Global Convergence on Digital-First Finance

Governments, industry and investors are converging on a digital-first agenda: in Malaysia, MCA leader Datuk Seri Dr Wee urged prioritising the digital industry and green technology through talent development and closer economic ties with China as part of the National Digital Plan. Ghana will host DASA 2025 in Accra to convene regulators, banks, fintechs and investors to shape Africa’s approach to regulation, CBDCs, tokenisation and inclusive digital finance. At the corporate level, a new class of Digital Asset Treasury Companies (DATCOs), exemplified by MicroStrategy, reflects firms putting Bitcoin and other digital assets at the center of treasury strategy, prompting debate over long-term strategy versus speculation. With digital assets now common in portfolios, clarity on taxation and on whether holdings are investments or payment currency is critical to avoid capital-gains pitfalls under IRS rules. Simultaneously, generative AI is accelerating a fintech transformation—enabling hyper-personalisation, automation across underwriting, compliance and fraud detection, and advancing financial inclusion—making AI adoption a strategic imperative for financial firms worldwide.