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Recently, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) hosted an engaging guest lecture on Token Crowdfunding (TCF) and digital fundraising by pitchIN (Malaysia’s leading regulated digital fundraising platform) on 9th December 2025.

Organised and coordinated by Ms Durrah Dhaniyah (Lecturer, School of Accounting and Finance at APU), the session was attended by 75 students from Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) with a specialism in Financial Technology, and Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) with a specialism in Investment Analytics.

The session was delivered by Mr Nicholas Chong, Vice President of Commercial and Product at pitchIN. 

Bridging Theory with Industry practice

Mr Nicholas began by explaining the fundamentals of distributed ledger technology (blockchain) and tokenisation, highlighting how ownership and economic value can be digitally represented through tokens.

He emphasised key features such as decentralisation, immutability, and transparency, which enhance trust, traceability, and efficiency in digital financial systems.

The discussion also highlighted how smart contracts automate transactions and enforce predefined rules without the need for intermediaries.

TCF Models, regulation, and Investor protection

The session then explored pitchIN’s TCF business model, detailing the end-to-end fundraising process from issuer onboarding and due diligence to token issuance, investor participation, and post-fundraising governance.

A key highlight was the discussion on Malaysia’s regulatory framework for digital assets, where Mr Nicholas explained how TCF is regulated under the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).

On top of that, he emphasised investor protection measures such as regulatory oversight, disclosure requirements, milestone-based fund disbursement, and compliance standards.

Students were also made aware of the risks associated with digital token investments, including project failure, misinformation, scams, and technical vulnerabilities.

Real-World applications

To conclude, Mr Nicholas showcased emerging real-world applications of tokenisation, including membership-based models, asset ownership, private market services, and Web3-enabled fundraising.

These examples demonstrated how tokenisation is increasingly moving beyond experimentation into regulated and commercially viable use cases, enhancing access, transparency, and efficiency across financial markets.

Student Perspectives

Students expressed strong appreciation for the practical insights gained from the guest lecture:

1. Mariyam Zahva Mohamed, Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) with a specialism in Financial Technology: “Understanding how TCF works and why it is becoming increasingly important in the financial industry gave me valuable insight into digital innovation, offered a clearer view of how pitchIN operates in practice, and strengthened my overall understanding of the evolving financial landscape.”
2. Akma Khairunnisa Abdul Kabir, Bachelor in Banking and Finance (Hons) with a specialism in Financial Technology: “Seeing how industry practices translate classroom concepts into real-world applications broadened my perspective on the versatility of blockchain beyond finance and encouraged deeper reflection on how different elements of digital systems connect in practice.”
    

From Blockchain theory to Capital Market practice

The guest lecture significantly deepened students’ understanding of how blockchain and tokenisation are reshaping capital raising and investor participation.

By linking theoretical learning with current industry practices, the session strengthened students’ readiness for careers in financial technology, digital finance, and capital markets.

Overall, the guest lecture by pitchIN reaffirmed APU’s commitment to experiential learning and strong industry collaboration, equipping students with practical insights into Malaysia’s evolving digital finance landscape.