Coinbase is launching a new Engineering Hub in Singapore, supported by Singapore Economic Development Board, to foster the local developer ecosystem.
Tl;dr: Coinbase is launching an Engineering Hub in Singapore to support the local developer ecosystem, doubling down on our commitment to Singapore. Coinbase has been rapidly growing our engineering team around the world, and this effort in Singapore will advance the global blockchain ecosystem, enabling greater access to cryptocurrencies in APAC markets, and encourage the local engineering ecosystem to thrive.
Coinbase today announced the launch of our new Engineering Hub in Singapore, with the aim of fostering the local developer ecosystem. This move underscores our deepening commitment to Singapore as a key hub for blockchain innovation in the APAC region.
We are thrilled to partner with the Singapore Economic Development Board to launch our Engineering Hub. With the Engineering Hub, we hope to empower local engineers to build the onchain economy and to make crypto more accessible and useful for everyday financial needs in the region. This brings us one step closer to our goal of increasing economic freedom by onboarding one billion people into the cryptoeconomy, and Singapore one step closer to achieving the digital upskilling goals of the Smart Nation 2.0 strategy.
Commenting on the announcement, Philbert Gomez, Executive Director & Head, Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) said: “Coinbase’s new Engineering Hub is an exciting addition to Singapore’s digital industry that expands the breadth of opportunities for talent to pursue world-class product engineering work in Singapore and underscores our status as a hub for responsible blockchain innovation. We are pleased to partner with Coinbase in building the infrastructure that will power the future of Web3 from Singapore.”
Singapore committed 1% of GDP to the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2024 Plan, to make Singapore a competitive hub for research and development and to grow its already impressive base of engineers, scientists and researchers. The developer ecosystem is of vital importance to this economy, and together with the EDB, we look forward to fostering this community.
As part of our expansion plans, the new Engineering Hub will provide engineers in Singapore with resources, and training. The initiative will focus on nurturing local talent, encouraging innovation, and advancing the capabilities of Singapore’s blockchain ecosystem. Currently, Coinbase employs over 600 people in the APAC region, including 70 employees in Singapore, which is intended to expand with the launch of this Hub.
This also signifies a crucial recognition by the Singapore government of the importance of cultivating a future-proof workforce. 56% of finance-forward Singaporeans believe that crypto is the future of finance. Upskilling engineering talent to meet the needs of emerging technology use cases will ensure Singapore remains a competitive centre for financial services and technology.
By continuing to expand its partnerships and investments throughout the region, Coinbase remains committed to advancing the global blockchain ecosystem and enabling greater access to digital assets in APAC markets.
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About Hassan Ahmed and David Ko
Hassan serves as the Country Director of Singapore at Coinbase. His background encompasses significant roles in both web3 and fintech, making him a knowledgeable leader in the regional cryptocurrency industry.
Prior to Coinbase, Hassan held positions at GoTo Group. As the Chief Executive Officer of Coins.ph, managing operations of the crypto brokerage in the Philippines. Concurrently, he was the Head of Strategy for Gopay, Indonesia's eWallet service.
Hassan's professional experience extends to New York, where he oversaw the launch of eToro’s regulated crypto trading platform in the United States as Director of Finance & Operations. Additionally, he was Head of Business Operations at Venmo and Vice President of Strategy at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Hassan has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
For those interested in Singapore's cryptocurrency and Web3 landscape, Hassan's experience offers a comprehensive overview of cryptocurrency, traditional finance and fintech.
Hassan has been a speaker at Singapore Fintech Festival and MoneyLive Asia. He has also lectured at INSEAD. Additionally, he contributed to the working paper titled "Realizing the Promise and Potential of 'Web3' for Pakistan" authored by Uzair Younus in February 2022.
David Ko is Senior Director of Engineering at Coinbase Singapore. Previously, he was Director of Software Engineering at Google, where he led the Google Pay Global App Platform team with a team of 150 engineers across APAC. He holds a B.A. in Computer Science from University of Washington.
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