Ben Charoenwong

Ben Charoenwong

Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore Business School

Ben Charoenwong is an assistant professor of finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and head of research at Chicago Global, a quantitative global investment fund. His research interests include studying the interaction of supply chain and financial leverage decisions, pricing the voting component of common stock, and the regulation of investment advisers.

Advertisements for crypto exchange show a Bitcoin symbol at Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station, in Hong Kong, China, 27 October 2021. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Hong Kong and Singapore vying for crypto hub: Price to pay and lessons to learn

While Singapore and Hong Kong are hyped to be vying for cryptocurrency hub status, academic Ben Charoenwong notes that both cities have faced challenges navigating the tricky world of becoming a large cryptocurrency market while setting a regulatory framework. Due to China's unfavourable attitude towards cryptocurrency, activity may flow over to Hong Kong as it acts as the conduit for Chinese participants, but might this be a potential winner’s curse?
A man walks past an electronic display showing the Hang Seng Index in the Central district of Hong Kong on 27 May 2022. (Bertha Wang/AFP)

Geopolitics affecting HK's financial market. Can Singapore benefit?

Amid US-China tensions, mainland China companies blacklisted by the US are expected to expand their presence in Hong Kong. While it may seem that the special autonomous region will reap the benefits, NUS academic Ben Charoenwong says investors are in fact wary of the costs involved and may look to other financial hubs like Singapore. But is Singapore ready to fill that role?
Cryptocurrency representations are seen in front of an image of the Chinese flag in this illustration picture taken 2 June 2021. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies: Trade-offs between stability and innovation

China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies has increased the volatility of the market, not least with bitcoin miners fleeing and the price of bitcoin plummeting. What are the reasons behind China’s regulatory clampdowns and will other countries follow suit?
People walk past the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) and the 'Fearless Girl' statue at Wall Street after heavy rainfall on 30 November 2020 in New York City, US. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

Wall Street, foreign investment hankering for China deals despite US sanctions

Even as the US government blacklists several Chinese companies for being “Chinese Communist military companies” or a national security threat, Wall Street does not seem fazed; investors seem prepared to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to betting on China.