Scalability of digital assets hinges on ‘boring’ risk-management systems: summit participants
SGX’s chief risk officer says sound risk management is not necessarily at odds with innovation
The next phase of digital finance's expansion hinges on the capability to innovate and scale while effectively managing the associated risks, according to industry experts gathered at the Digital Assets Summit 2026 in Singapore. The one-day event, organized by the Digital Assets Association (DAA) Singapore, brought together key players from digital finance projects, financial institutions, and legal professionals to discuss the potential of digital assets.
Danny Chong, co-chair of DAA, emphasized that while the process of tokenizing an asset is clear, the challenge lies in creating a functioning market around it – one that can handle high trading volumes, ensure sufficient liquidity, and determine the settlement mechanism. He stressed that these aspects might seem less glamorous than launching a token, but they are crucial for establishing the foundation of any market.
Senior Minister of State Desmond Tan, in his keynote address, pointed out that while digital technologies like tokenization and distributed ledgers can simplify processes and reduce operational friction, they can also introduce new vulnerabilities and dependencies on digital infrastructure over which institutions may not have direct control. He highlighted the need to understand where the risk lies and ensure accountability.
Heng Swee Keat, chairman of the National Research Foundation, noted that Singapore is in an early stage of digital finance and tokenization. He encouraged the industry to explore how innovations such as artificial intelligence, digitalization, and quantum computing can reshape finance, while carefully considering the risks involved.
Ivan Tan, chief risk officer at the Singapore Exchange, clarified that sound risk management does not conflict with innovation. Instead, it provides confidence, discipline, and safeguards that enable institutions to use promising ideas at scale. He added that regulators support innovation when they have confidence in these safeguards, and markets grow when participants trust the infrastructure to function under all circumstances.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Companies & Markets's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
