AI is evolving from static question-and-answer systems to dynamic agents capable of reasoning, learning, and making decisions in real time. These intelligent systems rely on vast amounts of data to function, but the real challenge lies not in building the AI itself, but in ensuring that the data feeding it is clean, accurate, and accessible.

In this episode of ATP, Shanmuga Muniandy, Director of Architecture & Chief Evangelist, APAC at Denodo, argues that most AI failures are really data failures: stale copies, siloed systems, and patchwork security.

Some of the topics that Shan covered in detail included:

• Agentic AI chains reasoning steps, maintains context, calls tools/APIs, and makes decisions toward a goal.
• To get accurate agent behavior, data must be complete, clean, contextual, and timely.
• Real-time decisions require live context, which requires real-time access to data.
• Business leaders should not need to hunt tables or beg IT for extracts. Self-service data unlocks velocity. It also gives agents stable, well-defined inputs aligned to outcomes.
• Ethics and regulation should be part of the architecture that drives Agentic AI.

Artificial intelligence and blockchain are no longer separate innovations. They are beginning to merge, creating systems that are both intelligent and trustworthy. AI brings automation, reasoning, and decision-making, while blockchain provides transparency, provenance, and security.

On this episode of ATP, Qin En Looi⁠, a Partner at Onigiri Capital & Saison Capital and Ganesh Kompella, a Founding Partner at Tykhe Ventures, highlight that this moment is different because of a shift in mindset and infrastructure.

Some of the topics Qin En and Ganesh covered in detail:

• Together, AI and blockchain unlock 'decentralized intelligence'.
• The AI and blockchain ecosystem has matured with stronger infrastructure, institutional adoption, and broad developer access.
• Clear, supportive regulation is shifting from hindering innovation to driving it.
• While core AI infrastructure may remain centered in the West, Asia’s talent and scale position it to lead in applied AI and blockchain use cases.
• DeFi will not replace traditional banks but will serve as their middleware, enabling faster, more transparent, and programmable financial services.

The global financial system is entering a period of profound change driven by the convergence of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and decentralized infrastructure. At the center of this transformation is tokenization, which converts real-world assets into programmable digital representations that can move seamlessly across modern, borderless rails.

In this episode, Nikhil Joshi, Chief Operating Officer at EMURGO, explores how the convergence of blockchain, AI, and decentralized finance is reshaping global markets.

Some of the topics Nikhil covered in detail:

• Anything can be tokenized, but not everything should be tokenized.
• Stablecoins are the bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance.
• Agentic AI combined with programmable money can lead to automated treasury functionality.
• Institutional adoption is real, growing and nuanced.
• Interoperability is essential with payments and settlement rails first, then lending/borrowing, eventually hedging and structured products.