Considered one of the fastest growing financial markets across the globe, Asia as a geographic region is quite diverse; from the sophisticated markets of Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo to emerging economies such as Vietnam and Indonesia. Until relatively recently, growth in the volume of financial transactions was constrained by the physical burden of paper-based transactions and the incapacity to communicate information quickly and efficiently. However, once information was reduced to electronic form, large amounts of financial information as well as value is now processed and transferred across markets in real time. Financial institutions in Asia are rapidly increasing their use of technology to streamline operations, expand trading activities, improve service and minimize risks.

Issues such as cross border transactions, alternative trading platforms, prevalence of algorithms and the increase in trading volumes fuelled primarily by individual investors are wide ranging and affect each economy differently. According to experts, the current remarkable growth in the Asian financial markets is certain to continue; and are expected to play a further important role in the world capital markets for investment and risk management.