GFTN Forum Japan

#GFTNForumJapan is NOT your average forum! While the mainstage was buzzing, we had so many epic events happening simultaneously! From a Private Prayer Ceremony at the serene Kanda Myojin Shrine to hands-on workshops hosted by our incredible partners! 🌟 We also took participants on an Innovation Tour that was nothing short of immersive. From central banking to digital payments, embedded finance, and capital markets, this was the ultimate journey - from ancient monetary policy to today’s next-gen payment systems, with insights from the region’s top experts. Missed out? Don't worry - 2026 is set to be even bigger and better! https://hubs.ly/Q03cZlHs0

🔙 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 #GFJ2025 🔙 On the #GFJ2025 stage, Elise Soucie Watts brought energy and insight, discussing the challenges of stablecoin regulation in a US$200 billion market alongside Peter Goodrich and Rahul Advani. She explored how restrictive local regulations could impact the global benefits of stablecoins and the importance of balancing global fungibility with local frameworks. 3 key points from the session: 1️⃣⁠ ⁠Stablecoin Regulatory Challenges: Balancing consumer protections with the global benefits of stablecoins is becoming increasingly complex, especially with emerging localisation requirements in major jurisdictions. 2️⃣ ⁠Impact of Restrictive Regulations: Overly restrictive local regulations could undermine the core benefits of stablecoins, such as cross-border fungibility, uniform valuation, and economic competitiveness. 3️⃣ ⁠Global Coordination for Digital Hubs: Jurisdictions aiming to become digital asset hubs must enable a variety of stablecoins backed by high-quality assets, including those issued overseas, under strong supervisory coordination. Catch her this time in Zurich at #PZF2025 as she delves into Global State of Digital Asset Regulations: Regulatory Harmonisation on Digital Assets. Just a month to go - industry passes going at €2000! Get your pass now: https://lnkd.in/gXSd-bNy GFTN EUROPE | Global Finance & Technology Network | GFTN Forum Japan

In a world where climate action is no longer optional, #GreenFinance has become one of the most powerful tools for change. That belief shaped the Hitachi Green Finance Innovation Challenge 2024 - a global initiative by Hitachi, ConceptVines, and APIX Platform to surface scalable fintech solutions that support the shift to a #NetZero future. From 78 global submissions, four standout teams were chosen as challenge winners — but one rose above the rest. 🏆 ESGpedia was named Best Overall Team after a finale live pitching session at the recent GFTN Forum Japan. Their solution addresses the challenge of limited innovative green finance products in the #RealEstate sector, a market constrained by fragmented #ESG data, inconsistent sustainability criteria, and low investor awareness. Their winning solution? A powerful ESG data platform that aggregates and verifies diverse datasets — including inputs from Hitachi’s SLEB platform, emissions data, and real-time resource metrics. By standardising this data, ESGpedia enables financial institutions to confidently structure sustainability-linked products and track performance through dynamic, real-time dashboards. 💡 It was this blend of technical sophistication, practical impact, and real-world applicability that earned them top honours. 🎥 Hear from Benjamin Soh, Co-founder and Managing Director of ESGpedia, as he reflects on the journey. #APIX #CollaborateToInnovate #InnovationAsAService #SustainableFinance

Missed the Digital Asset Summit at #GFTNForumJapan? Don’t worry – the full session recordings are now LIVE on our website! 🔥 🎥 : https://hubs.ly/Q03dlFlT0 Dive into cutting-edge discussions, expert insights, and the latest trends in digital assets, blockchain, and crypto innovation. 📊 From market trends to regulatory updates, this get the inside scoop on all things digital assets! 🌐

❄️ It was snowing outside, but the conversation inside was FIRE! 🔥 At the #GFTNForumJapan, Oki Matsumoto, Chairman of Monex Group, discussed the future of crypto and Japan's fintech revolution. 💥 Matsumoto, with nearly 40 years in capital markets, emphasized: "Japanese investors may arrive late, but when they do, they do come in BIG.” 🚀 Japan’s fintech future is here, and it’s looking bright! 💡 Watch the full session here: https://hubs.ly/Q03dkw3m0

🌸 Was really great to closely collaborate with FSA and contribute to a successful Japan Fintech Week 2025. Stay tuned for more news on next year’s edition! 🌸 #GFTNforumjapan #GFJ25 #GFJ26 #Japan #FinTech

Sushi 🍣 , Cherry Blossoms 🌸 , Pagodas 🏯 and Samurais 🗡️: Key Takeaways from this years GFTN Forum Japan My last post from this years conference which capture top takeaways based on the numerous panels, roundtable discussions, networking events, and one-on-one conversations with industry leaders over the 4 days in early March 🎎 Deepening #Collaboration Across Ecosystems: A key theme was to find ways to accelerate partnerships between incumbents, #fintechs, #regulators, and tech providers. Japan, specifically, is making deliberate efforts to attract foreign #startups, hoping their perspectives will energize and expand the local #ecosystem 🍜 Next-Gen Payments and Digital Assets The Forum showcased developments in #paytech — from real-time payments to the introduction of #stablecoins and #tokenizedassets. Japan’s continued openness to these #innovations indicates a strong appetite for piloting new digital-asset frameworks. 🎏 Building Corridors will be harder than one imagined: The relatively low turnout from Europe and Other emerging markets (Middle East and Africa) could limit the global perspective on the flow of #capital, #regulatory #harmonisation and technology exchange 🍡 Open Banking Meets #DigitalIdentity Discussions around open banking highlighted the potential for APIs to transform financial services, especially when combined with secure digital identity solutions. A more diversified international presence—especially from #Africa and the Middle East—could have offered further valuable lessons 👺 Encouraging but Vigilant Regulatory Climate: The #progressive and #collaborative tone from the regulators and policy makers was evident. Still, the Forum didn’t shy away from concerns about the U.S. economy and its ripple effects—highlighting the need for vigilant oversight 🍚 AI and more AI - the debate regarding privacy was front and center: Data privacy and potential biases in #algorithmic decision-making remain big talking points. Participants agreed that stricter frameworks might be necessary to ensure AI’s responsible usage 🍣 DEI as a Growth Imperative: Many senior executives advocated for greater Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. That said, there was noticeable underrepresentation of #women leaders among speakers, panelists, and attendees—an issue that was brought up even by my 14 year old daughter who was at the event 🍱 Cybersecurity talks garnered greater participation: With rapid digitalization comes heightened #cyberthreats - a recurring concern for both startups and institutions. Participants emphasized shared intelligence, robust authentication measures, and unified standards. 🥢 Cautious #Optimism Amid Economic Uncertainties: Despite concerns over the American economy’s stability and its knock-on effects, the general sentiment was that fintech remains relatively #resilient

The atmosphere at Investor Hours 2025 at GFTN Forum, Japan was extraordinary! 🔥 Investors and founders gathered from all corners of the globe for jam-packed networking, pitching and deal-making. From 1:1 Investor Pitch Tables to the exclusive LPxGP Connect session, the energy was through the roof! Thank you to our many partners! ACE.SG (Action Community for Entrepreneurship) APIX Platform Carta Endeavor mPokket Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) Singapore Global Network (SGN) Techstars Tokyo Accelerator Tenity Tokyo Women in VC Investor Hours will be back for the #GFTNForumJapan 2026 and is set to be bigger, bolder, and better! Ready to take your startup to new heights? Register your interest now to be the first to hear about updates for 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q03cykh00

From AI and quantum computing to digital assets, cybersecurity risks, and the evolving start-up ecosystem, the FutureTech Forum stage at GFTN Forum Japan sparked relevant and insightful discussions for attendees. Industry leaders not only shared their expertise and solutions, but also raised thought-provoking questions that will continue to challenge innovators in the space. This report highlights key takeaways: https://lnkd.in/gmHEk9zQ Khyati Chauhan | Sofyani Tatipamula | Jun Murai | Akira Shibata | Ronit Ghose | James Sanders | Carole House | Jan Szilagyi | Keiji Matsunaga | Paul Chapman | Umang Moondra | Elise Soucie Watts | Sandeep Patil

🏯 Tokyo Diaries - Blessed with the opportunity to pray at 1,300 years old Kanda Myoujin Shrine as part of GFTN Forum Japan esteemed delegation in #Tokyo The spiritual importance of Kanda Myojin Shrine is deeply rooted in its long history and the deities it enshrines. Founded in 730 AD, the shrine has been a significant spiritual landmark in Tokyo. Kanda Myojin Shrine enshrines three important deities 🙏 Daikokuten: A Lucky God of wealth and prosperity . 🙏 Ebisu: Patron deity of fishermen and merchants, known for bringing good fortune. 🙏 Taira no Masakado: A deified historical figure associated with protection and luck in competitions The presence of Daikokuten and Ebisu makes Kanda Myojin a popular destination for those seeking blessings related to business success, wealth, and prosperity. Based on Shinto way of life, shrine is particularly favored by entrepreneurs and businessmen who come to pray for financial success and good fortune. Prayers seem to connect deeper with spiritual sounds similar to 'Aum' Seeking the blessings for DigiAlly's success in future, many thanks to the organisers of GFTN Japan to find this exceptional landmark for events. I had the priviledge of joining Pieter Franken Sopnendu Mohanty TRAM ANH NGUYEN Urbasi Sinha James Boey Tamara Singh and many others. #gftnambassador #gftn Global Finance & Technology Network #entreprenuership #startup #fintech Tiffany Liu Chicky Bhavnani Sagari White Jaskaran Bhalla