This bold pilot model positions the Ho Chi Minh City International Financial Center (IFC) as a policy platform, while technology enterprises and financial institutions act as the engine driving innovation and the development of concrete financial products and services. The goal is to attract international capital flows and create a favorable, appealing investment environment for foreign investors.
To gain deeper insights, SGGP Newspaper had a talk with Co-founder and Director Tony Tran of On-chain Economic Research at On-chain Academy, one of the seven founding members of the GOE Alliance. He emphasized that as Ho Chi Minh City advances through five strategic development pillars, establishing the IFC is identified as a breakthrough spearhead.
The IFC is expected to absorb major global capital inflows. However, Vietnam must build robust infrastructure and resources to receive these flows and generate valuable products and services which was the rationale behind forming the alliance.
The seven founding members include Viettel Digital Services (Vietnam’s leading digital infrastructure provider); Dragon Capital (Vietnam’s top fund management institution); Tether (the world’s largest stablecoin issuer); Ava Labs (a high-performance blockchain platform); Sky Mavis (a blockchain gaming unicorn); Republic (a leading U.S. digital asset advisory firm); and On-chain Academy (a regional leader in On-chain economic knowledge creation).
Vietnam is increasingly recognized as a promising market for digital assets and blockchain, with advantages such as homegrown blockchain unicorns, a large pool of highly skilled talent, and progressively open and refined policies. The country currently has about 400,000 software developers, with 50,000 new IT engineers graduating annually.
Legal frameworks are also being strengthened, including the Digital Industry Law, Government Resolution No. 05/2025/NQ-CP on piloting a digital asset market, and National Assembly Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 on establishing an International Financial Center in Vietnam. These developments explain why global institutions such as Tether and Republic eagerly joined the alliance from the outset, with plans to expand membership from 2026 onward.
Alliance activities will be structured around five pillars: education, policy, technology infrastructure, application and economic model development, and global product introduction. From these pillars, specific short- and long-term actions are being defined. For example, under education, training programs aim to produce 10,000 business leaders with On-chain economic knowledge by 2030. Engineers will also be trained to understand both technology and economics, enabling the creation of valuable economic models.
In policy, the alliance seeks to contribute to a standardized legal framework for On-chain economics by 2030, encouraging deeper participation. In applications, the target is to launch 20–50 major global products by 2030. Members also envision an annual IFC On-chain Summit hosted at the IFC in Ho Chi Minh City to showcase achievements to the world.
On-chain Academy will focus on three areas including education, policy advocacy, and global connectivity. Members recognize the immense opportunity before them, and despite the pressure, are committed to building an action-oriented alliance. Collaboration will be key to fulfilling the core mission of realizing the philosophy: “Domestic strength as the foundation, external resources as the wings.” The alliance has also received strong support from central and municipal leadership.
While the IFC concept has existed globally for over a century, the new dimension today lies in digital products. Without the traditional infrastructure advantages of long-established centers, Vietnam must leverage its strengths in the digital and On-chain economy. Success will depend on building suitable On-chain economic models to attract investors.
Globally, 2025 is seen as the year of regulatory formation for digital assets, with countries like the U.S., Singapore, and Dubai introducing laws and regulations. Even the U.S. is aiming to become a global On-chain economic hub. Vietnam’s entry into this arena at this moment can be described as “right time, right place, right people.”
Of course, the IFC will encompass many other financial sectors to attract international capital, but digital asset development will be one of the key highlights Vietnam must prioritize.
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