FTX’s collapse is a worldwide scandal which has been followed by a number of smaller, but to those who have lost in them, no less serious collapses of virtual asset trading platforms and entities, including, in Hong Kong, JPex. Underlying the concern about the platforms trading in virtual assets is concern about the virtual assets themselves including the flagship of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin. This one-hour discussion draws together prominent speakers on behalf of the crypto world in discussion with one of cryptos most critical commentators. The discussion will consider the future of crypto, particularly in Asia, and highlight the different approaches being undertaken in Asia’s most important financial centres- Hong Kong and Singapore. Speaking on behalf of the future of crypto will be Julian So and Joshua Chu, respectively Group Chief Executive Officer and Group Chief Risk Officer at Coinllectibles™, Marvion™ and XBE. In what in prize fighting terms would be termed the other corner will be Kelvin F.K. Low, Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. Professor Steven Gallagher of CUHK Law will try to remain impartial and encourage good-natured, if animated, discussion.

About the Speaker:

Mr. Joshua Chu, Group Chief Risk Officer at Coinllectibles™, Marvion™ and XBE, Senior Consultant at Prosynergy, of Counsel at Hauzen LLP, Co-Chair of Hong Kong Web3 Association

Joshua Chu is a qualified lawyer practicing in Hong Kong. Joshua is currently serving as the Group Chief Risk Officer at Coinllectibles™, Marvion™ and XBE (the first publicly traded blockchain DOT™ technology conglomerate in the US).

Aside from his role as Group CRO, Joshua is also currently a Senior Consultant at Prosynergy (a regulatory consulting firm founded and led by ex-SFC Regulators) and Of Counsel with Hauzen LLP in his role as a private practice lawyer, being part of the Blockchain, Tokenization and Web3 (“BT3”) Practice Group.

In addition to his professional roles, Joshua is also the current serving Co-Chair of The Hong Kong Web3 Association, a non-profit dedicated to the promoting education for responsible blockchain and web3 tech integration in traditional businesses.

Before becoming a lawyer, Joshua worked in the healthcare industry serving as the IT department head at a private hospital as well as overseeing their procurement operations. Since embarking upon his legal career, Joshua has conducted a number of novel cases (many of which resulted in landmark decisions). These included Hong Kong’s first crypto litigation in 2015, Hong Kong’s first court order for service via data room in 2020, and Hong Kong’s first DOT standard STO in 2023.

Today, Joshua’s legal practice is primarily focused in the fields of Dispute Resolution, Cybersecurity, and Technology Law.

Mr. Julian So, Group Chief Executive Officer at Coinllectibles™, Marvion™ and XBE, Consultant at Prosynergy, of Counsel at Hauzen LLP

Julian is a qualified lawyer in three jurisdictions, namely, Singapore, Hong Kong and England and Wales. Julian is part of the Blockchain, Tokenization and Web3 (“BT3”) Practice Group at Hauzen LLP.

In addition to his role here at Hauzen, Julian is also currently the Group CEO of XBE, a technology group that focuses on Blockchain, AI and 3D technologies, and adhering to ESG principles. Julian is also a Regulatory Consultant with Prosynergy.

With a background in law, Julian graduated from Law School at the National University of Singapore (with Dean’s list award) after which he proceeded to obtain legal qualifications in Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. He practiced finance law in the then largest law firm in Singapore, Allen & Gledhill, and subsequently joined an international law firm in Hong Kong, Simmons & Simmons, specialising in securitisation, derivatives and structured finance.

Apart from legal private practice, Julian also has more than 15 years experience in the finance industry in all of the three Asian financial centres (Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo). During this time, he held senior positions in UBS AG, Royal Bank of Scotland, Morgan Stanley and was Head of Asia Fixed Income at Mizuho Securities.

Prof. Kelvin F.K. Low, Professor of Law, National University of Singapore

Kelvin F.K. Low is Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. His research interest spans the field of private law but with a particular interest in property, broadly defined. He has published internationally with leading journals such as the American Journal of Comparative Law, the International & Comparative Law Quarterly, Legal Studies, Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly, the Law Quarterly Review, the Melbourne University Law Review, and the Modern Law Review. He is a co-author (together with Michael Bridge, Louise Gullifer, and Gerard McMeel) of the 2nd and 3rd editions of The Law of Personal Property, and co-author (together with Tang Hang Wu) of the 3rd and 4th editions of Tan Sook Yee’s Principles of Singapore Land Law. His works have been cited by the courts in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore as well as law commissions and law reform bodies in Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Singapore.

The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded this seminar 1 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) point.