Dubai, UAE — Fintech & Digital Assets

Punit
Thakker

Serial fintech entrepreneur and strategic advisor. 20+ years building payments, digital banking and Web3 ventures across MENA, APAC and Europe - from PayPal India's founding team to running fintech, blockchain and digital assets for ASK Group today.

Portrait of Punit Thakker
$400M+ M&A advised
120+ fintech DD mandates
28 markets led
20+ yrs payments & Web3
6 buy-side acquisitions, MENA & Asia
15+ countries scaled
Founding team - PayPal India
Director - Checkout.com India
SVP & Founding Member - PayTabs
Exec Director, Fintech & Digital Assets - ASK Group
$400M+ M&A advised
120+ fintech DD mandates
28 markets led
20+ yrs payments & Web3
6 buy-side acquisitions, MENA & Asia
15+ countries scaled
Founding team - PayPal India
Director - Checkout.com India
SVP & Founding Member - PayTabs
Exec Director, Fintech & Digital Assets - ASK Group
Profile

Built inside the companies that built modern payments.

I've spent two decades on the inside of payments and digital finance - as a founding team member at PayPal India, an early director at Checkout.com, country leader at Telr, and a founding SVP at PayTabs through six acquisitions across the Middle East and Asia.

Today I split my time between building - as Executive Director of Fintech, Blockchain & Digital Assets at ASK Group, Managing Partner at Drongo Ventures, and Founder of Fracxn - and advising, as Senior Advisor for Financial Institutions at Kearney and a fintech M&A advisor to EBRD.

My work sits at the intersection of regulated payments, real-world asset tokenization and cross-border financial infrastructure - drafting licensing and AML frameworks with regulators like CBUAE, DIFC, ADGM, MAS and FINMA, and reviewing the smart contracts and custody architecture behind the funds and tokens they govern.

Based inDubai, UAE
CurrentlyExecutive Director, Fintech, Blockchain & Digital Assets - ASK Group
Also buildingDrongo Ventures · Fracxn
AdvisingKearney (FIG) · EBRD
EducationMBA, Finance & Strategy - JBIMS
B.E. Electrical & Electronics - Shah & Anchor Kutchhi
Expertise

Where I add the most value.

Six areas I return to across every mandate, from operator roles to advisory engagements.

Payments

Fintech & Payments Strategy

Processing, issuing, alternative payment methods and BNPL - from pricing strategy to full-stack GTM launches.

Digital Assets

Web3, Tokenization & Digital Banking

RWA tokenization, dual-token architecture, custodial and omnibus account design, smart contract and security review.

Infrastructure

Cross-Border & Domestic Payment Rails

Wallets, switches, soft POS and PSP infrastructure - including MENA's first closed-loop QR-based payment rail.

Deals

M&A, Fundraising & PE/VC Advisory

Buy-side and sell-side deal advisory, technology and financial due diligence, and negotiation through close.

Regulatory

Licensing & Compliance

Policy and legal opinion work with CBUAE, DIFC, ADGM, MAS, FINMA and MiCA - CMA, MSB, SPV and issuing/acquiring licenses.

Strategy

Management Consulting & GTM

Multi-country market entry, partnerships and commercial strategy, and embedded finance and lending infrastructure.

Track Record

Proven impact, across markets.

$0M+
M&A advised
0+
Fintech DD & acquisition mandates
0
Countries led teams across
0+
FTEs led at peak
Career trajectory - operator to founder to advisor

Led RWA tokenization launch in Japan, building the fund structure end to end on an SGD stablecoin - drafting policy, reviewing smart contracts and AML frameworks, and running tech due diligence for MAS compliance.

Advised Kearney and MBB groups on stablecoin procedures and cross-border remittance design, consulting 15+ companies across the UK, Europe, UAE, Geneva and USA.

Fintech advisor and subject matter expert to top VCs, CBUAE, DIFC and ADGM, drafting licenses and legal opinions for companies including PayMob, Checkout.com and OKX.

Financial advisor with EBRD and Kearney on digital wealth and portfolio management transformation, and buy-side deal advisory on Paymob's equity financing through EBRD.

Executed six buy-side acquisitions for PayTabs across UAE, KSA, Turkey, Oman, India and Jordan - spanning switch, processor, PSP, wallet, social commerce and SaaS targets.

Built MENA's first closed-loop QR-based payment rail and led real estate tokenization and funds technology implementation across Europe under MiCA, FINMA and Cayman structures.

Experience

Two decades, four tracks.

Entrepreneurial

2026 -
Executive Director
ASK Group - Fintech, Blockchain & Digital Assets
2025 -
Managing Partner
Drongo Ventures
2024 -
Founder
Fracxn
2021 - 22
Founder & CEO (exit)
Finvault

Corporate

2017 - 21
SVP & Founding Member
PayTabs
2015 - 16
India Country Leader
Telr
2013 - 15
Director, India
Checkout.com
2012 - 13
Founding Team
PayPal India

Consulting

2025 -
Senior Advisor, FIG
Kearney
2024 -
Fintech Advisory, M&A
EBRD

Advisory

Advisor
Abu Dhabi SME Hub
Fintech & Payments Advisor
GLG
Select Advisory
Infoquest
Advisor
PE/VC funds & banking groups
Reach

Where I work.

UAE KSA GCC Bahrain India SEA APAC EU US UK Africa Japan