{"id":"samson-leo","title":"Samson Leo","content":"**Samson Leo** is a Singapore-based legal and fintech executive known as a co-founder of the financial technology firm Xfers and the Chief Legal Officer of Fazz and the Chief Legal Officer and Co-founder of [StraitsX](https://iq.wiki/wiki/straitsx). [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-7THULbqDmn)  [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-hBfwhA3A9H)\n\n## Education\n\nSamson Leo obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the National University of Singapore, where he studied from 2007 to 2011.  [\\[10\\]](#cite-id-158XRF6n02)\n\n## Career\n\nSamson Leo began his career in corporate law at WongPartnership LLP, specializing in debt capital markets and financial services regulation, where he worked on projects including a US$2 billion medium-term note programme and the restructuring of regulated subsidiaries for a French-listed financial group in Singapore. Transitioning into fintech, he co-founded Xfers in 2014, which participated in the Y Combinator accelerator program. As co-founder and Chief Legal Officer, Leo led regulatory compliance efforts, helping Xfers secure key approvals from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), including the first fully digital Widely Accepted Stored Value Facility (WASVF) and a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence. He also oversaw the launch of the XSGD stablecoin under the [StraitsX](https://iq.wiki/wiki/straitsx) brand.\n\nIn 2020, Leo guided Xfers through a merger with Payfazz to form FAZZ Financial Group, becoming the Chief Legal Officer for the combined entity, which operates as the parent company of [StraitsX](https://iq.wiki/wiki/straitsx). Under his leadership, FAZZ expanded its regulated financial services across Southeast Asia and successfully raised USD $100 million in a Series C funding round in 2022 from investors including Tiger Global, MUFG, EDBI, BCapital, and Insignia.  [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-hBfwhA3A9H) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-TD4jgjvinX) [\\[10\\]](#cite-id-158XRF6n02)","summary":"Samson Leo is the Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer of StraitsX and Xfers, now serving as CLO at Fazz. A key figure in Singapore's fintech scene, he led the launch of the XSGD stablecoin and secured major regulatory licenses from the MAS.","images":[{"id":"QmVwbxK26uq1AVrk5xY2thsLYGsRdBEpyWw57BXWynY1S5","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"Founders"},{"id":"Organizations"},{"id":"Stablecoins"},{"id":"Regulations"}],"media":[],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"hBfwhA3A9H\",\"url\":\"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo\",\"description\":\"LexisNexis 40 UNDER 40 profile for Samson Leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037685},{\"id\":\"7THULbqDmn\",\"description\":\"StraitsX: Meet The Team\",\"timestamp\":1762175215649,\"url\":\"https://www.straitsx.com/about\"},{\"id\":\"TD4jgjvinX\",\"url\":\"https://www.pointzeroforum.com/speakers/spkr3355-samson-leo\",\"description\":\"Point Zero Forum speaker biography\",\"timestamp\":1762174037685},{\"id\":\"d3dC0kwT1M\",\"url\":\"https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/stablecoin-podcast/episodes/Samson-Leo-on-How-Stablecoins-Power-Frictionless-Payments-Across-Southeast-Asia--StraitsX-e36lptv\",\"description\":\"The Stablecoin Podcast episode featuring Samson Leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037685},{\"id\":\"event-co-founded-xfers-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037976},{\"id\":\"event-led-merger-to-form-fazz-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037976},{\"id\":\"event-led-$100m-series-c-funding-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037976},{\"id\":\"event-lexisnexis-40-under-40-honoree-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037976},{\"id\":\"event-speaker-at-point-zero-forum-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.pointzeroforum.com/speakers/spkr3355-samson-leo\",\"timestamp\":1762174037976},{\"id\":\"158XRF6n02\",\"description\":\"LinkedIn: Samson Leo\",\"timestamp\":1762175325379,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsonleosg/\"}]"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsonleosg/"},{"id":"website","value":"https://www.straitsx.com/"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"\"https://ipfs.everipedia.org/ipfs/QmbioMb4y9zqZRmBSpUu1nCqUsiPGyvWY5c1Xr8FKi3ZF4\""},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Update profile: Add Samson Leo's role as co-founder of StraitsX and link to the page.\""},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmbioMb4y9zqZRmBSpUu1nCqUsiPGyvWY5c1Xr8FKi3ZF4"}],"events":[{"id":"ba02f11e-5f97-4716-b819-8f8d0d025b38","date":"2015-01","title":"Co-founded Xfers","type":"CREATED","description":"Co-founded the fintech firm Xfers, which later participated in the YCombinator accelerator program and grew into a significant financial industry player.","link":"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"5b6407a3-b71a-4918-95dd-93b980f0dab1","date":"2020-01","title":"Led Merger to Form Fazz","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Led the merger of Xfers to form the Fazz Financial Group, where he continued his role as Chief Legal Officer for the newly formed entity.","link":"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"5cbcf23d-22c3-47d1-8b2e-b435d4a88020","date":"2022-01","title":"Led $100M Series C Funding","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Led a successful Series C fundraising round for Fazz, securing USD $100 million from investors including Tiger Global, MUFG, and EDBI.","link":"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"201154ad-b0df-4867-b0f2-430a97b253cf","date":"2023-01","title":"LexisNexis 40 UNDER 40 Honoree","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Recognized in the LexisNexis® 40 UNDER 40 list for his contributions to the legal and fintech industries in Singapore.","link":"https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-sg/news-and-insights/40u40/2023/samson-leo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"07b72419-dbe0-45de-b648-0bd5f09da4fa","date":"2024-07","title":"Speaker at Point Zero Forum","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Spoke at the Point Zero Forum in a workshop on digital assets and payments, focusing on Purpose Bound Money.","link":"https://www.pointzeroforum.com/speakers/spkr3355-samson-leo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0x4a2bC97afBF41a2Cbf4b4628F63420682Ff4CF2a"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":["straitsx"],"speakers":[]}}