Ben✓

@benhwx

Working w frontier tech companies on their GTM in Asia @ethenelabs | Founded @_ConvergenceAI and @FinalityForum

1.4K Following7.3K Followers2.3K Posts
  1. Ben✓@benhwx
    UPDATE: I’ve spent the last few months building @FinalityForum, and we’re finally at the point where I can share a bit more about what we’re putting together. My background is probably part of why I wanted to do this in the first place. I started in investment banking at Citi, working across equity capital markets, private capital and SPAC transactions in Asia. I then moved to Capital, investing from its $500M fund, and today I spend most of my time angel investing, advising and working with founders across crypto and AI. Over the years I’ve also been to several crypto conferences than I can count. Some were genuinely useful. A lot weren’t. Naturally, I HAD TO build this focused room around institutional digital assets. Serious people working on stablecoins, payments, tokenization, market structure, infrastructure, privacy and increasingly agentic commerce, with enough seniority in the room that the conversations can actually go somewhere. So earlier this year, we started putting that room together ourselves. @FinalityForum is happening on 9 October in Singapore. We’re expecting 1,000+ attendees across six tracks, and around 90% of the speaker lineup is already locked. So far that includes people from Coinbase, Base, BitGo, Bloomberg, CoinGecko, Flow Traders, Kraken and others we’ll be announcing over the next few weeks. I’ve been quite stubborn about the speaker list tbh. I wanted people who are actually close to the work. Still a fair bit to do before October, but I’m very happy with where the room is heading. More names soon.
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  2. Ben✓@benhwx
    We're back with the second edition of @_ConvergenceAI on 13 November — and it will be three times the size of the first. The June 2026 edition came together in six weeks: 20+ speakers across three panels and four workshops. It was held in partnership with @stripe, @NotionHQ, and @awscloud. The speakers on that edition were from @OpenAI, @SpaceXSI (fka @cursor_ai), @GoogleDeepMind, @GeminiApp, Exa, @vercel, @SlackHQ, @base, and others. For the November edition, the summit falls on the Friday before Insights Forum and @sgfintechfest, and as such this edition is built for them — i.e. how AI is actually being deployed inside financial services and enterprises, and alongside the frontier labs and application-layer companies that made the first edition work. 40+ speakers across seven tracks, with speakers from @SpaceXSI, @stripe, @AntithesisHQ, @Singtel, @gotymebankza, @DeepgramAI, @GovTechSG, Singapore Institute of Directors , Visa Investments, @BCapitalGroup, TNB Aura, and others. More names over the coming weeks. If you sit on the institutional side and there is a question you want put to the room — on governance, on deployment, on what has actually worked — sign-up below. Register here:
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  3. Ben✓@benhwx
    Finally coming up for air after two back-to-back weeks of events at @kbwofficial (Korea Blockchain Week) and @token2049 Singapore. So much alpha. So many suits on the ground. TradFi is truly here. Honestly, it's been overwhelming and exciting in equal measure. Still processing everything we've managed to pull off over the last two weeks. From events with @arbitrum, @hibachi_xyz, @fasset, @citrea_xyz, @FourPillarsFP, and @fluentxyz to an F1 Singapore Grand Prix party, it's been an incredible run. But the biggest milestone was organizing @FinalityForum, our first independent conference. We set out to bring the right people across institutional digital assets into one room. Seeing that come together, and more importantly, the quality of conversations that happened in that room, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of this entire journey. There's so much I want to share about what went into making all of this happen, the people we met, and the conversations that stayed with me. I'm still waiting for all the photos and videos to come in, but got a little too impatient to wait before writing this. 😅 A lot more coming soon. And a massive thank you to everyone who helped bring these events to life.
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  4. Ben✓@benhwx
    The only pitch slide investors care about: “Here’s what we believe that most smart people think is wrong.” Then: > why now (what changed?) > what you built with almost nothing What’s your contrarian belief?
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  5. Ben✓@benhwx
    The “fundamentals debate” is about to move up the cap table. Crypto natives already stress-tested the long tail. Next is majors. TradFi will treat: BTC = Pure SoV Everything else = Capital asset (needs a valuation model) Which major do you think breaks first under that lens?
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  6. Ben✓@benhwx
    The OGs from @tether, @Visa, @Paxos and @reapglobal in one place, talking about advancing stablecoins as the new rails for global payments. Regulatory clarity, trust, accountability, and what it takes to bring stablecoin payments mainstream. Live from @FinalityForum.
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  7. Ben✓@benhwx
    Looking forward to sitting down with some of the people building, investing in and making decisions across digital assets tomorrow. Finality Forum was always meant to be an intentional room w/ the right people, around the right conversations. See you tomorrow.
    Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026 @FinalityForum
    The countdown is on ⏳ Some of the biggest names in crypto are taking the stage at Finality Forum. Hear what it takes for institutions to enter digital assets at scale. Who’s in the room 👇 • Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) - @MaelstromFund • Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik) - @nansen_ai • Bobby Ong (@bobbyong) - @coingecko • Nick See Tong (@Nibel_eth) - @base • Xin Song (@xinsong86) - @GSR_io • Min Lin - @Ondo • Abhi Bansal - @PythNetwork • Ross Edwards - @Ripple • Tang Wei - @stripe • Nishchint Sanghavi - @Visa • Azeem Khan (@azeemk) - @0xMiden • Niki Ariyasinghe - @chainlink • Joshua Lim (@joshua_j_lim) - @FalconXGlobal • Yoann Turpin (@YoannTurpin1) - @wintermute_t • Val Gui (@valgui) - @xStocksFi • and more. One day. One room. The people building, trading and deploying the next generation of financial infrastructure. 9 October 2026 · Singapore · 10 AM onwards See you in 2 days.
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  8. Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026✓@FinalityForum
    The countdown is on ⏳ Some of the biggest names in crypto are taking the stage at Finality Forum. Hear what it takes for institutions to enter digital assets at scale. Who’s in the room 👇 • Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) - @MaelstromFund • Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik) - @nansen_ai • Bobby Ong (@bobbyong) - @coingecko • Nick See Tong (@Nibel_eth) - @base • Xin Song (@xinsong86) - @GSR_io • Min Lin - @Ondo • Abhi Bansal - @PythNetwork • Ross Edwards - @Ripple • Tang Wei - @stripe • Nishchint Sanghavi - @Visa • Azeem Khan (@azeemk) - @0xMiden • Niki Ariyasinghe - @chainlink • Joshua Lim (@joshua_j_lim) - @FalconXGlobal • Yoann Turpin (@YoannTurpin1) - @wintermute_t • Val Gui (@valgui) - @xStocksFi • and more. One day. One room. The people building, trading and deploying the next generation of financial infrastructure. 9 October 2026 · Singapore · 10 AM onwards See you in 2 days.
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  9. Ben✓@benhwx
    Tokenized IPO access is a pretty insane sign of where this is going. Absolutely massive market. Enough said.
    xStocks @xStocksFi
    OURAx is the next big IPO coming to xStocks. The fourth xStocks IPO offering, following SpaceX, Bending Spoons and Jersey Mike’s. Request OURAx early through @KrakenFX at the same price as the institutions ↓
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  10. xStocks✓@xStocksFi
    OURAx is the next big IPO coming to xStocks. The fourth xStocks IPO offering, following SpaceX, Bending Spoons and Jersey Mike’s. Request OURAx early through @KrakenFX at the same price as the institutions ↓
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  11. Ben✓@benhwx
    Bitget was hit by a roughly $351.6M exploit on September 24. 🟪 What @GracyBitget @bitget has said so far: → the affected funds came from part of its hot and warm wallet infrastructure → cold wallets were not affected → user balances remain intact, with the reported loss covered by its $464M protection fund → deposits and trading are still operating → withdrawals remain paused while the security review continues The important technical detail to note here is that this was not a private key leak, according to Bitget’s current investigation. The attacker allegedly did not steal the keys. They got the system around the keys to approve transactions it should have rejected. A private key compromise usually implies a wider and harder to contain failure. A backend authorization failure is still serious, but it gives investigators a narrower system to audit, repair, and harden. Bitget has engaged @Mandiant and @SlowMist_Team, and said it will publish a full report of the root cause once the investigation is complete. A $351.6M hack and still there was no panic, no depeg, no contagion. worth noting
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  12. Ben✓@benhwx
    Our first community kickoff in Korea drew 150+ traders, MMs, and builders to hear what @hibachi_xyz is building. Now we're going bigger during @kbwofficial. FX moves $7.5T a day and still settles like it's 1999. Markets close on weekends, and settlement takes days. Plus, has “last look” games Stablecoin-native FX is one of the real on-chain market structure unlocks, and Hibachi is one of the most serious teams building it: off-chain matching, ZK settlement, no last look, 24/7 markets. Varun (@GandalfTheBr0wn) will share what traders actually did once FX perps went live. Oct 1 · @hashed_official, Seoul. See you there.
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  13. Ben✓@benhwx
    Institutions want on-chain exposure. But they obviously won’t run meaningful size on rails that reveal every position + counterparty by default. Bitcoin is lucrative and battle-tested as base collateral. But, privacy (ZK, verifiable, anchored to BTC security) has been the missing infrastructure layer. 🟪 See you at Institutional Privacy Day - Seoul (KBW), Sept 30 Co-hosted w/ @citrea_xyz + @FourPillarsFP If you’re thinking about this problem, come find us.
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  14. Ben✓@benhwx
    2025: haha the agents are talking to each other 2026: the agents escaped the sandbox, built a civilization, established unauthorized communication channels and broke into Hugging Face 2027: [citation needed]
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  15. Ben✓@benhwx
    Pons, Stonks, Pump, Fomo Some of the most interesting crypto apps have successfully managed to build around behaviours people care about. For years now, WE have been framing consumer crypto around removing friction, better UX, better wallets etc. AKA making crypto feel more like Web2. TBH, we needed all of that obviously. But, the harder question is the simplest one. Who cares? About opening another app? Again? And more importantly, can a product eventually acquire users without relying on ecosystem incentives? Why it makes sense to keep this conversation going. Especially now that users are coming back into the trenches. We are getting a room together w/ @fluentxyz during @kbwofficial to spend a day on a focussed discussion around this. Consumer Crypto Day If you're building something that people will actually use, come join us.
    Fluent Labs @fluentlabsxyz
    Coming to KBW this year? Come spend a day with us talking consumer crypto App demos, good convos and a little surprise at the end Register here:
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  16. Fluent Labs✓@fluentlabsxyz
    Coming to KBW this year? Come spend a day with us talking consumer crypto App demos, good convos and a little surprise at the end Register here:
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  17. Ben✓@benhwx
    I remember saying that I’d rather have a smaller room where people get the chance to meet peers who are valuable to them in a meaningful way. Looking at who’s coming together now, I’m glad we stuck with it. I have a feeling the guest list will fill up fast.
    Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026 @FinalityForum
    We’re opening the guest list for Finality Forum. 300 curated guests across institutional finance, digital assets, infrastructure, policy, AI, privacy, and onchain markets. Joining the room are leaders from @Base · @BitGo · @coinbase · @FlowTraders · @GSR_io @KaitoAI · @Ondo · @Paxos · @Ripple · @StarkWareLtd @stripe · @Visa · @wintermute_t · @xStocksFi · @Nethermind @nansen_ai · @chainlink · @virtuals_io · @FourPillarsFP · @0xMiden …and more.
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  18. Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026✓@FinalityForum
    We’re opening the guest list for Finality Forum. 300 curated guests across institutional finance, digital assets, infrastructure, policy, AI, privacy, and onchain markets. Joining the room are leaders from @Base · @BitGo · @coinbase · @FlowTraders · @GSR_io @KaitoAI · @Ondo · @Paxos · @Ripple · @StarkWareLtd @stripe · @Visa · @wintermute_t · @xStocksFi · @Nethermind @nansen_ai · @chainlink · @virtuals_io · @FourPillarsFP · @0xMiden …and more.
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  19. Ben✓@benhwx
    The Finality Forum programming is officially FULL. 30+ confirmed speakers and moderators. 6 panel tracks + keynotes and firesides. 300 attendees max. $0 to attend. And @BitGo is coming onboard as our official sponsor. For the past few months, I’ve basically been building the digital asset event I would personally want to attend. I spend most of my time somewhere between crypto-native markets and the institutional side of this industry, and there are so many conversations happening right now that I wanted in one room. Stablecoins with @tether , @Visa and @Paxos . Tokenized markets with @Ondo , @xStocksFi , @FlowTraders and @chainlink . Institutional trading with @wintermute_t , @GSR_io , @FalconXGlobal , @flowdesk_co and @Bloomberg . Then infrastructure, privacy, AI, keynotes, firesides... the spreadsheet honestly started getting a little ridiculous. We now have people coming from @BitGo , @krakenfx , @avax , @PythNetwork , @wormhole , @Nethermind , @nansen_ai , @base , @coingecko , @Ripple , @CantonNetwork , @FourPillarsFP and a bunch more. And the part I’ve been quite stubborn about throughout all of this is keeping Finality Forum free. We’re capping the room at 300 and making it invite only because I really want people there who care about this stuff. Not necessarily only institutions either. One of the things I’m most excited about with digital assets is how quickly the lines are getting blurry between what gets built for TradFi, what starts in crypto, and what eventually reaches retail. Stablecoins are probably the clearest example already. Tokenized stocks are getting there. 24/7 markets, new forms of collateral, privacy, custody, settlement... there is a LOT moving at the same time. Getting the people actually working on these problems into one room has been a pretty exhilarating thing to put together. Also, events are expensive lol. So having @BitGo back what we’re doing means a lot because it helps us keep the attendee side free without compromising on the room we want to build. Now I just need October to arrive. See you in Singapore 🇸🇬 PS: Finality Forum is invite only and capped at 300 attendees. If you genuinely work in / care about the digital asset space, request an invite and we’ll see you there. RSVP:
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  20. Ben✓@benhwx
    How's the sentiment?
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  21. Ben✓@benhwx
    What’s the biggest “users asked for X… but they actually needed Y” moment you’ve seen? I’ve stopped asking “what feature do you want?” and started asking “what are you trying to do when you get stuck?” Way better answers. Every time.
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  22. Ben✓@benhwx
    Most people quit right before the “breakthrough” phase. Essentially, because they fear: > Sounding wrong > Getting laughed at > Collecting “no”s > Annoying people who like the status quo But guess what? That’s the path fren!
    qw @QwQiao
    venture investing heuristic: when the smartest ppl u know are polarized on an asset - some bullish others convinced it won't work - u simply stop overthinking and smash the buy button. the smart skeptics are not necessarily wrong, but they are precisely the reason why the asset is underpriced for asymmetric upside.
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  23. qw✓@QwQiao
    venture investing heuristic: when the smartest ppl u know are polarized on an asset - some bullish others convinced it won't work - u simply stop overthinking and smash the buy button. the smart skeptics are not necessarily wrong, but they are precisely the reason why the asset is underpriced for asymmetric upside.
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  24. Ben✓@benhwx
    Stripe buying @OpenRouter is a testament to how AI is now a utility. And utilities are won by: • Metering (tokens/inference) • Billing • Fraud controls • Rails (stablecoins included) Own the meter + own the money -> own the ecosystem. The most underbuilt part of this stack though, is still asia + regulated stablecoin rails.
    Eric Newcomer @EricNewcomer
    Here's Stripe's letter to investors explaining its acquisition of OpenRouter (LEAKED)
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  25. Eric Newcomer✓@EricNewcomer
    Here's Stripe's letter to investors explaining its acquisition of OpenRouter (LEAKED)
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  26. Ben✓@benhwx
    We set out to build a room for the institutional heavyweights, category leaders and best-in-class builders forging the future of institutional digital assets. Over 90% of the floor plan is now allocated, and the first wave of speakers is now public. Here’s who’s coming to Finality Forum ↓
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  27. Ben✓@benhwx
    Posts @benhwx
    @BitGo @PythNetwork @bobbyong @coingecko @JcHK5 @FlowTraders @Ondo @AlasdGem @sunrise @wormhole Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik), co-founder and CEO of @nansen_ai
    Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026 @FinalityForum
    Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik), co-founder and CEO of @nansen_ai, is joining us at Finality Forum in Singapore on 9 October. Alex has spent more than a decade across AI, data science, and crypto. Before co-founding Nansen in 2019, he worked as a data scientist and management consultant, and he was also an early DAO member of Lido Finance and PleasrDAO. Today, Nansen helps investors and traders understand what is happening onchain through 500M+ labeled addresses, Smart Money tracking, wallet intelligence, and AI-powered research tools that connect signal discovery with execution and portfolio management. At Finality Forum, Alex will share his perspective on how AI agents and onchain intelligence are changing the way markets are researched and traded. 9 October 2026 | Singapore | 10 AM onwards RSVP:
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  28. Finality Forum 🇸🇬 | 9 Oct 2026✓@FinalityForum
    Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik), co-founder and CEO of @nansen_ai, is joining us at Finality Forum in Singapore on 9 October. Alex has spent more than a decade across AI, data science, and crypto. Before co-founding Nansen in 2019, he worked as a data scientist and management consultant, and he was also an early DAO member of Lido Finance and PleasrDAO. Today, Nansen helps investors and traders understand what is happening onchain through 500M+ labeled addresses, Smart Money tracking, wallet intelligence, and AI-powered research tools that connect signal discovery with execution and portfolio management. At Finality Forum, Alex will share his perspective on how AI agents and onchain intelligence are changing the way markets are researched and traded. 9 October 2026 | Singapore | 10 AM onwards RSVP:
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