6th Singapore Fintech Festival

The sixth edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) kicks off from 8 to 12 November. As the world’s largest FinTech event, this platform provides a unique opportunity for the global FinTech, innovation and business communities to connect, collaborate and network.

2  The week-long SFF will feature more than 350 sessions, over 700 speakers, over 260 exhibitors, and 14 international pavilions. The event will be streamed ‘live’ to over 60,000 participants, including representation from more than 7,000 companies, government agencies, educational institutions and organisations from over 130 countries.

Theme

3  The theme for SFF 2021 is “Web 3.0 and its impact on financial services”. Web 3.0 involves the use of distributed ledger technology that will drive new decentralised infrastructures and business models in the digital economy. There is great potential to harness Web 3.0 for more efficient financial intermediation, and advance key objectives like sustainability and financial inclusion. During the conference, global thought leaders will share their views on how Web 3.0 will shape new business models, and present new opportunities for building a sustainable future in financial services and the digital economy.

Certification in Web 3.0

4  SFF 2021 will also see the launch of a global knowledge initiative to support learning, development and upskilling of SFF participants in Web 3.0. Participants will have an opportunity to acquire a comprehensive understanding of Web 3.0 concepts, gain extensive insights from over 100 industry experts from around the world, and be eligible to earn a digital Web 3.0 Knowledge Certificate in Financial Services issued by The Asian Institute of Digital Finance in partnership with the National University of Singapore.

An Ecosystem of Events & Learning

5  SFF 2021 will feature a large and diverse array of events, initiatives, experiential sessions and activities. These include:

• OXYGEN by APIX, a curated knowledge and upskilling platform containing masterclasses, panels, podcasts and research content from industry experts. OXYGEN by APIX has put together 18 masterclasses at the SFF ranging from topics such as the Future of Financial Infrastructure, ESG & Sustainable Finance to Women’s Economy and Female Leaders.
• Industry Awards and Competitions, which include:
  • Global FinTech Awards, which is based on the theme ‘Emerging from a pandemic, the road to recovery”;
  • Global FinTech Hackcelerator, focusing on Green Finance and the role of Green FinTechs in the ecosystem;
  • Global Veritas Challenge, focusing on codifying Responsible AI; and
  • Global CBDC Challenge, which will showcase innovative retail CBDC solutions to enhance payment efficiencies and promote financial inclusion.
• SME Day, where SME leaders and academics share their thoughts and experiences on building strong and resilient businesses for the future. Key discussion themes include how SMEs can succeed with essential digital tools, e-payments, tapping on e-commerce platforms and next level digital and innovative processes. SME Day participants are eligible to receive a Digital Certificate of Knowledge.
• On 11 and 12 November, SFF will expand into the World FinTech Festival, which will encompass 11 events taking place in FinTech hubs around the world, from Sydney to the US to the Nordics, all of which may be accessed online with an SFF pass.
• Participants may also join various affiliate events taking place throughout the week, such as the Innovation Lab Crawl with 22 participating Innovation Labs in Singapore, each showcasing their new FinTech innovations, and the Credit Suisse ASEAN FinTech Day where new opportunities in FinTech will be shared.

6  The SFF offers an unrivalled opportunity to network with the industry, including with more than 3,500 companies and a stellar speaker line-up that includes:

Technology Leaders

• Dr Ben Goertzel, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, SingularityNET Foundation
• Chuck Robbins, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Cisco
• Dan Schulman, President & Chief Executive Officer, PayPal
• David Patterson, Distinguished Software Engineer, Google
• Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce.com
• Sam Bankman-Fried, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, FTX
• Mike Shinoda, Musician & Co-Founder, Linkin Park

Financial Sector and Corporate Leaders

• Anne Richards, Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity International
• Ben Horowitz, Co-Founder & General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
• Dieter Vranckx, Chief Executive Officer, Swiss International Air Lines
• Kevin O’Leary, Chairman, O’Leary Ventures, O’Leary Financial Group
• Mathieu Chabran, Co-Founder, Tikehau Capital
• Michael Miebach, Chief Executive Officer, Mastercard
• Mike Wells, Group Chief Executive, Prudential
• Sabrina Yijie Peng, President of Social Good and Green Development, Ant Group
• Stephen Bird, Chief Executive Officer, abrdn plc

Policy Makers and Academics

• Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister & Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Republic of Singapore
• Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance, Republic of Indonesia
• Ueli Maurer, Federal Councillor (Switzerland’s Minister of Finance), Head of the Federal Department of Finance FDF
• Agustín Carstens, General Manager, Bank for International Settlements
• François Villeroy, Governor, Banque de France
• Ignazio Visco, Governor, Bank of Italy
• Perry Warijyo, Governor, Bank Indonesia
• Patrick Njoroge, Governor, Central Bank of Kenya

7  Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said, “This year, SFF has taken an unconventional approach in bringing a diverse set of changemakers to our Web 3.0 agenda. As a result, new stakeholders will shape this year’s SFF discussions, alongside impact-makers from central banks, policymakers and finance professionals. Further, as part of our inclusion efforts, we are democratising the unique and valuable content into a signature knowledge certification programme and a special SME day with an upskilling programme.”

8  Find out more about the SFF, register for a digital pass and enrol for the Web 3.0 Knowledge Certificate in Financial Services at www.fintechfestival.sg .

9  SFF is organised by MAS and Elevandi, in partnership with The Association of Banks in Singapore and in collaboration with Constellar Holdings.