At the FM Singapore Summit 2026 in Singapore, an intriguing interviewfocused maintained that modern traders are becoming more self-directed, morediversified and less willing to tolerate fragmented trading experiences,forcing brokers to compete on usability as much as pricing. The discussion at theCraft Stage featured Edmund Lee, Growth Manager for Singapore at TradingView,and Kenny Wan, Head of Sales at Penguin Securities, according to event andcompany information.Article DraftRetail trading in Asia is becoming broader, faster and moredeliberate, with investors increasingly moving across asset classes anddemanding smoother trading journeys from analysis to execution, speakers saidat the FM Singapore Summit 2026 in Singapore.During a Craft Stage panel titled “Key Trends Shaping ModernTrading Behavior,” Edmund Lee of TradingView and Kenny Wan of PenguinSecurities argued that the retail investor of 2026 looks very different fromthe one brokers served a decade ago. Rather than chasing a single market,today’s users are arriving with more information, stronger views and a clearersense of how they want to allocate risk, they said.Lee opened with platform data showing steady growth intrading interest across regions, citing global user growth of about 10%, ASEANgrowth of 15% and Singapore growth of 19%. Momentum in Southeast AsiaHe said the figures point to particularly strong momentum inSoutheast Asia, where trading participation is rising alongside userexpectations for speed, personalization, community features and seamless accessacross devices and services.Read more: “Stablecoins Are like Sending an Email and Fiat Is like Sending a Letter in the Post”: FM Singapore 2026 HighlightsWan said that picture matched what Penguin Securities isseeing among clients in the region. “These clients are actually quitewell-versed and they know what they want to invest in,” he said, adding thatmany now do their own research before committing capital to equities, bonds,crypto, gold and other instruments.A central theme of the session was the rise of themulti-asset trader. Lee said platforms are evolving into multi-asset ecosystemsas global players bring together CFDs, equities, crypto and futures, while Wansaid diversification has become a defining behavior rather than a secondaryconsideration.Rise of the Multi-Asset Trader“I think the story really is about diversification and notjust focus on one asset class,” Wan said. He contrasted that with the moreconcentrated habits of earlier retail cohorts, arguing that younger and moremarket-aware investors now respond to macro events, rate decisions andgeopolitical tension by shifting across products rather than staying anchoredto equities alone.Commodities emerged as one of the clearest examples of thatshift. Lee cited data showing Singapore posting 55% growth in commoditiestrading, while Wan said clients were using instruments such as gold and oilboth as defensive hedges and as speculative trades.Wan offered one of the panel’s more memorable anecdotes whenhe described people in Singapore queueing at banks and bullion dealers to buygold, a sign, he suggested, that commodities have moved further into the retailmainstream. “People are actually buying gold for speculative purposes,” hesaid, arguing that the asset class remains relevant whenever geopoliticalstress pushes investors to rethink risk.More from the event: “For Founders, Singapore Is Less a Destination and More a Launchpad”: Lessons from FM Singapore Summit 2026The panel also highlighted how trading preferences arewidening beyond traditional equities. Lee said gold and Bitcoin rankedconsistently among top-traded symbols across regions, while Singapore showed amore mixed profile that also included names such as Nvidia, suggesting tradersare blending macro, thematic and speculative exposures in the same portfolio.Consensus on User ExperienceIf there was one point of strongest agreement, it was onuser experience. Lee pointed to growth in broker connectivity, including a 49%increase globally and 31% in ASEAN, as evidence that traders want to movedirectly from charting and research to execution without leaving the platform.Wan said that demand is changing the basis of competition inbrokerage. “Right now people talk about user experience about the connectivityitself more so than spread and pricing,” he said, arguing that investorsincreasingly value the ability to monitor multiple asset classes in oneportfolio view instead of switching between several platforms.The discussion suggested that brokers and fintech firms inAsia are facing a more complex customer than before: one that is informed,diversified and impatient with friction. For firms hoping to stay relevant, themessage from the panel was that access alone is no longer enough; platformsmust also deliver context, convenience and a unified trading experience.This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.