What Happened at Consensus Hong Kong PitchFest?
Coinbax was selected as one of four finalists at the Consensus Hong Kong 2026 PitchFest, earning a spot on the main stage after two days of competition among 12 startups from across the crypto and fintech landscape. CEO Peter Glyman presented Coinbax’s infrastructure and smart contract platform for stablecoin payments, with mainnet rollout planned for Q2 2026.
The competition brought together an impressive field of builders tackling different corners of the industry — from identity verification and AI-powered trading to tokenized gold solutions and stablecoin payment infrastructure.
Who Won the PitchFest?
Congratulations to zkME Technology, who took home the $20,000 grand prize. The Hong Kong-based DePin company, with 3.5 million users and a Series A underway, presented a compelling identity verification infrastructure designed to facilitate mainstream DeFi adoption. As founder and CEO David Alexander Scheer put it: “If DeFi really wants to become mainstream, this is the only solution.” It’s a well-deserved win — identity is one of the hardest problems in this space, and zkME is tackling it head-on.
The full final four lineup:
- zkME Technology (Hong Kong) — Identity verification infrastructure for mainstream DeFi adoption
- Hubble AI — AI-powered custom trading strategy construction via natural language
- OnchainLabs (Switzerland) — Tokenized gold solutions via its Engage platform
- Coinbax (United States) — Trust infrastructure and smart contracts for stablecoin payments
Who Judged the Competition?
The finalists presented to a distinguished panel of four judges:
- Alasdair Foster — CEO, Bullish Capital Management
- Augie Ilag — Head of Asia, CMT Digital
- Richard Muirhead — Co-founder, Fabric Ventures
- Ella Zhang — Head, YZi Labs
Why Does This Matter for Financial Institutions?
Making the final four at one of the industry’s premier startup competitions validates the market need for trust infrastructure in stablecoin payments. Financial institutions exploring stablecoin adoption need more than rails — they need programmable escrow, built-in reversibility, and real-time compliance to meet the standards their customers and regulators expect.
The breadth of the finalists also signals where the industry is heading: identity, AI, tokenized assets, and payment infrastructure are converging. Institutions that move early on this stack will be best positioned as these technologies mature.
The Coinbax Perspective
Competing at Consensus Hong Kong reinforced what we hear from financial institutions every day: the demand for trusted stablecoin infrastructure is real and growing. Banks and credit unions want to offer stablecoin payment services, but they need the safety and compliance guarantees that traditional payment systems provide.
That’s what we’re building — a trust layer that gives financial institutions programmable escrow, built-in reversibility, and real-time compliance for stablecoin payments. Being on that main stage alongside builders like zkME, Hubble AI, and OnchainLabs was a reminder that the best outcomes in this industry come from a rising tide of strong companies solving hard problems.
Mainnet is on track for Q2 2026. We’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Consensus Hong Kong PitchFest?
Consensus Hong Kong PitchFest is a startup competition held at CoinDesk’s annual Consensus conference, where early-stage crypto and fintech companies compete for a $20,000 grand prize by presenting to a panel of industry judges.
How many companies competed?
Twelve companies competed over two days, with four advancing to the final round on the main stage.
What did Coinbax present?
CEO Peter Glyman presented Coinbax’s infrastructure and smart contracts for stablecoin payments, including programmable escrow and built-in reversibility, with mainnet rollout planned for Q2 2026.
Who won the competition?
zkME Technology, a Hong Kong-based identity verification company with 3.5 million users, won the $20,000 grand prize for their solution designed to facilitate mainstream DeFi adoption.