Three decades at the intersection of finance and technology across the U.S., China, Asia Pacific, and Europe — from Citi and Intel to building and selling one of the industry's most respected fintech research firms. I help institutions, investors and audiences worldwide understand where money is going next.
Zennon Kapron is a fintech analyst, author and speaker who has spent his career helping the financial industry understand technology — and helping technology understand finance.
He is the founder of Kapronasia, which he grew into one of the most respected independent research and consulting firms covering Asia's financial markets — and their impact on the rest of the world — before leading its sale to a listed Japanese group in 2023. Today he continues that work as director of GL Insight, advising financial institutions, technology vendors and development organisations around the world.
Before building his own firm, Zennon spent years inside the institutions he now analyses. He was Global Banking Industry Manager for Intel, based in Shanghai, where he positioned and sold Intel architecture to financial firms worldwide. Earlier, a career at Citi across the US and Europe culminated in his role as CIO of Citigroup Portugal.
Much of his work today is in the field. Alongside global institutions and development organisations, Zennon advises on how digital payments and fintech can widen financial access across emerging markets — translating the technology, business and policy forces reshaping money into practical strategy for the people building it.
He has testified before the U.S. Congress on matters of China fintech, is the author of a Penguin-published history of Bitcoin in China, and is a regular voice in global financial media. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Syracuse University and an MBA from INSEAD — and, between flights, is a committed triathlete.
A selection of institutions served through research, consulting and advisory engagements.
Beyond the stage and the page, much of my work is hands-on — advising the institutions, investors and development organisations shaping how finance reaches people.
Working with development banks and global organisations on how digital payments and fintech can widen access to finance across emerging markets.
Independent research and market-entry strategy for the financial institutions and technology firms moving into new markets.
Helping leaders and regulators make sense of the technology, business and policy forces reshaping money worldwide.
How digital wallets, real-time rails and super-apps are rewiring money movement worldwide — and what each market is learning from the others.
From the digital euro and e-CNY to stablecoins and tokenised deposits: who's really winning the race to digital money, and why it matters.
A grounded, hype-free read on digital assets across global markets — built on the research behind my book on Bitcoin in China.
Where AI, embedded finance and new infrastructure are reshaping institutions — and the strategy that follows.
Quoted and interviewed across broadcast and print on global payments, digital currency and the future of money.
Television · Print · PodcastsTestified before the U.S. Congress on the state and trajectory of China's fintech sector.
U.S.–China Economic & Security Review CommissionAvailable worldwide for keynotes, panels, moderation, advisory engagements and media. Tell me about your event or project and our team will be in touch.
Published by Penguin, Chomping at the Bitcoin traces how China became the centre of the Bitcoin universe — from the mining farms and exchanges that once dominated the market to the regulatory crackdowns that reshaped it. It's a narrative built on years of on-the-ground research, written for anyone trying to understand how digital money and state power collide.
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