This event brings together guests from academia and industry to explore the technological evolution and industrial opportunities of agent-based economies, focusing on cutting-edge areas such as blockchain, smart contracts, artificial intelligence, and digital assets.

Author, Source: School of Economics and Finance, The University of Hong Kong

As AI agents evolve from auxiliary tools to autonomous executors, artificial intelligence is breaking beyond traditional application boundaries and gradually entering core scenarios such as business collaboration, financial transactions, and value exchange. This raises three key questions: How can agents establish trustworthy identities when they can autonomously invoke services, execute tasks, and participate in transactions? How can machines enable payments and value flow between each other? And what new business models will emerge from the integration of AI and digital assets?

On October 21, 2026, the event "The Digital Economy in the Age of Agents: Reconstructing Identity, Payment, and Value Networks" will be co-hosted by the Executive Education Division of the HKU Business School, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong University Fintech Institute, and ME Group. This event brings together distinguished guests from academia and industry to explore the technological evolution and industry opportunities of the agent economy, focusing on cutting-edge areas such as blockchain, smart contracts, artificial intelligence, and digital assets.

📌 Key Agenda Highlights

As AI agents gradually gain capabilities in autonomous planning, tool utilization, and task execution, the integration of artificial intelligence and the digital economy is entering a new phase. This keynote speech will draw on the speakers' academic research and industry experience to focus on the synergistic development of AI and blockchain technologies, as well as the new opportunities facing digital financial infrastructure.

Key emerging areas to watch include: from agent autonomy to machine-to-machine value exchange.

• Commercialization and Autonomous Collaboration of AI Agents: How do agents evolve from efficiency tools into digital entities capable of participating in business processes, invoking services, and executing tasks?
• Digital Identity and Trusted Execution: When AI acts on behalf of individuals or enterprises, how can identity verification, permission management, and accountability mechanisms be established?
• Smart contracts and digital finance: How can programmable rules be combined with AI applications to support automated trading and digital economic activities?
• Digital Assets and Machine Payments: With growing demand for agent-based transactions, what new applications will emerge for digital assets, stablecoins, and payment infrastructure?

These issues involve not only technological innovation but will also shape the future evolution of corporate organizations, financial services, and business collaboration.

What changes will traditional human-centered business models face when machines begin autonomously seeking services, invoking resources, and executing transactions?

This panel will bring together professionals from the fields of AI, digital assets, investment, and trading platforms to engage in an interdisciplinary discussion on key issues in machine-native economies.

Key discussion points:

• Identity and Trust: How can AI Agents obtain verifiable identities and clear action permissions across different platforms?
• Payments and Value Flow: Can AI Agents drive the development of automated payments, machine-to-machine transactions, and new digital financial applications?
• Infrastructure and Industry Opportunities: As AI and digital assets accelerate their integration, which technological infrastructures, application scenarios, and business models are worth attention?

From technical capabilities to real-world trading, from single agents to multi-agent collaborative networks, this discussion will further explore how AI and digital assets are jointly driving the development of the next-generation digital economy.

🌐 Star-Studded Guest Lineup

This event invites guests from academia, artificial intelligence, digital assets, and financial technology to explore technological trends, financial infrastructure, and industry development opportunities in the age of agents, covering areas such as blockchain and smart contracts, AI business applications, digital asset investment, and trading platforms.

• You Yang | Assistant Professor, School of Economics and Finance, University of Hong Kong; Director, Blockchain and Smart Contract Laboratory, HKU Shenzhen Center; Member, CBDC Expert Group, Hong Kong Monetary Authority
• Li Ming | Associate Researcher, AIOT Research Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Chair of the IEEE Computer Society Blockchain Standards Committee; Executive President, Hong Kong Web3.0 Standards Association
• Wang Rui | Vice President of LinkSure Technology Group and Special Assistant to the Chairman
• Hu Xuanfeng | Director of Digital Assets Business at Fosun Wealth, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of FinChain
• Yang Chao | Head of OTC Business Development, HashKey Exchange
• Rex Deng | Senior AI Solutions Manager at Baidu

The next phase of competition in AI is not only about enhancing model capabilities, but also about connecting identity, payments, transactions, and real-world business needs. As agents increasingly become participants in the digital economy, new infrastructure, collaboration networks, and methods of value creation are also worth ongoing attention.

How will machine-native economies evolve? How will the integration of AI and digital assets reshape the future of business?

📅 Event Date: October 21, 2026, 14:00–17:30

📍 Event Location: Shenzhen Campus, HKU Business School

👉 Register for the event: https://www.me.news/contents/318897