Mr Chia is one of only three recipients worldwide of prestigious annual award conferred in London.
LONDON and SINGAPORE, March 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Singapore-headquartered Embed Financial Group Cayman Holdings (“EFGH”) today announced that its Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Asia, Mr Chia Hock Lai (“Mr Chia”), has been admitted as a Fellow of the non-profit British Blockchain Association (FBBA), one of the most competitively awarded accolades in the global blockchain and distributed ledger technology ecosystem.
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Chia Hock Lai (left), Co-Founder, Asia CEO and Group Chief Digital Assets Officer of Embed Financial Group Holdings (EFGH), with Natalie Elphicke (centre), a Member of the UK Parliament involved in policy discussions on technology and innovation, and Joshua Ashley Klayman (right), a partner at Linklaters and a leading advisor on digital assets and financial regulation, at ISC2026 in London, where he was inducted into the Fellowship of the British Blockchain Association. PHOTO: EFGH
The Fellowship, the highest individual distinction conferred by the BBA, was formally presented to Mr Chia at Portcullis House at the 8th Blockchain International Scientific Conference (ISC2026) held in London on 27 March 2026. Three individuals were conferred the status after a rigorous selection process involving over 90 nominees. The other two are Rt. Hon. Lord Viscount Camrose (Mr Jonathan Berry), Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Member of the UK House of Lords, and Ms Joshua Ashley Klayman, a globally recognised legal expert in digital assets and member of the BBA Advisory Board.
The fellowship is a nomination-based recognition typically conferred on senior figures across industry, academia and public policy, reflecting sustained contributions to the development of blockchain ecosystems and their application in regulated and institutional settings.
One of only two Asian recipients to date and the sole representative from the financial internet (“Finternet”) and digital asset infrastructure sector, he joins an elite cohort that includes parliamentarians, central bank advisors and leading scholars.
The award affirms the depth of experience of the leadership of EFGH, a finternet company that builds the digital plumbing of financial services across Asia and Africa.
On 3 December 2025, EFGH entered into a definitive Business Combination Agreement with a U.S. a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company – at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately US$425 million – ahead of a proposed listing on the New York Stock Exchange. EFGH builds and deploys financial and administrative infrastructure that integrates payments, insurance and digital financial services into existing systems used by governments, enterprises and financial institutions across Africa and Asia, including national-scale digital infrastructure initiatives.
Why This Matters
As digital assets move into mainstream finance, influence is increasingly defined not just by technology, but by participation in the standards and governance frameworks that underpin their use.
Mr Chia’s induction signals that Singapore-based leadership is participating in these global conversations, contributing to how digital asset infrastructure is designed, regulated and deployed across markets.
It also reinforces Singapore’s position as a financial hub whose ecosystem extends beyond adoption into shaping global frameworks for digital finance.
A Builder of Systems, Not Just Companies
Mr Chia has more than a decade of experience working across industry, regulatory and institutional platforms in fintech and digital assets.
He currently serves as:
- Chairman of the Responsible Fintech Institute, a global non-profit focused on advancing responsible fintech practices
- Co-chair of the Digital Assets Association, which connects institutions, exchanges and infrastructure providers
- A contributor to regional initiatives spanning digital assets, tokenisation and responsible AI in finance
His work centres on enabling collaboration between regulators, financial institutions and technology providers, with a focus on building infrastructure that supports real-economy use cases.
Implications for EFGH
Mr Chia’s inclusion in the BBA fellowship network strengthens EFGH’s positioning as a company operating within institutional and regulated environments, where alignment with global standards and policy direction is increasingly important.
EFGH is a Singapore-headquartered financial infrastructure company building the “Finternet”, embedding payments, insurance and financial services into digital and physical systems across Africa and Asia.
As the group expands its footprint and explores broader capital markets engagement, including a potential listing in the United States, the recognition reinforces its credibility with institutional partners, regulators and investors.
Leadership perspective
Mr Dennis Ng, Executive Chairman of EFGH, said:
“This recognition reflects the level at which we are operating.
Financial infrastructure today is shaped as much by standards and policy as it is by technology. Having leadership that is recognised within these global networks strengthens our ability to engage governments, regulators and institutional partners across markets.
It also reflects the role Singapore-based leadership can play in shaping the future of digital finance.”
Mr Chia Hock Lai, co-founder and Asia CEO, EFGH, said:
“I am deeply honoured by the recognition, which reflects where the industry is heading.
As digital assets mature, the focus must shift towards building infrastructure that is trusted, interoperable and aligned with regulatory expectations.
That requires close collaboration between industry, policymakers and academia. I look forward to contributing to these efforts through the fellowship network.”
About Embed Financial Group Holdings (EFGH)
EFGH is a Singapore-headquartered financial infrastructure company building the “Finternet”, embedding payments, insurance and financial services into digital and physical systems across Africa and Asia.
Through partnerships with governments, enterprises and financial institutions, EFGH develops and deploys embedded financial and administrative platforms across regulated and essential-service environments.
About the British Blockchain Association
The BBA is a UK-based non-profit industry body and think tank focused on advancing the evidence-based adoption of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.
It connects policymakers, academics, engineers and industry leaders globally, and contributes to blockchain research, standards development and policy dialogue.
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