2026 Hong Kong Art Finance Forum held: Art RWA implementation accelerated again

On October 16, 2026, the 2026 Hong Kong Art Finance Forum was held at Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, 3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The forum focused on the industrialization of art RWA (Real World Assets), gathering guests from various fields including art, finance, Web3, and academia. Two major announcements were made on-site, and in-depth discussions were held regarding the institutional construction, industry standards, and implementation pathways of art finance in Hong Kong.

What is RWA? Why are the art and finance circles paying attention?

RWA, or "Real World Asset Tokenization," simply put, is the process of converting real-world assets into divisible and tradable digital rights through technological means.

When combined with artworks, collectibles that previously had high barriers to entry and low liquidity now have the potential for broader participation. This is also the reason why this forum focused on the theme of "industrialization of art RWA"—moving beyond mere discussion of concepts to finding executable pathways in Hong Kong.

Highlight 1: Gong Ceremony Launch, Two Major Announcements Made On-Site

At 9:30 AM, guests began to sign in and enter. At 10:00 AM, the forum officially commenced, with the host taking the stage and playing the promotional video for the forum.

The highlight of this forum—the gong ceremony—was held shortly thereafter. Dr. Kim Hyuk-soo, Honorary Chairman of the China Social Economic and Cultural Exchange Association (Hong Kong), former UN Deputy Secretary-General, and President of the International Leaders Union, Mr. Wong Siu-ki, President of the China Social Economic and Cultural Exchange Association (Hong Kong), former National Committee Member Mr. Liu Mengxiong, Dr. Yau Yeung, Professor of Finance at the University of Hong Kong, Mr. Yao Yanjie, Chairman of Silver Ray Global in Singapore, Datuk Seri Lin Jingshuo, and Datuk WV Lye jointly took the stage to strike the gong.

• The Sanhuang Coin is about to be launched;

• CITIC International Auction Company Limited and the University of Hong Kong have jointly established an art finance RWA laboratory, marking the official implementation of the integrated project for the digitalization of art assets in academia and industry.

Highlight 2: Multiple Guests Take the Stage, Focusing on the Integration of Cultural Assets and Digital Finance

Subsequently, the main guests took the stage to deliver keynote speeches. Dr. Kim Hyuk-soo, Honorary Chairman of the China Social Economic and Cultural Exchange Association (Hong Kong), former UN Deputy Secretary-General, and President of the International Leaders Union, was the first to share his insights, interpreting the opportunities of the era for the integration of cultural assets and digital finance from a global perspective.

Mr. Wong Siu-ki, President of the China Social Economic and Cultural Exchange Association (Hong Kong), delivered the opening address.

Ms. Wang Zhongying, Dean of the Hong Kong Financial Academy, shared insights on talent cultivation in art RWA, pointing out that industry innovation cannot be separated from the establishment of a professional talent system.

Dr. Rebecca Chow from MEXC Exchange presented a theme titled "Before the Hammer Falls, the Price Has Already Been Answered—New Possibilities for Predictive Markets and Art Transactions," exploring innovations in art valuation and trading models.

Former National Committee Member Mr. Liu Mengxiong introduced the Sanhuang Coin project on-site, explaining the underlying logic and cultural value of the project.

Mr. Yang Zhi, CEO of Hong Kong Real Assets Limited, shared the company's practical achievements in the RWA sector. He introduced that after the launch of the Chai Huang Coin and Li Ren Coin, the team is ready to issue the third coin—Sanhuang Coin; he also discussed the R&D progress of the AI detection device and the related plans for establishing the art finance RWA laboratory with the University of Hong Kong.

Highlight 3: Two Roundtables, Discussing Institutional Standards and AI Collaboration

The highlight of the morning was the roundtable forum, hosted by Mr. James Wong, with guests including President Wong Siu-ki, CEO Mr. Yang Zhi, and Dr. Miu Lizhang, Chief Project Director of the Web3 Research Institute at the University of Hong Kong. The three guests engaged in an in-depth dialogue on "Hong Kong's New Infrastructure for Art Finance—Institutions, Standards, and RWA Implementation," discussing the institutional construction, industry standard development, and practical pathways for art RWA in Hong Kong.

After the lunch break, the afternoon forum continued with representatives from various institutions taking the stage to share insights on topics such as new financial platforms, AI, art RWA, Web3 industry ecology, and the value of financial media. A second roundtable forum was then held to explore new opportunities for the development of art RWA, AI, and digital finance in Hong Kong.

Highlight 4: On-Site Awards, Honoring Builders of the Art Finance Ecosystem

The forum also held industry awards on-site, honoring experts and institutions that have made outstanding contributions to the construction of the art finance ecosystem.

Dr. Liu Mengxiong and Dr. Cai Zhichuan were awarded the Excellence Strategic Advisor Award. Dr. Jin Xuezu served as the award presenter, presenting the award to Dr. Liu Mengxiong and the Hong Kong Financial Academy; Dr. Fan Renda, Chairman of the Independent Directors Association, presented the Excellence Strategic Advisor Award to Dr. Cai Zhichuan; Chairman Huang Zhaoji awarded the Excellence Ecological Co-construction Partner Award to MEXC Exchange and presented the Annual Team Excellence Individual Award to Mr. Jin Linping.

Threshold and Education: The Other Side of Art Finance

At the end of the forum, Chairman Huang Zhaoji delivered the closing remarks. He thanked all the guests for their presence and stated that art finance has opened up a new development pathway, with the fragmentation of collections lowering the participation threshold for the public and creating new pathways for value circulation for artists.

He also emphasized that the industry needs to pay attention to investor education; only by clearly communicating the risk awareness and participation threshold can the financial attributes of art be fully unleashed.

At the end of the event, free communication and exhibition visits were opened, allowing attendees to exchange resources and brainstorm ideas. This forum leveraged the advantages of Hong Kong as an international financial center, bridging the boundaries of art, technology, and finance, and continuously exploring the implementation pathways of art RWA, contributing to the innovative development of cultural asset digitization.