The Singapore FinTech Festival 2026 opens at the Singapore EXPO from 18 to 20 November, with organisers pointing to a financial system being rewired by technology, geoeconomics, capital, talent and policy. The 11th edition is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), in collaboration with the Association of Banks in Singapore.
Key Takeaways
- SFF 2026 runs from 18 to 20 November under the theme “The Coming Rewiring of the Financial System”.
- The exhibition spans five halls, with over 600 sponsors and exhibitors and more than 40 international pavilions.
- SFF 2025 drew more than 70,000 attendees from 142 countries and about 1,000 speakers.
Five forces shape the Singapore FinTech Festival 2026 agenda
Under the theme “The Coming Rewiring of the Financial System: New Risks. New Rules. New Growth”, the festival will examine how five interconnected forces are transforming finance. On technology, sessions will cover agentic AI, tokenisation, digital money and quantum technologies. Geoeconomics will look at shifts in trade, capital flows and international cooperation, while the capital track will focus on how funds are mobilised for innovation, infrastructure and economic growth.
The remaining two themes are talent, which covers the implications of AI for jobs, skills and entrepreneurship, and policy, which considers how regulation can support innovation while safeguarding trust, resilience and financial stability.
“The decisions we make today about technology, regulation and financial infrastructure will shape how finance serves businesses and individuals for years to come,” said Mr Kenneth Gay, Chief FinTech Officer at MAS. He added that innovation needs to go hand in hand with trust and resilience as AI and digital money transform the financial system.
“Global finance is undergoing a structural transformation driven by five interconnected forces,” said Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Group Chief Executive Officer of GFTN.
FinTech Festival exhibition and regional pavilions
The exhibition will host over 600 sponsors and exhibitors and more than 40 international pavilions across five halls. Exhibits will cover agentic commerce, AI-enabled payments, digital assets, cross-border payments and programmable financial infrastructure. Startups will also get a platform to meet potential investors and partners, alongside talent and capacity-building programmes.
Two pavilions underline the festival’s regional and cross-border focus. The India Pavilion, presented by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will bring together Indian startups, financial institutions, regulators and policymakers. It aims to connect Indian FinTechs with Singapore’s capital and financial institutions and give them access to ASEAN and global markets. The GFTN and SEGA Go-Global Pavilion will feature 30 technology companies from Shanghai and Shenzhen, building on GFTN’s partnership with Shanghai’s Huangpu District.
SME financing and investor programmes at SFF 2026
The 12th Global SME Finance Forum will be held alongside the festival under the theme “Transforming Access to Impact: Market, Capital & Technology”. Managed by the World Bank Group in partnership with GFTN, it will bring together C-level leaders from more than 80 countries, and includes the Global SME Finance Awards and a Learning Day.
The festival’s signature programmes return as well. SFF MeetUp, billed as Asia’s largest FinTech meetings programme, is expected to facilitate more than 20,000 pre-scheduled meetings. Investor Hours will connect founders with general and limited partners, while The Founders Peak will feature TED-inspired sessions in which entrepreneurs share their journeys and lessons. The festival will also see the launch of the book STUBBORN: Decoding the Unreasonable Mindset of Founders Who Build Against All Odds, based on four years of fieldwork analysing 350 founder journeys across more than 40 countries.
Insights2040 meetings address agentic AI accountability
Ahead of the main festival, the invitation-only Insights2040 Annual Meetings will take place from 16 to 17 November on Level 5 of Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Senior public- and private-sector leaders will discuss how to establish accountability and liability in agentic systems, scale tokenised markets, develop shared frameworks for payment chains, and take stock of sovereignty and resilience. The discussions will be held under the Chatham House Rule.
More information and registration are available at fintechfestival.sg.
