# Delane Foo > Delane Foo is a tech exec in blockchain and DeFi, leading APAC operations at Nethermind since 2024. - Canonical URL: https://iq.wiki/wiki/delane-foo - Categories: People in crypto - Tags: Ethereum, Developer, Founder, Speaker - Created: 2026-08-06T16:08:10.743Z - Last updated: 2026-08-06T16:22:02.064Z - Source: IQ.wiki — the world's largest blockchain and crypto encyclopedia (https://iq.wiki) --- **Delane Foo** is a technology and business development executive focused on [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), emerging technologies, and design innovation. She is currently Regional Managing Director at Nethermind, where she leads the firm’s APAC operations. [\[2\]](#cite-id-lwELJDwvrZagBF1L) ## Education Foo received her BA in Industrial Design from the National University of Singapore. [\[1\]](#cite-id-6t7p2qPzMxUzZDkn) ## Career Foo began her career as Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of Novelsys from 2014 to 2016, where she worked on wireless charging technology and developed the Ampere wireless charging phone sleeve. From 2015 to 2018, she was Director of Singapore at Kairos ASEAN, where she supported the organization’s regional expansion and developed entrepreneurship programs. She then joined the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre as a Design Innovation Facilitator and Design Engineer from 2017 to 2019, working on projects involving 3D printing, mixed reality, fintech, and design education. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Curator of KPMG Singapore’s Ignition Centre, where she worked with emerging technologies, facilitated design-thinking workshops, and developed technology partnerships. From 2021 to 2022, Foo worked as a Design Strategist at Johnson & Johnson, contributing to the development of a 3D-printing point-of-care facility for surgical planning. She subsequently joined Blocknative as APAC Business Development Lead from July 2022 to May 2024, where she developed partnerships across wallets, [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) protocols, searchers, and [validators](https://iq.wiki/wiki/validator) and launched MEVday Asia. In May 2024, she joined Nethermind as Regional Managing Director, overseeing its APAC presence and institutional relationships and working on projects involving [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), artificial intelligence, [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure, and [digital-asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets) applications with financial institutions. [\[3\]](#cite-id-C5agCWO5Uthb8odf) ## Panels ### Asian Communities in Motion At ETHAsia in April 2025, Foo participated in a panel with Bruce Xu of ETHPanda, QZ of Ethereum Singapore, and Quinn of ETHVietnam that examined the development of the Asian [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) ecosystem. The discussion covered differences in regional adoption, with Singapore described as a more established and internationally connected market, while Vietnam was characterized by rapid growth in developers and projects supported by education and government initiatives. Panelists discussed developments across Singapore, Vietnam, and China, including banking applications, gaming and [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) projects, and [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) and [zero-knowledge rollups](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zk-rollup), while also addressing language barriers, regulatory restrictions, and differences in local market conditions. They emphasized regional collaboration, education, hackathons, incubation programs, and ecosystem development as ways to support sustainable projects, with Foo discussing the role of engineering and infrastructure in contributing to the broader ecosystem. The panel concluded by emphasizing long-term development, high-quality technical work, and cooperation among regional [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) communities. [\[4\]](#cite-id-CeHscn6uGmxnG8HP) [YOUTUBE@VID](KkTAaQ4kZlY) ### AI & Blockchain In December 2025, Foo participated in a panel at the Singapore Fintech Festival with Fernando Vazquez of [Chainlink](https://iq.wiki/wiki/chainlink), [Gary Liu](https://iq.wiki/wiki/gary-liu) of [Terminal 3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/terminal-3), and Wee Howe Ang of Tokka Labs, discussing the intersection of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), artificial intelligence, and institutional finance. The panel examined the development of AI in financial services, from early automated advisory systems to more advanced [AI agents](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ai-agents) supported by [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure and reliable data, while addressing the importance of compliance and privacy. The panelists discussed [blockchain’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) role in providing immutability, verifiability, transparency, and auditability for AI systems, including mechanisms for establishing data ownership, lineage, identity, and delegated authority. They also examined security risks associated with autonomous [AI agents](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ai-agents), including potential breaches, prompt injection attacks, and misuse across high-volume financial and procurement systems. The discussion concluded with potential applications of AI in areas such as trading and compliance, alongside the need for stronger security frameworks, regulatory adaptation, and governance mechanisms to manage the risks associated with increasingly autonomous systems. [\[5\]](#cite-id-yuqp5tNgLPZAhTq1) [YOUTUBE@VID](y3dxn9zDU9c)