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April 21, 2026

Inside HSC Asset Management Hong Kong 2026: Meet The Institutional Heavyweights Redefining Crypto, Capital Markets, And Tokenization

In Brief

HSC Asset Management Hong Kong 2026 brings 50+ leaders from BlackRock, HSBC, Fidelity, EY and Galaxy to discuss crypto, tokenization, stablecoins and the future of institutional finance.

Inside HSC Asset Management Hong Kong 2026: Meet The Institutional Heavyweights Redefining Crypto, Capital Markets, And Tokenization

HSC Asset Management in Hong Kong is set to bring together a strong roster of speakers for its upcoming conference on April 23, 2026, offering a timely forum at the intersection of cryptocurrency, institutional finance, stablecoins, tokenization, and regulation.

Among the featured speakers are Barton Lui, Director, Global Product Solutions at BlackRock, and Allan Song, Head of Data & Digital, Financing & Securities Services at Standard Chartered Bank, both representing leading voices in global financial infrastructure and institutional innovation. Also joining the lineup is Chris Barford, Partner in Financial Services Consulting at Ernst & Young, whose perspective will add depth to discussions on the evolving role of advisory and transformation in financial services.

Other notable speakers include Bugra Celik, Head of Digital Assets and Currencies, Global Macro at HSBC, who brings expertise in the shifting digital-asset landscape, alongside Giselle Lai, Director, Digital Assets Strategist, Asia Pacific at Fidelity International, and John Cahill, COO Asia at Galaxy Digital, both of whom reflect the conference’s cross-market focus on institutional adoption and digital finance.

With more than 50 experts expected and a majority of attendees drawn from senior leadership across banking, asset management, crypto funds, and infrastructure, the conference is positioned as a high-level meeting point for the institutions shaping the next phase of digital asset adoption. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the conference’s top participants.

Barton Lui, Director, Global Product Solutions, BlackRock

At BlackRock, Barton Lui works at the intersection of product strategy and institutional distribution, helping shape solutions across one of the world’s most influential asset-management platforms. In Hong Kong, his remit in Global Product Solutions places him close to the questions institutions are asking now: how products evolve as digital assets, tokenization, and new market infrastructure move closer to mainstream finance. His experience gives attendees a useful view into how a global asset manager thinks about the next generation of financial products and investor demand.

Allan Song, Head of Data & Digital, Financing & Securities Services, Standard Chartered Bank

Spanning 40 markets across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, Allan Song leads Standard Chartered’s Data & Digital work for Financing & Securities Services. His role gives him a broad vantage point on how a major global bank modernizes core infrastructure while balancing client expectations, regulation, and operational resilience. In 2025 and 2026, he has also been publicly discussing transformation in asset servicing and the growing role of agentic AI, showing a focus that is highly practical rather than theoretical. For attendees, that makes him a valuable voice on how large financial institutions can adapt their systems and workflows to the demands of digital finance, data-led operations, and institutional adoption.

Chris Barford, Partner, Financial Services Consulting, Ernst & Young

Few speakers are better positioned to explain how financial institutions can turn new technology into operational reality than Chris Barford. As EY’s Financial Services Consulting AI & Data lead in Hong Kong, he drives work across strategic transformation, data, analytics, and AI for clients throughout Asia-Pacific. His practice also occupies AI governance, digital asset integration, and compliance-focused data platforms, which puts him directly in the center of the institutional questions shaping today’s market. At HSC Asset Management, he should be especially useful for audiences looking for a consulting perspective that connects innovation with risk management, governance, and execution inside large financial organizations.

Bugra Celik, Head of Digital Assets and Currencies, Global Macro, HSBC

From HSBC’s Global Macro team, Bugra Celik brings a banking perspective that is deeply relevant to the digital-asset conversation. In his role leading digital assets and currencies, he sits at the intersection of institutional finance, tokenization, and the evolving infrastructure that supports on-chain markets. In 2026, he was also featured at industry discussions focused on digital assets, tokenisation, Web3, and digital money, reinforcing his standing as a practitioner helping translate emerging trends into institutional understanding. For conference attendees, Bugra Celik offers more than a market view: he can speak to how major banks assess opportunity, structure participation, and navigate the transition from experimentation to real-world adoption.

Giselle Lai, Director, Digital Assets Strategist, Asia Pacific, Fidelity International

Giselle Lai is one of Fidelity International’s key voices on digital assets in Asia Pacific, helping shape the firm’s thinking on crypto, tokenization, and institutional investor education. In 2026, Fidelity’s own materials highlighted her commentary on the size and evolution of crypto spot ETF assets, reflecting the speed with which digital-asset products have matured within mainstream investment conversations. That makes her especially relevant to a conference focused on the future of institutional finance. Giselle Lai brings the perspective of a traditional asset manager that is actively evaluating how digital assets fit into long-term portfolio strategy, client demand, and distribution. 

John Cahill, COO Asia, Galaxy Digital

On the trading and infrastructure side of the market, John Cahill plays a pivotal role in Galaxy Digital’s Asia business. As COO Asia, he oversees the regional operating platform behind one of the industry’s best-known institutional digital-asset firms. His remit spans prime brokerage, financing, and the infrastructure needed for institutional participation in crypto markets, which makes him highly relevant for anyone trying to understand how the sector functions beyond headlines. Galaxy has also pointed to his role in scaling the firm’s regional presence as demand in Asia continues to deepen. At HSC Asset Management, John Cahill brings the perspective of a market operator who understands what institutions need to trade, finance, and build digital assets at scale.

Policy Leaders, Investors, And Infrastructure Builders Shaping Institutional Digital Finance

Among the standout speakers is Paul Chan Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, whose keynote brings significant policy weight to the conference. As Hong Kong’s top financial official, he plays a central role in shaping the city’s strategy around capital markets, financial innovation, and its positioning as a global hub for digital assets and institutional finance. His presence sets the tone for broader discussions on regulation, cross-border capital flows, and Hong Kong’s evolving role in the global financial system.

A strong lineup from the investment and venture ecosystem includes Ciara Sun Founder and Managing Partner C² Ventures, Kelvin Koh Founding Partner The Spartan Group, Akshat Vaidya Managing Partner and Co-Founder Maelstrom, and Hong Yea Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer GRVT. Together, they represent different layers of Web3 capital formation, from venture investing and liquid fund strategies to trading infrastructure and exchange development. With backgrounds spanning traditional finance, crypto-native investing, and market building, they offer a comprehensive view on how institutional and digital capital continue to converge.

Other key speakers include Min Lin Managing Director Global Business Development Ondo Finance, Brian Mehler Chief Executive Officer Stable, and Mushtaq Kapasi Managing Director Chief Representative Asia-Pacific International Capital Market Association. Lin brings experience from Goldman Sachs, Binance, and Bitget into one of the most closely watched tokenization platforms in the market, while Mehler focuses on building stablecoin and payments infrastructure for institutional use. Kapasi adds deep capital markets and regulatory expertise, representing global standards-setting in fixed income and market infrastructure.

The program is further strengthened by Niki Ariyasinghe APAC Vice President Chainlink Labs, and Joseph Chalom Chief Executive Officer SharpLink. Ariyasinghe focuses on blockchain interoperability and institutional adoption across banking and capital markets, while Chalom brings extensive traditional finance leadership experience from BlackRock into the digital asset space, highlighting how Wall Street expertise is increasingly shaping the architecture of on-chain financial systems.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.

About The Author

Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

More articles
Alisa Davidson
Alisa Davidson

Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

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