Rapid advancements in financial technology, or fintech, are opening the door to greater financial inclusion and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. However, the growing knowledge gap between innovators and regulators regarding fintech and business models that apply it threatens to undermine the benefits while giving rise to new challenges.

If inadequately addressed, associated risks such as fraud, data privacy breaches, and other cyber vulnerabilities could increasingly harm consumers and stability. Regulatory deficiencies could also hinder competitiveness and growth within the fintech sector. Yet, for many policy makers, particularly in the region’s developing economies, keeping pace with fintech innovation is extremely difficult given their frequent lack of specialized knowledge and skills.

This webinar is organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, and Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education Limited, and the University of Cambridge. It will feature presentations from ADBI-funded participants in a rolling online course on fintech and regulatory innovation. The presentations will showcase project research that examines fintech regulatory sandboxes, cryptomining, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, and financial inclusion.