Whampoa
Whampoa Group is a Singapore-based privately held investment group operating Singapore Gulf Bank, a licensed digital bank in Bahrain with stablecoin interoperability, and Whampoa Digital, a Web3 venture fund. It serves global institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth clients across the Asia-MENA corridor.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Whampoa does
Whampoa Group is a privately held Singapore-based investment group founded by Amy Lee and Lee Han Shih, both linked to the Lee family that co-founded OCBC and Lee Rubber Group. The group operates across two principal arms: Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed digital bank in Bahrain established in 2024 with a rare Golden Licence making it one of only two foreign-owned full banks in Bahrain, and Whampoa Digital, a venture capital fund deploying approximately $100 million into Web3 and digital asset startups. The group has built an investment portfolio of approximately 200 companies over the past decade, including ByteDance and Binance-affiliated funds, and in 2026 co-led PaXini Tech's Series B exceeding RMB 1 billion.
SGB serves corporate clients, high-net-worth individuals, and global institutions seeking differentiated digital banking across the Asia-MENA corridor. Its core product suite includes the SGB Net proprietary settlement network, which claims to be the first bank-operated network in the GCC and Asia delivering full fiat-to-stablecoin interoperability across Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Solana, enabling real-time minting, conversion, holding, and transfer of stablecoins with near real-time settlement. In 2025, SGB recorded US$4 billion in deposits and US$12 billion in transaction volume, with US$6 billion cleared through SGB Net's own rails. In April 2026, SGB extended its product surface with a stablecoin minting and redemption service (initially USDC on Solana, with USDT, USDe, and USDG planned), temporarily waiving gas and banking fees to drive adoption.
The group's monetization mix combines investment management returns from its portfolio and venture fund with fee-generating banking, custody, settlement, and stablecoin services at SGB. Distribution relies on remote digital onboarding accessible globally, sovereign and regulatory endorsements from Mumtalakat and the Central Bank of Bahrain, and participation in regional events such as Gateway Gulf and Singapore FinTech Festival. Whampoa has aggressively built institutional credibility through leadership hires from JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Sygnum, positioning the group as a regulated bridge between traditional finance and the digital asset economy.
Whampoa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whampoa
- Legal name
- Whampoa Group
- Website
- https://whampoagroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Whampoa Group is a Singapore-based privately held investment group operating Singapore Gulf Bank, a licensed digital bank in Bahrain with stablecoin interoperability, and Whampoa Digital, a Web3 venture fund. It serves global institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth clients across the Asia-MENA corridor.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whampoa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Banking Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Other Holding Companies (551112), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Account & Balance Services (Operating accounts, statements, eBAM) (FSABAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- B2B Crypto Payouts, Mass Payments & Treasury Disbursements (FSADAIAF), Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory (FSAEAAAN)
Keywords
Where Whampoa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Whampoa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Management: Whampoa Group generates returns through its investment portfolio of approximately 200 companies across various sectors including technology firms like ByteDance and crypto-related investments. The group invests through venture capital funds targeting digital assets and Web3 startups.
- Digital Banking Services (SGB): Singapore Gulf Bank generates revenue through corporate banking services, digital asset management, real-time settlement services, custody solutions, and trading connectivity for institutional clients. The bank serves cross-border commerce between Asia and the Gulf region.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Whampoa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whampoa Group is a privately held Singapore investment group whose core commercial activity centers on operating Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed digital bank in Bahrain offering corporate banking, digital-asset custody, real-time settlement through its proprietary SGB Net network, and stablecoin minting and redemption services that bridge Asian and MENA financial flows. The group also runs Whampoa Digital, a venture capital arm deploying approximately US$100 million into Web3 and digital-asset startups, and holds a broader portfolio of roughly 200 companies spanning high-growth technology and crypto-related investments.
Product overview
Whampoa Group is a privately held investment group headquartered in Singapore with a portfolio focused on digital banking, digital assets, and high-growth technology investments. The group's flagship financial services offering is Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed digital bank in Bahrain that provides corporate banking services, digital asset management, and real-time settlement capabilities to serve capital and trade flows between Asia and the Gulf region. SGB's product suite includes its proprietary SGB Net settlement network and a stablecoin minting/redemption service supporting USDC and USDT across multiple blockchain networks. Whampoa Digital serves as the group's venture capital arm for digital assets and Web3 investments. The group also holds strategic investments in portfolio companies including PaXini Tech (a haptic technology company) and has invested in ByteDance and Binance-affiliated funds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Whampoa Digital: The group's digital assets investment arm that invests in and incubates early stage startups in Web3
Products and services
- Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB) Corporate Banking Services A fully licensed digital bank headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, established in 2024 by Whampoa Group with support from Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat. Provides corporate banking services (accounts, payments, custody, asset management) for global investors, innovators, and institutions, acting as a bridge between Asia and the MENA region and processing over US$4 billion in deposits and US$12 billion in transaction volume in 2025.
- SGB Net Settlement Network The first bank-operated settlement network in the GCC and Asia delivering full interoperability between fiat and stablecoins, enabling real-time, multi-currency clearing that includes minting, converting, holding, and transferring stablecoins such as USDC and USDT across Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Solana with near real-time settlement for institutional users.
- Stablecoin Minting and Redemption Service A fiat-to-stablecoin and stablecoin-to-fiat conversion service offered by Singapore Gulf Bank to corporate and high-net-worth clients, supporting regulated stablecoins (initially USDC on Solana, with USDT, USDe, and USDG planned) and integrating minting and redemption directly into the bank's account infrastructure.
- Whampoa Digital Venture Capital Fund The group's venture capital arm that invests in and incubates early-stage Web3, blockchain, and digital-asset startups using equity and token instruments, with planned deployment of approximately US$100 million and a longer-dated portfolio of approximately 200 companies including ByteDance and Binance-affiliated funds.
Quantifiable outcome
- US$4 billion in deposits and US$12 billion in transaction volume recorded in 2025
Companies that use Whampoa
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whampoa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Whampoa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Bahrain Economic Development BoardcoreBahrain EDB participates in Singapore FinTech Festival to showcase Bahrain as a regional hub for financial services and fintech innovation. SGB is highlighted as a fully digital bank backed by Whampoa Group, leveraging Bahrain's clear regulatory environment including progressive fintech regulations for crypto assets, stablecoin, and open banking.
- Central Bank of BahraincoreThe Central Bank of Bahrain granted SGB its banking licence, making Bahrain the first in the region to allow offshore onboarding of banking clients. Governor H.E. Khalid Humaidan commented that SGB's launch demonstrates Bahrain's commitment to fostering innovation in financial services while upholding the highest regulatory standards.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Whampoa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nuvei: Global payments technology company providing merchant acquiring, real-time settlement, and digital-asset payment infrastructure. Comparable in combining traditional payments with stablecoin and digital-asset settlement capabilities relevant to SGB's cross-border thesis.
- Galaxy Digital: Large publicly listed digital-asset financial services and investment management platform spanning trading, asset management, and infrastructure. Comparable as a broader incumbent across digital-asset banking and trading, though much larger and more diversified than SGB.
Emerging players
- CoinShares: European digital asset investment and trading firm offering ETPs, asset management, and now regulated trading and custody infrastructure. Comparable investment-platform overlap with Whampoa's digital-assets VC and investment arm.
- Maple Finance: Institutional on-chain credit and treasury infrastructure platform serving digital-asset companies with lending and settlement services. Comparable at the intersection of digital-asset treasury and institutional banking.
Direct peers
- Anchorage Digital: U.S. federally chartered crypto-native bank offering custody, staking, and settlement for institutional digital-asset clients. Comparable in being one of the few fully regulated banks serving digital-asset companies with proprietary settlement rails.
- Falcon (formerly Falcon X): Institutional digital-asset prime brokerage providing custody, trading, and financing to institutions. Comparable to SGB's institutional focus on digital-asset custody, trading connectivity, and treasury services.
- Sygnum: Swiss-licensed digital asset banking group offering institutional crypto banking, custody, tokenization, and trading. Most direct comparable to SGB; notably SGB hired ex-Sygnum COO Elaine Leong, signaling direct talent and product overlap.
- HashKey Group: Hong Kong-headquartered digital asset financial group operating HashKey Bank and providing licensed trading, custody, and tokenization services across Asia. Comparable to SGB in combining a regulated banking license with proprietary on-chain and stablecoin infrastructure.
- BCB Group: UK-based crypto banking and payments provider serving institutional clients with fiat on/off-ramps, treasury, and settlement services. Comparable to SGB's stablecoin minting/redemption and cross-border digital-asset banking proposition.
Regional players
- Investcorp: Bahrain-headquartered global alternative investment firm with a long-standing GCC presence and Asia-MENA private equity franchise. Comparable as an Asia-MENA investment and wealth bridge operating out of Bahrain alongside SGB.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whampoa social profiles
Digital presenceWhampoa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whampoa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Whampoa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Whampoa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whampoa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whampoa
What does Whampoa do?
Whampoa Group is a privately held Singapore investment group whose core commercial activity centers on operating Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a fully licensed digital bank in Bahrain offering corporate banking, digital-asset custody, real-time settlement through its proprietary SGB Net network, and stablecoin minting and redemption services that bridge Asian and MENA financial flows. The group also runs Whampoa Digital, a venture capital arm deploying approximately US$100 million into Web3 and digital-asset startups, and holds a broader portfolio of roughly 200 companies spanning high-growth technology and crypto-related investments.
Is Whampoa a public or private company?
Whampoa is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Whampoa founded?
Whampoa was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Whampoa based?
Whampoa is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Whampoa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Management is the primary driver. The others are digital Banking Services (SGB).
Who are Whampoa's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nuvei and Galaxy Digital. Emerging players are CoinShares and Maple Finance. Direct peers are Anchorage Digital, Falcon (formerly Falcon X), Sygnum, HashKey Group and BCB Group. Investcorp is listed as a regional player.
Does Whampoa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whampoa.
What industry is Whampoa in?
Whampoa's product category is Digital Banking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAIAD, Account & Balance Services (Operating accounts, statements, eBAM), with a secondary code of FSADAIAF, B2B Crypto Payouts, Mass Payments & Treasury Disbursements. Its NAICS code is 551112 and its SIC code is 6199.