The Circle Singapore office officially opened on 18 May, marking a milestone full of engaging discussions and networking opportunities with partners across the digital asset ecosystem.
The event was attended by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Chief FinTech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty, Vice President and Head of Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) Philbert Gomez as well as C-level and senior industry representatives from the region's blockchain, digital asset, finance and banking sectors.
We kicked off the opening with a discussion on the development of Singapore's digital financial infrastructure and how Circle is supporting the efforts. The fireside chat was led by MAS Chief FinTech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty and Circle's Vice President for Strategy and Policy Yam Ki Chan, moderated by Vice President for Asia Pacific Raagulan Pathy.
From left (L) to right (R): MAS Chief FinTech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty, Circle's Vice President for Strategy and Policy Yam Ki Chan and Circle's Vice President for Asia Pacific Raagulan Pathy
During the panel, Sopnendu mentioned that "we (MAS) believe that there is a need for a new form of money," and that "when it comes to these new forms of money, we do have a strong view on privately issued money. When it comes to stablecoins, there's still a path to discuss." He also added that these digital currencies would be used to build digital assets, and that MAS' framework "will encourage it" and "support the industry to move forward in a more coordinated and thoughtful way."
Raagulan then took the stage alongside Coinbase's Head for Southeast Asia Hassan Ahmed and Nansen's Chief Executive Officer Alex Svanevik on the ever-evolving landscape of digital assets markets.
From left (L) to right (R): Coinbase's Head for Southeast Asia Hassan Ahmed, Nansen's Chief Executive Officer Alex Svanevik and Circle's Vice President for Asia Pacific Raagulan Pathy
We wrapped up the official event with a panel on the importance of focusing on building infrastructure amidst a bear market - joined by Amber Group's Managing Partner Annabelle Huang and Bybit's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Zhou, moderated by Circle's Vice President for Partnerships, Web3 and Gaming Gajia Parsons.
The opening of the Singapore office marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for Circle in the region, demonstrating our commitment to foster collaboration, thought leadership and digital innovation globally.
Stay tuned for more updates on Circle's initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to shaping the future of finance and empowering communities through the frictionless exchange of value.