Keynote Speakers

Prof. Edward Ng Hon Khay

Singapore Management University

Research Area: Banking, Risks

Title：Smart Finance – What is smart?

Abstract: Smart Contract, Smart Wallet, Smart Finance, Smart …. Suddenly more and more aspects of business and transactions become "smart". So, has the business world become smarter than it used to be? If so, why have crashes, bankruptcies, frauds etc. become more widespread and involve larger sums than in the past?

Like buzzwords of old like "intelligence" for instance, the term "smart" has been liberally applied to what is essentially further automation. This process has been going on ever since computers became accessible to the public. From cash to cheques to electronic money, digitization and digitalization propelled automation relentlessly. The new twist that probably birthed the concept of "smart" is the introduction of blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) which removed the need for human intervention or service.

DLT allows for a departure from a "stamp of approval" by an authority without which trust deficit cannot be overcome to make transactions possible. Consider securities trading. Exchanges require it to be done by approved brokers. DLT replaces this centralized authorization by nodes that serve to check, record and broadcast a transaction. Trust is transferred to these nodes as approval by a majority is required before a transaction is accepted and transaction histories cannot be altered. A buyer and seller of securities can trade directly without the need of brokers as long as an ecosystem for delivery versus payment has been set up. It does not even have to involve banks if digital wallets are used. Such decentralization has led to what is termed "DeFi" which is an abbreviation for Decentralised Finance.

There are several implications should this development turn from an exception to become the norm. This talk will cover potential impediments to further progress and what disruptions can occur along the way.

Assoc. Prof. Guan Chong

Singapore University of Social Sciences

Research Area: Consumer Decision Making on Digital Platforms, Machine Learning in Marketing

Title：Predicting the Cryptocurrency Market Using Social Media Sentiments and Search Trends during COVID-19

Abstract: The Cryptocurrency market has recently experienced a new wave of price volatility and interest as the COVID-19 pandemic rages globally. Revealing influential factors affecting cryptocurrencies’ value can advance theory by identifying the roles of different information sources in the emergence and diffusion through internet sources. This paper aims to unpack the forces behind cryptocurrencies’ monetary value—the market price movements on major exchanges before, during, and after the March 2020 COVID-19 market crash. We collect the daily prices of the two largest cryptocurrencies from CoinDesk: Bitcoin and Ether. By integrating Google Trends data, we find that Google searches increase when the tweets on COVID-19 soar, with a one-period lag (one day). Further, search trends have significant impacts on these cryptocurrencies' future returns, such that increased (decreased) searches on a negative event indicate lower (higher) future cryptocurrency prices.

Prof. Hua Wang

Shenzhen Technology University

Research Area: FinTech, Block Chain,  Financial Markets, Algorithm Trading

Title：Overview of Exchange Traded Derivatives and Markets

Abstract: The presentation will introduce the Derivatives in Exchange Markets, the Derivatives Products design and development, and Derivatives markets and products development. The presentation will also discuss about the new trends and regulations of World Exchanges and the Globalization of the exchanges and clearing houses.

Assoc. Prof.Agha Amad Nabi 

Dow University of Health and Sciences 

Research Area:Finance, Accounts