WDAF 2026
Program

Time Program Session & Topic Speaker

09:00–09:15

(15')

Opening Ceremony

Opening

09:15–09:20

(05')

Opening Address (Video Message)

Stablecoins: A Financial Lifeline

Paulo Ardoino

Founder & CEO, Tether

09:20–09:35

(15')

Welcome Address

Blockchain and AI: Unlocking the Digital Economy

Don Tapscott

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman Blockchain Research Institute

09:35–09:50

(15')

Keynote Speech

Reinventing the Financial System

Naveen Mallela

Global Head of Payments, Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Ltd.

09:50–10:05

(15')

Featured Session

Featured Speech 1

The XRP Digital Asset Ecosystem

Sagar Shah

Chief Business Officer, Evernorth

10:05–10:35

(30')

Fireside Session

Morning Fireside Chat

Bringing Global Finance On-Chain

Moderator

Jae-Hyuk Lee

Partner, PwC Korea

Rania Rahardja

Senior Director, APAC, Ondo Finance

10:35–10:50

(15')

Break

10:50–11:30

(40')

Panel Session

RWA 1

Tokenization in Financial Markets

Moderator

Daniel Kim

Founder & CEO, Tiger Research

Yongjae Lee

Head of Digital Asset Business Department, Mirae Asset Securities

Gabriel Gareth Foo

DeFi Growth Lead, Securitize

Christie Chan

Director of Digital Assets and Currencies, HSBC

11:30–12:10

(40')

RWA 2

The Framework for Tokenized Markets

Moderator

Jongsub Lee

Professor of Finance, Seoul National University Business School

Ashfaq Shaik

Executive Vice President of Engineering & Digital Assets, Broadridge

Niki Ariyasinghe

Vice President, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Chainlink Labs

Justin Kim

Vice President of International Business Development, Ava Labs

12:10–13:10

(60')

Luncheon

13:10–13:25

(15')

Featured Session

Featured Speech 2

The New Physics of Finance: Kinexys

Akshika Gupta

Global Head of Product Sales and Solutions, Kinexys by J.P. Morgan

13:25–13:55

(30')

Fireside Session

Afternoon Fireside Chat

Digital Asset Banking for Private Wealth

Moderator

Seung Jae Yoo

Foreign Attorney, Kim & Chang

Gerald Goh

Co-Founder, Sygnum
CEO, Sygnum APAC

13:55–14:35

(40')

Panel Session

Payment 1

The Evolution of Money Movement

Moderator

Jem Kim

Executive Director of Innovation & Strategy Department, Herald Media Group

Queenie Le

Regional Expansion Lead APAC, Tether

Jinnie Lee

Sales Director APAC, Ripple

14:35–14:50

(15')

Break

14:50–15:30

(40')

Panel Session

DAT

The Rise of Digital Asset Treasuries

Moderator

Chris Park

Head of Korea Commercial Strategy, BitGo

Sagar Desai

APAC Head of Wholesale, Coinbase Institutional

Eric Ko

Chief Strategy Officer, Korea Digital Asset Custody

CJ Fong

APAC General Manager, GSR

15:30–16:10

(40')

Payment 2

A New Rail for Global Payments

Moderator

Jem Kim

Executive Director of Innovation & Strategy Department, Herald Media Group

David Katz

Vice President, Strategy and Policy for Asia Pacific, Circle Internet Group

Fabian Khoshbakht

Head of APAC for Global Payments & Trade, BNY

16:20–17:00

(40')

Special Youth Session

Digital Asset Open Q&A

Students Only

Daniel Kim

Founder & CEO, Tiger Research

※ The program is subject to change

09:00–09:15

(15')

Opening

Opening

09:15–09:20

(05')

Opening

Opening Address (Video Message)

  • Stablecoins: A Financial Lifeline
  • Paulo Ardoino

    Founder & CEO, Tether

09:20–09:35

(15')

Opening

Welcome Address

  • Blockchain and AI: Unlocking the Digital Economy
  • Don Tapscott

    Co-Founder & Executive Chairman

    Blockchain Research Institute

09:35–09:50

(15')

Opening

Keynote Speech

  • Reinventing the Financial System Keynote Speech
  • Naveen Mallela

    Global Head of Payments, Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Ltd.

09:50–10:05

(15')

Featured

Featured Speech 1

  • The XRP Digital Asset Ecosystem
  • Sagar Shah

    Chief Business Officer, Evernorth

10:05–10:35

(30')

Fireside

Morning Fireside Chat

  • Bringing Global Finance On-Chain
  • Moderator Jae-Hyuk Lee

    Partner, PwC Korea

  • Rania Rahardja

    Senior Director, APAC, Ondo Finance

10:35–10:50

(15')

Break

Break

10:50–11:30

(40')

Panel

RWA 1

  • Tokenization in Financial Markets
  • Moderator Daniel Kim

    Founder & CEO, Tiger Research

  • Yongjae Lee

    Head of Digital Asset Business Department, Mirae Asset Securities

  • Gabriel Gareth Foo

    DeFi Growth Lead, Securitize

  • Christie Chan

    Director of Digital Assets and Currencies, HSBC

11:30–12:10

(40')

Panel

RWA 2

  • The Framework for Tokenized Markets
  • Moderator Jongsub Lee

    Professor of Finance, Seoul National University Business School

  • Ashfaq Shaik

    Executive Vice President of Engineering & Digital Assets, Broadridge

  • Niki Ariyasinghe

    Vice President, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Chainlink Labs

  • Justin Kim

    Vice President of International Business Development, Ava Labs

12:10–13:10

(60')

Break

Luncheon

13:10–13:25

(15')

Featured

Featured Speech 2

  • The New Physics of Finance: Kinexys
  • Akshika Gupta

    Global Head of Product Sales and Solutions, Kinexys by J.P. Morgan

13:25–13:55

(30')

Fireside

Afternoon Fireside Chat

  • Digital Asset Banking for Private Wealth
  • Moderator Seung Jae Yoo

    Foreign Attorney, Kim & Chang

  • Gerald Goh

    Co-Founder, Sygnum
    CEO, Sygnum APAC

13:55–14:35

(40')

Panel

Payment 1

  • The Evolution of Money Movement
  • Moderator Jem Kim

    Executive Director of Innovation & Strategy Department, Herald Media Group

  • Queenie Le

    Regional Expansion Lead APAC, Tether

  • Jinnie Lee

    Sales Director APAC, Ripple

14:35–14:50

(15')

Break

Break

14:50–15:30

(40')

Panel

DAT

  • The Rise of Digital Asset Treasuries
  • Moderator Chris Park

    Head of Korea Commercial Strategy, BitGo

  • Sagar Desai

    APAC Head of Wholesale, Coinbase Institutional

  • Eric Ko

    Chief Strategy Officer, Korea Digital Asset Custody

  • CJ Fong

    APAC General Manager, GSR

15:30–16:10

(40')

Panel

Payment 2

  • A New Rail for Global Payments
  • Moderator Jem Kim

    Executive Director of Innovation & Strategy Department, Herald Media Group

  • David Katz

    Vice President, Strategy and Policy for Asia Pacific, Circle Internet Group

  • Fabian Khoshbakht

    Head of APAC for Global Payments & Trade, BNY

16:20–17:00

(40')

Panel

Digital Assets Open Q&A

  • Students Only
  • Daniel Kim

    Founder & CEO, Tiger Research

※ The program is subject to change