Ant Financial CTO Cheng Li’s Money 20/20 Asia Keynote: Technology for a More Equal World

On March 13, 2018, Ant Financial’s CTO and International Business Group COO Cheng Li delivered the opening keynote at the Money 20/20 Asia summit in Singapore, titled “Technology Makes the World More Equal,” sharing two mobile‑payment stories that illustrate the company’s impact on ordinary people.

Technology Brings More Equal Opportunities

He recounted how, after power reached the Everest base camp in 2014, a Tibetan teenager used Alipay QR codes to collect service fees, simplifying transactions for other tent owners, and how a dairy farmer obtained a loan through Ant Financial to expand his herd.

Ant Financial has driven the widespread adoption of mobile payments and related financial services in China, making QR‑code payments ubiquitous, a novelty for many Money 20/20 attendees who experienced the simplicity, speed, and ubiquity of cash‑less transactions.

B.A.S.I.C Technology Strategy

Ant Financial’s systematic B.A.S.I.C strategy focuses on Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Security, Internet of Things, and Computing as foundational technologies for a cash‑less future.

The strategy leverages blockchain for transparent supply‑chain tracing and charitable project monitoring, while AI reduces payment‑system risk to one in a million and dramatically improves intelligent customer‑service efficiency and accuracy.

Future Challenges Remain

Cheng noted ongoing challenges such as handling massive data from increasingly smart devices and enabling machines to comprehend complex financial systems, while Ant Financial continues collaborations with top universities and global ecosystem partners to advance fintech.

After the keynote, Cheng attended the ATEC Singapore event, discussing Southeast Asian payment ecosystems with partners including Indonesia’s Dana, Thailand’s Ascend Money, Philippines’ Mynt, and Malaysia’s Touch’n Go.

The ATEC Singapore conference was held on March 14, 15:30‑18:30 at the Marina Bay Sands hotel.