and organisations shaping the future of technology, finance and digital innovation across Asia.

For more information, visit https://singaporeblockchainweek.org

Media ContactSingapore Blockchain Week Media Manager

Email: singaporeblockchainweek@gmail.com

Editorial Transparency

Singapore Blockchain Week embraces the responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and communications. This press release was drafted with the assistance of an AI-powered editorial tool and subsequently reviewed, edited, fact-checked and approved by the Singapore Blockchain Week communications team. Final editorial responsibility rests entirely with the organisers.

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