Discus Fish of Cobo and Samuel Tse of Animoca Brands discuss how AI agents, digital identity and blockchain could change the way money moves.
Updated
November 2, 2026 12:03 PM
The Agentic Economy Summit at CVCF 2026 explores how AI agents and digital assets could shape the future of business and finance. IMAGE: CYBERPORT
For an AI agent to manage money on someone’s behalf, it needs more than the ability to follow instructions. It must be able to establish whom it represents, access funds and transact within agreed limits.
These are among the questions informing the discussion of AI and digital assets at Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF) 2026. Ahead of the forum, Discus Fish, CEO and Co-founder of Cobo, and Samuel Tse, Head of Investment and Corporate Finance at Animoca Brands, shared their views on how this convergence could develop—and where they see opportunities for businesses.
Discus Fish points to a longstanding challenge: blockchain can be difficult for everyday users to navigate, but AI agents may find it easier to interact with these networks.
“Blockchains have always been hard for ordinary people to use. AI agents may be better users: the chain is fully transparent and every record is traceable, which suits agents well.”
His outlook comes with a qualification. Both the agents and the networks they would use still need to develop.
“Agents aren’t capable enough yet, and chains are still adapting. But once agents truly run on-chain, the number of users and what’s possible will grow by an order of magnitude.”
Discus Fish says blockchain could reshape how financial assets are issued, traded and settled over the next five years. He also notes that institutional adoption has progressed faster than Cobo initially expected, with individual users no longer leading the shift. “Since 2017, we have believed blockchain will become part of the financial infrastructure of the future. We expected individual users to lead, but institutions moved faster.”
For Fish, the next stage involves a broader range of assets and financial clients.
“What gets redefined next is how assets are issued, traded, and settled. As traditional assets like US equities come on-chain, a much wider range of financial clients will follow.”
Samuel Tse, Head of Investment and Corporate Finance at Animoca Brands, focuses on investment opportunities across digital assets and agentic AI. He sees digital identity as essential to allowing AI agents to act on behalf of people while keeping transactions within the permissions they set.
He believes users should set clear rules for what an AI agent can do, allowing it to complete transactions without requiring approval for each one.
“Once agents can prove who they represent, hold digital assets, and move value under clear rules, the economy stops being click-by-click. You set the policy once—who, how much, for what—and the agent transacts inside it.”
He describes applications ranging from everyday payments and transfers to subscriptions, swaps and earning returns on idle funds. “That’s agentic transactions: payments, transfers, subscriptions, swaps, even chasing a better rate on idle cash. Identity is the trust layer. Assets and credentials are the spending authority—always accountable to the human who granted permission.”
In Tse’s account, the human remains the source of that authority. The agent acts within the permissions granted to it.
To illustrate how AI agents, digital identity and digital assets might work together, Tse offers a hypothetical Hong Kong parent's weekday.
“A Hong Kong parent’s weekday: top up the child’s Octopus, book a weekend football slot, translate a school notice for the helper, check weather before pickup, restock milk at the member price, and keep leftover budget earning until tomorrow.”
At present, he says, completing these tasks requires navigating services that often operate separately.
“Today that means many apps that don't talk to each other, and rails that struggle with micro payments.”
His proposed alternative brings the tasks together under instructions established by the user.
“With an agent, they set the rules once and let it decide what to do. Identity unlocks trust and member prices without oversharing. Digital assets fit the money—per-use fees, hard limits, yield until spend.”
For Tse, this combination could create opportunities across payments, merchants, identity providers and digital-asset platforms. He compares the potential scale of agentic commerce to an earlier change in how consumers accessed services.
“The iPhone in 2007 rewired how people buy and use services for 20 years. We are just at the beginning of a similar paradigm shift, with outcomes we can barely imagine.”
Discus Fish and Samuel Tse offer two perspectives on the emerging agentic economy, from the blockchain infrastructure enabling transactions to the digital identity and permissions that allow AI agents to act on people's behalf. At CVCF 2026, these ideas will become part of a wider conversation with the leaders building and investing in this evolving space.
Be part of the conversation. Join industry leaders, founders and investors at CVCF 2026 on 4–5 November and explore the technologies and opportunities shaping the next phase of business.
Exclusive for Ventureport readers: Use code cvcf26vp to access a Full Access Pass for HK$300, subject to confirmation by the organiser.
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Two-Day Event to be Held on 4-5 November. Bringing Together Global Investors and Entrepreneurs to Explore New Frontiers in Agentic AI, One-Person Companies (OPCs), and Hong Kong’s Role as an International Innovation, Funding, and Technology Hub
Updated
October 30, 2026 9:22 PM
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Hong Kong, 26 October 2026 – As the global venture capital market evolves amid economic shifts, investment flows are increasingly concentrated, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), which continues to drive significant momentum. The annual flagship event, Cyberport Venture & Capital Forum (CVCF), will take place on 4-5 November 2026 at Cyberport. Themed “Scaling in a Changing World: Winning the Next Competitive Cycle”, this year’s CVCF will unite influential global investors and entrepreneurs to explore key themes including Enterprise and Agentic AI, One-Person Companies (OPCs), frontier technologies, and spotlight Hong Kong's unique position as a strategic gateway connecting Chinese Mainland, ASEAN, the Middle East, global innovation and funding networks. The forum aims to empower start-ups and investors to break through financing and market expansion barriers, seizing new market opportunities.
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Dr Rocky Cheng, CEO of Cyberport, said, “As global innovation and capital markets undergo accelerated reshaping, AI, data technology, and emerging industries have become crucial engines driving economic growth. CVCF is dedicated to building a bridge between innovation and capital. This year’s forum focuses on new trends such as AI, digital assets, and One-Person Companies (OPCs), exploring emerging market opportunities and global expansion strategies. It decodes how enterprises can drive scalable growth with speed and resilience in a rapidly changing market. Through our investor matching activities, we aim to facilitate the commercialisation of innovations and cross-regional collaboration. Cyberport will continue to leverage its role as Hong Kong’s digital tech flagship and AI accelerator to foster a thriving I&T ecosystem and inject new momentum into building Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub.”
Cyberport’s start-ups have demonstrated robust fundraising performance over the past year. With 481 companies joining the community during this period, Cyberport start-ups have raised over HK$74.5 billion in funding. During the year, 19 Cyberport companies successfully listed, alongside the addition of 2 new unicorns. Recent high-value fundraising rounds include Finloop, Qupital, Premialab, and Buy&Ship, many of which leverage AI, blockchain, and digital assets - reflecting sustained market confidence in these emerging technologies and underscoring Cyberport's success in fostering their development.
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Hendrick Sin, Chairman of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Steering Group; Co-Founder of CMGE Technology Group Limited; Chairman of China Prosperity Capital, said, “Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) has come to its 9th anniversary this year, and our network of over 240 global investors has successfully facilitated more than HK$6 billion across over 133 project matchings, representing an increase of over 19 projects compared to last year. Simultaneously, the Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF), alongside co-investments, has directed HK$2.7 billion into high-potential ventures, with a co-investment ratio of 1:9:3., reflecting strong investor confidence in Cyberport companies. Through dedicated initiatives and our targeted investor matching sessions, CVCF continues to bridge high-growth ventures with institutional co-investment partners, public-private funds and foster collaboration across government, industry, academia, research, investment, and users, propelling enterprise scale across regional corridors.”
As Hong Kong’s digital tech hub, AI accelerator and key incubator, Cyberport leverages the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) to attract influential investment units from around the world to connect with high-potential Cyberport enterprises to accelerate their development. Since its inception in 2017, the total investments facilitated by CIN have reached over HK$6 billion across a cumulative total of 133 project matchings. CIN’s investment units have surpassed 240, with 15% from the Greater Bay Area and 14% from the Asia-Pacific region, alongside continuous expansion into the Middle East and ASEAN, successfully aggregating global venture capital.
Another key financing channel, Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF), continues to invest in high-potential start-ups while enhancing their fundraising capabilities. As of September 2026, CMF has invested in 30 start-up projects, with the total investment, including co-investments, exceeding HK$2.7 billion, with a co-investment ratio of 1:9.3 — meaning every HK$1 invested by Cyberport attracts an additional HK$9.3 in co-investment. Further augmenting ecosystem liquidity, Cyberport, BOCHK Asset Management, and BOC Group Investment have formed a strategic partnership in May 2026 around a completed venture capital fund to back promising Hong Kong I&T start-ups. This demonstrates Cyberport’s sustained ability to attract and secure capital in a challenging environment.
Cyberport companies have recently achieved remarkable success across venture capital fundraising, advanced technology commercialisation, and international market expansion. Among them, leading Cyberport community members, including global Web5 wealth technology platform Finloop, independent fintech and data analytics platform Premialab, and cross-border fintech platform Qupital, shared their insights on navigating capital cycles, deploying next-generation financial architectures, and scaling from Hong Kong into regional and global markets.
Zhao Yang, Deputy CEO of Finloop, said, “While originating from an established corporate background, we strategically chose Cyberport as the ideal launchpad to spin off our project and scale our vision. Cyberport has been an indispensable catalyst for Finloop’s growth as we develop our AI-driven, one-stop Web5 wealth technology and RWA issuance platform, delivering AI-native liquidity solutions to institutions and SMEs. Beyond providing a vibrant community of innovators, Cyberport’s dynamic ecosystem provides an invaluable springboard for us with leading commercial banks, brokerages, and External Asset Managers (EAMs) across Hong Kong and Singapore, accelerating our mission to build compliant and institutional-grade infrastructure that unlocks new liquidity and value flows across the region.”
Pierre Trecourt, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Premialab, emphasized the growing importance of advanced data analytics in multi-asset investing, “In an increasingly complex and volatile market environment, institutional investors need greater transparency and sophisticated analytics to construct resilient portfolios, benchmark systematic investment strategies, and manage risk. Hong Kong’s unique position as a global financial hub, combined with its exceptional talent pool and Cyberport’s extensive ecosystem, provides an ideal environment for fintech companies to innovate, expand internationally, and scale their businesses.”
Winston Wong, Co-Founder and CEO of Qupital, discussed their milestone achievements in digital economy lending and underscored Cyberport’s long-standing backing throughout their journey, “Cyberport has played an integral role throughout Qupital’s journey from a homegrown startup to a profitable Series C fintech company. Under the support of Cyberport’s investor networks and platforms, we are proud to have become the first platform in Asia to securitise e-commerce merchant loans while sustaining industry-leading credit performance and profitability. Our journey truly reflects how Cyberport empowers homegrown fintech pioneers to scale sustainable cross-border supply chain financing across the Greater Bay Area and global markets.”
Cyberport Venture & Capital Forum 2026 will feature opening remarks by Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, and bring together venture capital leaders, including representatives from Taara, Gobi Partners, Alumni Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, Primavera Capital, Draper Dragon, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Plug & Play and more to discuss the latest technology and market focus:
CVCF 2026 will continue to feature the popular “Investor Matching” session, offering face-to-face and online interactions to pair investors with start-ups based on their technological focus and investment preferences, enhancing collaboration efficiency. Additional highlights include over 80 physical showcase booths, funder power pitches, start-up clinic & workshop, providing attendees with practical insights and strategic advice. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremonies between Cyberport and international partners including Gobi Partners and Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) will also be held on the day.
The Agentic Economy Summit, a key highlight of the forum, will feature a keynote speech from Mr Joseph CHAN, JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, bringing together AI pioneers, regulators, and financial giants to examine how digital identity, institutional tokenisation, HKD stablecoin issuance, programmable payments and machine-to-machine commerce are building the financial rails of the future. Featured speakers will also include representatives from HashKey, Cobo, Unlimit, Anchorpoint, UBS, Monk’s Hill Ventures, and more. The summit will also be exploring the emerging phenomenon of One-Person Companies (OPCs), highlighting how AI agents enable lean entrepreneurial ventures to achieve unprecedented operational scale.
As Cyberport’s flagship venture capital event, CVCF connects investors and entrepreneurs in the global digital technology. In 2025, the hybrid event attracted over 2,700 participants, achieved more than 180,000 views and facilitated more than 500 deal flows, fostering partnerships and investment opportunities. For more details, please visit the website: http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/.
The annual flagship event, Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF) 2026, will take place on 4-5 November 2026 at Cyberport. Themed “Scaling in a Changing World: Winning the Next Competitive Cycle”, this year’s CVCF will unite influential global investors and entrepreneurs to explore key themes include Enterprise AI, One-Person Companies (OPCs), frontier technologies, and spotlight Hong Kong's unique position as a strategic gateway connecting Chinese Mainland, ASEAN, the Middle East, global innovation and funding networks. The forum aims to empower start-ups and investors to break through financing and market expansion barriers, seizing new market opportunities. Dr Rocky Cheng, CEO of Cyberport (third right), Hendrick Sin, Chairman of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Steering Group (third left); Ir Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport (second right), and Cyberport community members, Zhao Yang, Deputy CEO of Finloop (second left), Pierre Trecourt, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Premialab (first right), and Winston Wong, Co-Founder and CEO of Qupital (first left), attended the media briefing.
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Ir Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport introduced the speakers and highlights of the two-day Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2025, as well as the Web3.0 Innovation Expo.
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Ir Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport (first left) and Cyberport community members, Zhao Yang, Deputy CEO of Finloop (second left), Pierre Trecourt, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Premialab (second right), and Winston Wong, Co-Founder and CEO of Qupital (first right), shared investment insights and experiences in facilitating fundraising during the discussion session.