Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK is returning next week from November 02 to 06, 2026, bringing together some of the world’s biggest and most innovative leaders from fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), Web3, insurtech, greentech, healthtech, startups, ventures, and more, to explore the future of finance and innovation.

Organized by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority (IA), this year’s edition is projected to attract more than 45,000 participants from over 120 economies, alongside more than 1,000 speakers, 800 exhibitors and startups, and over 30 Chinese Mainland and international delegations.

The Hong Kong Fintech Week event will be centered on the theme “Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future”, serving as a rallying call to drive connectivity and collaboration across global and Chinese Mainland markets.

The main conference, scheduled on November 02 and 03, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, will feature ten targeted forums with thoughtfully curated programs, alongside community events organized throughout the week across Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

These forums will include the Policy and Visionary Forum, AI and DeepTech Forum, Digital Assets and Web3 Forum, AI in Finance Forum, ChinaGlobal Innovation Forum, InsurTech and HealthTech Forum, GreenTech Forum, Founder and Startup Venture Forum, Tech Builder Forum, and Creator Forum.

The agenda will explore how AI, digital assets, tokenization and next-generation financial infrastructure are reshaping the financial services industry.

Discussions will involve policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies and investors, who will come together to tackle several key themes, including the practical adoption of AI, the commercialization of tokenized assets, the evolution of digital payments, cross-border interoperability, and the need for responsible innovation and stronger governance.

Day 1: Must-attend sessions

On the first day of the main conference, November 02, 2026, the morning will open with a broad discussion on the convergence of data, tokenization, and AI in financial services.

In the “Fintech Nexus: Where Data, Tokens and AI Converge” session, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, will join senior representatives from BAI Capital, Standard Chartered and Tencent to examine how these three technologies are moving beyond experimentation into practical financial applications. The discussion will focus on data as the foundation of digital finance, tokenization through stablecoins and tokenized deposits, and AI as an enabler of more intelligent financial services. It will also consider the governance of increasingly autonomous systems and the importance of maintaining market integrity and trust.

This session will be followed by “Navigating the New Frontier: AI, Tokenization, and Quantum in Global Finance”, bringing together leaders from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Banque de France, HSBC and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub. This session will discuss how AI, tokenization and quantum technology are being deployed, and what it takes to maintain trust in the financial system. The discussion will also look at how central banks and the industry can work together to foster responsible innovation, strengthen resilience and build a financial architecture fit for the future.

After this session, the “AI, Digital Health and the Future of Financial Resilience” session will feature senior executives from AIA, HSBC Life and Prudential Hong Kong, who will explore how AI can help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges, including rising healthcare costs, aging populations and financial resilience. The discussion will examine how leaders can harness AI responsibly to create more connected, preventive and sustainable systems that support healthier, longer and more productive lives.

At the same time, the AI in Finance Forum will explore the emergence of autonomous AI agents in “The Silicon Workforce: The Era of Agentic Finance” session. In this session, representatives from the World Economic Forum (WEF), IBM Hong Kong, HSBC and Unlimit will discuss how agents capable of independent reasoning and real-time execution are reshaping the workforce, and debate the transition from human-led “Copilots” to fully autonomous financial systems that operate within set strategic parameters.

The Digital Assets and Web3 Forum will then return to the commercial application of tokenization with “Project Ensemble: Tokenisation Ecosystem Development and Broader Commercialisation”. In this session, representatives from BlackRock, China Asset Management (Hong Kong), Ant International, HSBC and Standard Chartered will share developments following the launch of EnsembleTX in November 2025. The discussion will focus on real-value tokenization transactions, including the use of tokenized deposits for corporate treasury management and investment in tokenized money market funds, the commercial progress achieved in 2026, as well as the practical benefits and challenges encountered by financial institutions and industry participants.

The digital assets and Web3 discussions will continue with the “Financial Interoperability: Establishing Global Standards for Tokenised Assets” session where representatives from DBS, Swift, Citi and HSBC will explore the fragmentation of digital asset markets and the need for common standards across different platforms and jurisdictions. The session will focus on establishing a shared taxonomy and technical framework that would allow tokenized assets and liquidity to move more seamlessly between systems, supporting real-time collateral mobility while reducing technical, operational and legal barriers.

After the morning sessions, the “Beyond HODL: The New Playbook for Institutional Digital Asset Treasuries” session will bring together representatives from Ripple, China Asset Management (Hong Kong), FGA Trust and Standard Chartered to examine how corporate digital asset strategies are evolving beyond long-term accumulation towards active treasury management. The session will delve into the operational realities of managing digital assets as part of core corporate finance, from custody and liquidity planning to governance, disclosure, and balance sheet resilience.

The focus will then move back to the financial sector’s preparedness to quantum technology. The “Quantum-Ready 2030: From Preparedness Benchmark to Industry Action” session, featuring HKMA, HKUST Business School and HSBC, will discuss how a Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Transition Toolkit tailored to the banking sector can provide a common yet flexible foundation for action, helping banks set priorities, sequence implementation and track tangible progress at a pace proportionate to their circumstances.

In the afternoon, the “Platform Pivot: Reimagining the Digital Banking Experience with Agentic AI” session will bring together representatives to Bank of China (Hong Kong), Hang Seng Bank and EleBank, with moderation by the Fintech News Network, to explore how institutions are leveraging cloud-native architecture and real-time data to transition from passive service providers to active financial partners. They will discuss the strategy behind building high-scale digital platforms that deliver hyper-personalized insights, seamless integration, and the speed required to meet the expectations of a tech-native market.

The day’s discussion will conclude with a focus on international financial infrastructure in “Design Principles for the Next Generation of Cross-Border Settlement”. In this session, central bank representatives from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong will explore the design principles that could enable trusted coordination across different systems, from standardized communication and flexible verification to platform autonomy, connectivity choices and open standards.

Day 2 highlights

The second day of the main conference will begin with a focus on the commercial potential of AI in financial services. In the “Scaling and Commercializing Financial AI – From ‘Digital Employees’ to New Profit Engines” session, representatives from Invest Hong Kong, McKinsey, HKU Business School and Sunrate will examine the transition of AI from basic question-and-answer assistants to digital employees capable of independent decision-making within financial workflows.

The focus will then shift to the transformation of the global trading infrastructure. In the “Future of Trading: Next-Generation Market Infrastructure and Liquidity” session, representatives from BitGo, Gravity Team, Bybit and Panthertrade will explore the convergence of traditional and on-chain trading environments through AI-driven execution models and tokenized market access, analyzing how machine learning (ML) optimizations and regulated digital-asset structures maximize capital efficiency and provide professional participants with resilient, intelligent, 24/7 market access.

The China-Global Innovation Forum will then examine the industrial application of AI in “From Models to Markets: China’s Vertical AI Deployment and Innovation”. Representatives from Ant Digital Technologies, AInnovation and Baidu Holdings will discuss China’s progress in integrating AI into industrial value chains. The session will focus on tangible productivity improvements achieved through sector-specific AI applications in 2026 and consider how enterprises can deepen adoption in 2027 to address operational challenges and accelerate industrial upgrading.

The program will continue with the “Global Flow: Mastering Instant Connectivity” session, bringing together representatives from Tencent, Reap, Worldpay/Global Payments, and Flip, to explore the technical orchestration required to synchronize digital wallets and domestic rails for seamless peer-to-peer (P2P) and consumer transactions. The session will discuss the move toward high-velocity liquidity that allows users to move and spend value across the globe with total transparency and zero lag.

Hong Kong Fintech Week, first launched in 2016, is Hong Kong’s annual flagship fintech event, bringing together government officials, regulators, innovators, and industry leaders from around the world for a series of panels, keynote speeches, and strategic discussions.

Each year, the event gathers tens of thousands of industry stakeholders and attendees to exchange insights, form business deals, and showcase technological advancements. It typically features high-level keynotes and panel discussions, an exhibition, networking sessions, and startup-focused initiatives, such as the Global Fast Track, a scale-up program designed to help local and international tech startups use Hong Kong as a springboard to expand into Asian and global markets.

View the full agenda here and use exclusive discount code HKFTWXSMUHKFTNN10 to get 10% off your passes.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by https://www.fintechweek.hk