22th July 2026
Blockwind News co-hosts Wiki Finance Week side event on 24 July featuring AI veterans and a debate on agent-driven economies
By Joe Pan
“Foundational AI labs are burning billions on abstract models, but the real survival game is happening elsewhere: payments,” said tech veteran and author Wolf Ruzicka, setting the tone for what could become one of Hong Kong’s most talked-about fintech side events this summer.
Blockwind News is co-organizing an official side event of Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2026, bringing together AI veterans, fintech builders and Web3 innovators for a deep dive into what many are calling the next frontier: agentic finance.
The event, hosted alongside Hong Kong Digital Finance Association (HKDifi) and Money in Motion (MiM), will unfold at PH3, a restored Grade II heritage building overlooking Wan Chai’s Lee Tung Avenue—a venue that quietly mirrors the event’s theme of bridging legacy systems with emerging technologies. Limited spots still available on Luma, RSVP here (https://luma.com/sfwxwo7w)
At the heart of the program is a fireside chat moderated by Joe Pan, editor and producer at Blockwind News, featuring Ruzicka and Victor Shilo, co-authors of AI Driven. The pair draw on decades of experience spanning enterprise transformation, startup scaling and payment infrastructure to argue that artificial intelligence is rapidly shifting from advisory roles into autonomous execution—particularly in financial systems.
Their thesis is simple but provocative: while generative AI has dominated headlines, the real economic disruption lies in how AI agents will move money.
“Payments may be deterministic at their core,” Pan noted ahead of the session, “but everything around them—routing, FX volatility, fraud detection—is probabilistic. That’s where AI thrives.”
From Models to Markets
The fireside chat, titled “Agentic Payment,” will explore how AI agents are evolving from conversational tools into active economic participants. Ruzicka and Shilo are expected to outline how enterprises are already layering predictive analytics onto structured financial data while experimenting with probabilistic engineering across unstructured inputs.
Their latest focus—agentic payments—pushes this evolution further. The concept envisions AI systems capable of initiating, optimizing and executing transactions across borders, dynamically navigating liquidity pools, compliance frameworks and currency fluctuations in real time.
It is a shift that could redefine not just fintech infrastructure, but accountability itself.
Panel: AI Meets DeFi Liquidity
Earlier in the afternoon, a panel titled “The Future of Agentic AI in Payment” will examine the foundational infrastructure required for autonomous agents to operate in financial markets.
Speakers include Beatrice Tai, Howard Ku and Emil Chan, who will address a central question: what does it take for AI agents to graduate from chat interfaces to market actors?
Expect discussion around identity frameworks, liquidity access, governance mechanisms and the risk models necessary to support machine-driven capital flows.
Open Mic, Real Debate
In a move that departs from traditional conference formats, the event will transition into an interactive session using Toastmasters’ “Table Topics” structure to engage the audience. Led by Michelle Tsoi of Tech Talk Toastmasters, the session invites attendees to engage in rapid-fire debates on some of the most contentious questions in the emerging agentic economy:
- Can AI agents spend money on behalf of humans?
- Will AI replace traditional payment gateways?
- Are stablecoins destined to replace bank cards—or simply disappear into the backend?
- Who is liable when AI makes financial mistakes?
- Should AI agents have independent on-chain identities?
The format is designed to surface real-world tensions that polished panels often sidestep—adding a layer of unpredictability that mirrors the technology itself.
The program draws further inspiration from the Money in Motion team’s recent debut of 草台开放麦 (Open Mic) on June 10. Yuki Liu, Co-founder of MiM, reflected on the initiative’s reception, noting, “We saw success and demand from our first Open Mic event in Shenzhen; we are eager to engage our audience and open a roadshow with this new format.”
A Setting That Reflects the Theme
The choice of venue is more than aesthetic. PH3, housed within a restored tong lau, sits at the intersection of Hong Kong’s historical identity and modern reinvention.
Once known as “Wedding Card Street,” Lee Tung Avenue was a hub of printing and publishing—industries that, like finance today, have undergone profound digital transformation. The setting underscores a recurring theme of the event: innovation rarely replaces legacy systems outright; it rewires them.
Who Should Attend
Organizers are targeting a cross-section of the ecosystem:
- AI developers and researchers
- Fintech and payment innovators
- Investors exploring AI-crypto convergence
With networking drinks closing out the afternoon, the event leans into an industry truth: the most consequential deals often happen offstage.
Part of a Larger Week
As an official side event of Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2026, the gathering contributes to a broader conversation around the future of finance, regulation and technology in Asia’s leading financial hub.
Other side events include:
- TEN Entrepreneurs’ Networking Happy Hour Hosted by TEN – The Entrepreneurs’ Network https://luma.com/dojzomoh?tk=kODykX
- Sanyue Technology Strategy Seminar https://luma.com/7bxjcisv
- Agentic Future Event Page: https://luma.com/sfwxwo7w
- WikiExpo Family Office & Asset Management Leaders Closed-Door Exchange
If the conversations unfolding at PH3 are any indication, the next chapter of finance may not be written by humans alone—but negotiated, optimized and executed by agents acting on their behalf. RSVP to this event here https://luma.com/sfwxwo7w
About the Author:
Joe Pan is an editor and producer at Blockwind News. An early adopter of blockchain technology, he has covered major crypto conferences globally since 2019 and moderated Web3 events across Asia. Joe is part of the founding team of Blockwind News and teaches Asia’s first Master of Journalism course on “Covering Cryptocurrency and Blockchain” at Hong Kong Baptist University.
