TRM Labs appoints former MAS official Ziqing Ang as APAC policy head

TRM Labs announced the hiring of Ziqing Ang, a former senior official at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), as its Head of Policy for the Asia‑Pacific region. Ang will engage with regulators, law‑enforcement agencies and private institutions to shape policy responses to illicit financial activity involving digital assets and artificial intelligence.

Background and experience

Ang spent over eight years at MAS, working on financial‑markets development, reserve management and macro‑economic research. After leaving the regulator she held senior roles at Sygnum, the world’s first regulated digital‑asset bank, and at Bright Point International Digital Assets, part of BPI Financial Group, where she led over‑the‑counter brokerage operations.

TRM Labs’ focus on crypto crime

The firm’s intelligence platform recorded a rise in adjusted crypto‑crime volume from roughly $123 million in 2020 to more than $103 billion in 2025. Investment scams, especially “pig‑butchering” schemes, represented 62 % of fraud inflows last year, while AI‑enabled scam activity grew 40 %.

Regulatory context in the region

Ang’s appointment comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny in Singapore and across APAC. MAS has recently revoked licenses for non‑compliant firms and maintains an Investor Alert List that includes exchanges such as Bybit and Hyperliquid. Authorities are also targeting large‑scale scam compounds in Southeast Asia, where cryptocurrency is used to move illicit proceeds.

Team expansion

TRM Labs is bolstering its regional capabilities, having hired former MAS regulator Claudia Hui as Head of Compliance Advisory for APAC the month before Ang’s arrival. The company says the expanded team will support responsible innovation as governments develop digital‑asset and AI regulations.

Quotes

TRM Labs’ global head of policy, Ari Redbord, said Ang’s blend of public‑ and private‑sector experience will help bridge regulators and industry. Ang added that the next few years are critical for shaping safe ecosystems for both AI and digital assets in the Asia‑Pacific.