With the days growing longer and brighter, we hope you're enjoying the spring season, perhaps with some well-earned chocolate treats or Easter festivities. If you’re in the business of starting businesses, consider checking out our webinar this month on Unlocking Growth: How Startups Can Leverage Taiwan’s Capital Market, kindly sponsored by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). Sticking to the same region, we will also be looking at Seoul’s Roadmap to Becoming a Global Financial Hub, supported by Invest Seoul.

For all those seeking in-person events, there are some exciting partner conferences taking place this month. The third annual Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit will be held on Wednesday 08 April; FS Club community members can get 20% off with discount code ZYEN_CIIS26. Finally, CityForum is hosting a conference on Safeguarding The Nation - The Role Of Private Security In Policing on Friday 24 April. We look forward to welcoming you to one of our events, our podcast, or both soon.

Sasha Davis (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

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Events & Webinars

• Featured Past Webinars

Mike Wardle & Hugh Morris:
Launch Of Global Financial Centres Index 39

Tracy Wong Harris & Katy Yung:
The Role Of Finance In Addressing Sustainable Development

• Forthcoming Webinars

Unlocking Growth: How Startups Can Leverage Taiwan’s Capital Market Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Launch Of Global Green Finance Index 17 Thursday, 23 April 2026

Seoul’s Roadmap to Becoming a Global Financial Hub Tuesday, 28 April 2026

• Event

Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit 2026 Wednesday, 08 April 2026

The Esop Centre’s newspad, is a monthly publication providing in-depth coverage of the main international news in the field of employee share ownership. Read this month’s newspad in full.

The Eighteenth newspad All-Employee Share Plan Awards: Results announced.

Jersey Employee Share Plans & Trustees Conference 2026 Friday, 22 May 2026

FS Club News

Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation: TWSE delegation deepens U.S. engagement to advance Asian Asset Management Center vision: TWSE Chairman & CEO Sherman Lin led a delegation to New York in March 2026 to deepen ties with global asset managers, institutional investors, and major exchanges. Read more here.

Taiwan Stock Exchange joined the 2026 "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" event to promote global gender parity: In honor of International Women’s Day 2026, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) participated in the global "Ring the Bell for Gender Equality" initiative. Read more here.

The AAMC Promotion Office coordinates institutional participation in the 2026 Kaohsiung Smart City Summit & Expo: The Asian Asset Management Center (AAMC) Promotion Office, under the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), established the "Asian Asset Management Center Pavilion" at the 2026 Kaohsiung Smart City Summit & Expo. Read more here.

The news from the TWSE: https://twmonthly.twse.com.tw/
Follow TWSE on LinkedIn to stay informed.

Busan Finance Center: Busan Emerging as a Hub for Digital Asset Trading:

Busan is taking a meaningful step toward becoming a hub for security token trading in Korea. The Financial Services Commission recently granted preliminary approval to the KDX Consortium, led by the Korea Exchange (KRX), which is headquartered in Busan, to launch a new over-the-counter trading platform for beneficiary certificates. This suggests that Busan’s digital finance ambitions are beginning to take shape within a regulated framework.

The KDX Consortium reportedly includes KRX, BNK Financial Group, Busan Digital Asset Exchange (Bdan), Sejong DX, and BDACS, several of which are based in Busan. The consortium stands out for bringing together established financial institutions and emerging digital asset firms from the region, reflecting Busan’s effort to build a locally anchored digital finance ecosystem. It also builds on Busan’s earlier experience as a blockchain regulation-free zone. Taken together, these developments provide Busan with a stronger institutional and technological foundation for the commercialization of digital asset trading. Read the full publication here.

Financial Services Commission Mauritius: Mauritius adheres to the IMF’s SDDS Plus, a first in Africa: Mauritius has adhered to the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) Plus effective 16 March 2026, the highest tier of the IMF’s Data Standards Initiatives. Mauritius is the first country in Africa and the 32nd country worldwide to have accomplished this landmark achievement in data transparency. By adhering to the IMF SDDS Plus, Mauritius commits to meeting the most rigorous requirements for disseminating key macroeconomic and financial statistics. This step reinforces Mauritius’ dedication to publishing comprehensive, reliable, and timely data. Robust data coverage and enhanced data transparency further improve economic policy making and analysis as well as reinforce the credibility of Mauritius on the international capital markets, as affirmed by the IMF.

Astana International Financial Centre: Astana International Financial Centre’s analytical centre - AIFC Insights - presented the report  “Bridging People and Markets: An Overview of Retail Investing in Kazakhstan”. Over the past decade, Kazakhstan’s capital markets have become increasingly accessible to households and retail investors. Report provides an integrated overview of the current state of retail investing in Kazakhstan. It examines how individuals engage with local capital markets through major exchanges and intermediaries, and how landmark IPOs and new products have shaped this engagement. Fore more details please see the report.

Financial Services Development Council Hong Kong: As the global economy evolves and capital seeks stability and opportunity, Hong Kong stands out as the leading international financial centre. With an open economy, deep and liquid capital markets, a trusted legal framework, and seamless connectivity to global institutions, Hong Kong offers the ideal ecosystem for capital facilitation, preservation, and growth. These strengths are further complemented by resilient infrastructure and a vibrant lifestyle that attracts top global talent.

The Financial Services Development Council has launched a global campaign personifying "Money" as "Capital" — a dynamic protagonist in pursuit of growth. It demonstrates how Hong Kong fulfills the core needs of capital: growth, security, efficiency, and opportunity, empowering it to thrive even amid global challenges.

Discover how Hong Kong empowers capital to thrive. Watch the campaign: Click Here.

Dubai International Financial Centre: DIFC has published its latest report titled ‘Global Wealth Outlook: Rethinking growth in a changing world’, which examines how nearly 23mn high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), collectively holding approximately USD 87trn in wealth, are reshaping global capital flows amid volatility, demographic change and geopolitical realignment.
Produced in collaboration with Asia House, this is the first publication under DIFC’s 2026 Future of Finance thought leadership series. Download your copy here.

On 27 January 2026, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced a monumental expansion of DIFC with the inauguration of DIFC Zabeel District. DIFC Zabeel District will advance a new era of global finance by expanding infrastructure, connectivity and capacity to meet evolving industry demands. This strategic expansion will enable DIFC to accommodate more than 42,000 companies and a workforce of over 125,000, accelerating our contribution towards the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). With a gross development value exceeding AED 100bn, the project will expand DIFC’s footprint by 7.1mn sq. ft., adding a total gross floor area of 17.7mn sq. ft. Read more here.

Kigali International Financial Centre: The Kigali International Financial Centre, in collaboration with partners, are organising the third edition of the Inclusive FinTech Forum (IFF), to be hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, on 10–12 March 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre. Following the successful second edition of the Forum held in Kigali in 2025, IFF 2026 anticipates hosting 3,000 delegates from Africa, Asia, Europe, and beyond, featuring world-class speakers, engaging discussions, and a high-level opening ceremony. Learn more.

Scottish Financial Enterprise: Scottish Financial Enterprise has launched an update to its skills action plan to help prepare the industry for its future skills requirements. The update comes as rapid advances in emerging technologies and a competitive hiring landscape are reshaping the industry and seeks to highlight how best to prepare the workforce for an AI and data led world. Click here for more information.

Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance: Taiwan Releases Third Sustainable Finance Assessment: The Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance (TABF) has published its third Sustainable Finance Assessment, evaluating 89 financial institutions across banking, securities, asset management, and insurance.

The top 25% performers were recognized for excellence in human capital, climate strategy, and cybersecurity, while natural resource management, transparency, and governance remain areas for further improvement. Conducted with the Securities and Futures Institute and Taiwan Insurance Institute, the assessment aligns with the Financial Supervisory Commission’s ESG and climate policies.

TABF continues to refine the framework to advance ESG integration and climate risk management.

Stay tuned with TABF for more updates on our initiatives and global engagements: LinkedIn.

Northeastern University London: Develop the knowledge and practical skills to navigate today’s evolving financial landscape with the MSc Fintech Management at Northeastern University London. This programme combines key areas of fintech with core management principles, helping you build a solid understanding of financial innovation, data analytics, and emerging technologies. You will study a range of industry-relevant courses and apply your learning through experiential projects, all while benefiting from studying in London’s global financial centre. With an emphasis on responsible and sustainable decision-making, the programme supports your progression into a range of fintech and business roles.

Interested in learning more? Apply here.

Bridgeworks: Why Cloud Security Needs WAN Acceleration:

Cloud services typically fall into two main categories: pre-built software-as-a-service (SaaS) in the cloud or cloud platforms, providing components to self-build a service to solve a business problem. However, as more and more organisations are faced with the complex decision of which approach to adopt and why, the size of the organisation and of its digital footprint is now a significant factor.

For example, if you are a small company, you have an internet presence, maybe staff work remotely, and you are most likely to go for a solution using a SaaS cloud model, because it doesn’t require technical in-house expertise. It also offers a fixed price, while allowing you to add various applications and services as needed. It also means that you won’t need to employ a CISO or a security expert. Read the full publication here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We currently have opportunities available to partner with Z/Yen as a sponsor for our ongoing research into the development of financial centres. If you may be interested in sponsorship of the Global Green Finance Index or Smart Centres Index, please get in touch with Mike Wardle.

Pamphleteers Blog

The Pamphleteers Blog features considered thoughts – somewhere between a knee-jerk editorial and a full-blown piece of research.

"Write for today and not for tomorrow."

Made Me Think

Patricia Lustig and Gill Ringland:

The Overton Window Revisited

Of Great Interest

Christopher Gleadle:

Re-Engineering Investment For A Volatile 2026 And Beyond

FS Club Bulletins - Keep Track Of Your Commercial Interests

FS Club provides up to 1,000 weekly bulletins on a variety of topics from Inflation, to Inter-Bank Lending, to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Register here.

• Industrial Bank
• Human Capital Management

Best Of The FinanserStirred My Thoughts:

• What Happens To My Crypto When I Die?

Grabbed My Attention:

• Where Did Money Come From?

Membership & Sponsorship FS Club is the premier global executive knowledge network for technology and finance professionals. Great events, research, and social functions build a buzz for Members and a valuable partnership for Sponsors. Membership of the FS Club is a great way to enhance your professional development, grow your network and profile, and get backing for your ideas, contact: sasha_davis@zyen.com