Technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain are revolutionizing business, governance, and daily life. Despite the growth of fintech startups, their impact is still limited compared to the global presence of established financial institutions. This is because scaling requires more than just innovation.

A new model has emerged: collaboration, where interconnectedness is key. The introduction of disruptive technologies relies on creating dynamic, integrated ecosystems through partnerships driven by collaboration.

The criteria for success are evolving. Launching a unique product is no longer enough. In fields like blockchain and virtual assets, standalone solutions often miss the mark. True success is achieved by joining larger ecosystems, allowing startups, institutions, and regulators to combine their efforts to boost adoption, scale rapidly, and build market trust.

The case for a networked mindset

Innovation flourishes when diverse entities collaborate, and integrated ecosystems magnify this effect. To expand the reach of disruptive technologies such as blockchain and AI, entrepreneurs must work collaboratively, developing solutions with regulators, sharing resources with competitors, and fostering trust with institutions.

No business can grow alone. Partners, be they distribution channels, liquidity providers, or trusted institutions, are essential for moving from concept to widespread adoption. Organizations that involve regulators and institutions early on gain a substantial advantage. By co-developing with lawmakers and adhering to market standards, entrepreneurs not only speed up the approval process but also establish themselves as trust builders, which is vital in industries where credibility is paramount.

Leverage networks, not just capital

In the past, financial institutions competed fiercely against one another. However, virtual assets operate on different principles: Technologies such as blockchain rely on shared standards and infrastructure. Tokenized securities, for instance, need common systems for custody, compliance, and settlement. In this context, the focus should be on smarter collaboration rather than intense competition. Successful entrepreneurs are those who recognize that the future of finance, and business in general, must be constructed together.

In my own experience, even something as complex as obtaining a regulatory license, a process that can take years, can be dramatically accelerated by partnering with specialists. With the right expertise and network, what could take years can be streamlined into months, proving that collaboration isn’t just valuable, but also transformative.

Think like an industry builder

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once said, “Move fast and break things.” The motto encouraged agility and captured the spirit of disruption: Launch first, ask questions later. But what may have worked in the early days of social media is far less sustainable in industries where the stakes are higher. Today’s technologies involve finance and governance, and they challenge systems that have remained unchanged for decades. In these spaces, collaboration becomes essential. Entrepreneurs who want to build with lasting impact must align with regulators, institutions and even competitors to create trusted, scalable and resilient systems.

Research shows that companies engaged in close inter-firm partnerships experience significantly stronger outcomes in innovation. When JPMorgan wanted to test the tokenization of investment portfolios, it didn’t do it alone. It partnered with Apollo, Axelar, Oasis Pro and Provenance Blockchain as part of Singapore’s Project Guardian. The result was Crescendo, a prototype that proved tokenized assets could be managed seamlessly across blockchains. Examples like Project Guardian prove that when multiple players align, entire markets move forward. To make collaboration scalable, industries need permanent frameworks, a principle first captured in Henry Chesbrough’s concept of “open innovation.”

The chamber model

The concept of “open innovation,” coined by Henry Chesbrough of UC Berkeley, argued that companies should not solely rely on internal R&D but instead share ideas, technologies and resources across boundaries. In finance and virtual assets, this principle is evolving into structured collaboration.

Regulatory sandboxes in the UK and Singapore have already shown how powerful these models can be: Startups involved were more likely to raise funding and survive long term. But sandboxes are temporary. What industries need now are permanent, neutral structures that turn collaboration into a repeatable advantage.

Just as chambers of commerce once accelerated global trade, new chambers in finance and virtual assets are emerging as convening spaces where startups, regulators and institutions align on shared standards. These platforms have already supported multibillion-dollar projects, such as gold-backed securities, by bringing issuers, regulators and institutional investors under a common framework.

For emerging platforms, joining a chamber provides more than credibility; it creates immediate access to capital allocators, regulatory advisors and tokenization partners. As these chambers interconnect globally, they form a unified voice capable of shaping international policy, driving market confidence and speeding adoption worldwide.

Finance has always been global, and so has collaboration. Chambers give entrepreneurs a seat at the same table as regulators and institutions. In a market defined by speed and credibility, those who embrace collaboration not as a concession but as a growth strategy will be the ones who shape the future of finance.