Lily Hong's Vision: From Mobile Innovation to Digital Asset Markets

In the fast-evolving landscape of fintech and digital assets, Lily Hong has established herself as a pioneering voice bridging traditional finance with emerging blockchain technology. As the co-founding architect of Cyberdyne Tech Exchange (CTX), a Singapore-based digital assets platform, Hong brings decades of entrepreneurial experience and a philosophy grounded in compliance, innovation, and respect for the rules that govern emerging markets.

Early Fascination with Technology and Science

Lily Hong’s relationship with technology began in childhood, far before she earned her computer science degree from Stanford University. While her peers gravitated toward conventional hobbies, she was the child taking apart household appliances, installing motors on bicycles, and constructing homemade electric fans—a pattern of hands-on curiosity that would define her entire career trajectory. Rather than following fashion trends or entertainment gossip, her formative years were consumed by exploration and investigation of the scientific principles shaping the world around her.

Stanford deepened her appreciation for fundamental research and the unsung pioneers whose persistence drives technological breakthroughs. Figures like Marie Curie and Chinese chemist Tu Youyou—the discoverer of artemisinin compounds for malaria treatment—became sources of inspiration. This blend of scientific rigor and awareness of technology’s societal impact would later shape her approach to building compliant digital asset markets.

Multiple Ventures Across Mobile, Data, and IoT Sectors

After graduating, Lily Hong returned to China to capitalize on the nation’s emerging technology boom. In 2002, she co-founded Beijing Infotel Communications, which rapidly ascended to become one of China’s top five mobile device retailers. Five years later, she launched AER Networks, a company specializing in system integration, database operations, and network security—sectors that few understood deeply at the time.

Her third major venture, Beijing Zeepson Technology, established in 2008, positioned itself at the intersection of Internet of Things and security solutions. The company attracted significant institutional backing, with Tencent becoming its largest corporate shareholder—a validation of her ability to anticipate market trends and build defensible technology businesses. Each venture represented her capacity to recognize inflection points in technology adoption and execute accordingly.

Bridging Finance and Technology Through Compliance

When blockchain technology gained traction in China around 2013, Lily Hong began observing the tokenization of assets, the ICO phenomenon, and security token development with the analytical mindset of an engineer rather than a speculator. She recognized that while blockchain and digital assets held transformative potential for fundraising and capital markets, this potential could only be realized through collaboration with legitimate market participants and regulatory bodies.

This realization crystallized into the founding philosophy of Cyberdyne Tech Exchange. Rather than embracing an anti-regulatory stance, Hong and her partners deliberately positioned the platform to serve institutional investors seeking to issue and trade digital assets with full transparency and compliance. The platform enables assets to be tracked, transacted with efficiency and reduced costs, and backed by real-world value. In essence, Cyberdyne Tech Exchange functions as a critical infrastructure connecting the worlds of finance and technology—not by circumventing rules, but by embedding them into the market structure itself.

Hong’s approach reflects a metaphor she uses from her experience as a professional racer: irrespective of driving skill or talent, all racers must respect the rules of the track. The same principle applies to the emerging token economy. As institutional fintech discussions increasingly focus on structuring compliant digital asset transactions, this philosophy gains relevance and urgency.

Perspectives on Women in Technology Leadership

Throughout her career, Lily Hong has navigated the technology sector at a time when female founders and technology leaders were far less visible than today. Rather than viewing her identity as an obstacle, she frames it as a distinct advantage. Her training in technology and rigorous thinking enables her to isolate core issues quickly, maintain focus on critical details, and execute decisive action. She approaches setbacks without lingering regret, viewing obstacles as opportunities to restart and recalibrate.

Hong observes that women in technology constitute a fortunate cohort of professionals. The discipline of technology and its underlying logical frameworks fundamentally reshape how practitioners evaluate problems across all domains. This cognitive reorientation—the ability to think in systems, patterns, and logical sequences—translates into superior decision-making and clarity of vision.

Advice for the Next Generation of Tech Professionals

When reflecting on guidance for young women entering the technology industry, Lily Hong emphasizes self-recognition and confidence. Rather than fixating on perceived shortcomings, she advocates that women in tech celebrate their unique strengths and build upon them deliberately. This positive orientation toward capability-building, she argues, accelerates both professional growth and personal satisfaction.

Beyond technical mastery, Hong encourages aspiring technologists to cultivate intellectual diversity. Travel, exposure to arts, cuisine, and domains outside technology are not distractions—they are essential inputs for developing the broader perspective necessary to apply technology meaningfully. A globally informed viewpoint and strong foundational values enable practitioners to understand not just the mechanics of technology, but its human implications and ethical dimensions. This holistic understanding, she contends, creates the conditions for both longer careers and deeper fulfillment within the technology sector.