Hong Kong once again brought together the international finance and technology community during Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026.
The wider programme ran from 2–6 November, with the main conference held on 2–3 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. According to the organisers, the 2026 edition brought together more than 45,000 global leaders from 120+ economies, 1,000+ speakers and 800+ sponsors, exhibitors and startups.
From the sessions attended by Fidinam, several developments stood out.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of day-to-day financial operations, particularly in compliance, risk management, transaction monitoring and customer service.
One example presented during the conference came from XTransfer, which reported that AI now supports approximately 98.5% of its transaction reviews, while specialists handle the remaining cases. The discussion nevertheless reinforced the importance of human oversight, particularly in highly regulated financial activities.
Real-world asset tokenisation was another important theme. Gold was presented as an example of how tokenisation could make ownership more divisible and facilitate digital transactions while reducing some of the practical challenges associated with holding physical assets.
However, technology alone is not enough. The legal relationship between a token and its underlying asset remains fundamental, making proper structuring, licensing, custody arrangements and investor due diligence essential considerations.
Stablecoins and digital payment infrastructure also featured prominently. Discussions considered their potential applications in cross-border payments, corporate treasury, trade finance and transactions involving tokenised assets.
At the same time, financial markets are gradually moving towards more continuous access. Tokenisation may bring some of the 24/7 characteristics already associated with digital assets into more traditional markets, although robust liquidity, custody and settlement infrastructure will remain critical.
A clear message emerged from the event: fintech is becoming increasingly integrated into mainstream business and finance.
AI, tokenisation and new payment technologies may create significant opportunities, particularly for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions. At the same time, faster and more interconnected financial systems make corporate governance, tax, accounting, legal structuring, regulatory compliance and risk management increasingly important.
Hong Kong is particularly well positioned at this intersection, combining an established international financial market and professional-services ecosystem with close access to Mainland China and a growing technology sector. The conference discussions also highlighted initiatives supporting Mainland companies using Hong Kong as a base for international expansion.
At Fidinam Hong Kong, we continue to follow developments in Hong Kong's financial, regulatory and technology landscape and assess their implications for internationally active companies.
With expertise across corporate services, accounting, tax, payroll and cross-border business support, Fidinam assists businesses and entrepreneurs in managing the practical considerations that accompany expansion and increasingly digital international operations.
As finance and technology become ever more interconnected, combining innovation with appropriate corporate structure, compliance and professional support will remain fundamental to sustainable international growth.