Banking & Fintech.
Visa Sees Stablecoin Card Payments Grow Nearly 200%
Visa reported a significant increase in stablecoin-linked card payments, with business and commercial programmes making up 17% of volumes this fiscal year.
OCBC boosts 365 card cashback to 6%, simplifies tiers
Singapore's OCBC will raise cashback rates for everyday spending categories like dining and groceries from 1 November 2026, standardising its minimum spend requirement.
Fiserv Partners Trulioo for Global Business Verification
The collaboration aims to streamline client onboarding and underwriting processes, reducing manual effort and ensuring consistent risk decisions across diverse markets.
Kazakhstan fintech shifts to BaaS, AI, digital assets
Incumbent banks now lead consumer finance, but the sector focuses on infrastructure, with over 50 regulated digital asset providers operating under new May 2026 rules.
India UPI Transactions Dip 1.8% in September Amid MDR Rollout
The National Payments Corporation of India reported 24.07 billion transactions last month, a slight fall from August, as a new fee structure for merchants takes effect on October 15.
Asian Embedded Finance: Platforms Buy Banks, Fintechs Seek Licences
A recent webinar highlighted how digital platforms are acquiring banking capabilities, while fintechs are pursuing their own licences, redefining competitive advantage across the region.
Wise Launches Multi-Currency Account, Card in Thailand
Wise has introduced its multi-currency account and debit card for Thai users, facilitating payments and currency conversion for over 40 denominations. The service integrates with PromptPay and regional QR networks.
Pine Labs, Google Cloud Build AI Commerce for Indian Merchants
The collaboration uses Google Cloud’s Gemini technology to develop agentic infrastructure for merchant discovery, marketing, operations, and payments across India.
EBANX Targets Pakistan for Digital Payment Expansion by Mid-2027
The payment processor will support local digital wallets and Pakistan's national instant payment system, following recent market entries across Southeast Asia and Türkiye.
Hong Leong Bank unveils ceramic invitation-only Visa card
The HLB opus is Southeast Asia's first ceramic credit card, leveraging zirconia for its exclusive design and targeting ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions AI Tool Doubles Dell's Fraud Capture
The Emailage Adaptive system, designed for real-time adaptation to evolving fraud schemes, also cut Dell's low-risk manual reviews by 83%.
Banking Circle expands OSL stablecoin payments with five currencies
Institutional clients of OSL Group can now use Australian, British, Hong Kong, Singapore, and US dollars for transactions, alongside existing euro support, through Banking Circle's infrastructure.
Singapore's dtcpay secures US$25M Series A, SBI Group invests
Fintech firm dtcpay has closed its Series A funding at US$25 million, with Japan's SBI Group joining the round. The company will expand its stablecoin payment offerings and merchant network.
Grab acquires Atome, lifts 2028 EBITDA target to US$1.7 billion
Singapore's Grab plans to pay US$1.49 billion for an initial 60% stake in consumer lender Atome, aiming to significantly boost its financial services segment by 2028.
MoMo, Saigontourist Travel forge digital payment alliance
The partnership will expand digital travel product distribution and payment options for Vietnamese travellers, including cross-border transactions in over 60 countries.
Ant International Unveils Nearly 100 AI Fintech Products
The new AI-native financial technology stack spans payments, foreign exchange, and treasury, with a global rollout planned for later in 2026 across its Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst, and Bettr platforms.
Singapore MAS Excludes Investment Scams from Shared Responsibility Framework
Singapore's financial regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), will not extend its Shared Responsibility Framework to investment scams. This decision comes as investment scams, which involve self-authorised transfers, recorded the highest financial losses in the first half of 2026.
India's RBI Cancels Five NBFC Operating Certificates in August
The Reserve Bank of India revoked operating certificates for five non-banking financial companies last month, preventing them from transacting business under the RBI Act of 1934.
DBS Launches Chromo, TravelLah! Cards for Young Singaporeans
DBS introduced new Chromo credit and TravelLah! debit cards, targeting younger Singaporean customers. These products offer tailored cashback and fee-free overseas spending features.
Grab to acquire 60% of Atome Financial for US$1.49 billion
The initial cash transaction, including US$260 million in growth capital, is expected to close by the third quarter of 2027, with full ownership planned two years later.
Ant International Secures Brazil Payment Licence
Ant International obtained a payment institution licence from Brazil's central bank. This approval expands its local and cross-border payment services in the country. The move deepens Ant International’s presence through its Antom platform.
Bank of Thailand to Mandate BNPL Licences by Q4 2026
The move aims to tighten oversight of online instalment lenders, with public consultation on the new framework scheduled by end-September.
Alipay+, S&P Global: Consumers Wary of AI Payments
A survey of 6,000 consumers across nine markets by Alipay+ and S&P Global shows only 26% would use AI agents for transactions, despite strong interest in AI for travel planning.
Ant International Expands AI Payments to 1.5 Billion Asian Users
The Agentic Mobile Protocol, launched in April 2026, integrates AI agents with 10 digital wallets and seven payment acquirers, including Alipay and GCash, across Asia.
Grab, GXS Bank Launch EV Financing, Charging for Singapore Drivers
Singapore drivers can access up to 100% financing for electric vehicles and over 3,000 charging points via Grab's new integrated platform.
Mastercard Names Beena Pothen West Southeast Asia President
Mastercard has appointed Beena Pothen to lead its West Southeast Asia division. She will oversee operations across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Myanmar, following a restructure of the company's regional leadership.
Laters.com, Crypto Flight Booker, Raises US$1.5M Seed Led by XBO
Singapore's Laters.com secured US$1.5 million in seed funding. XBO Ventures led the round for the flight booking platform, which processes payments with 70+ cryptocurrencies.
Sumsub Launches Fraud Prevention Kit as Complex Attacks Jump 180%
Sumsub released a new fraud prevention kit. This tool addresses a 180% increase in complex fraud attempts, using onboarding data to assess applicant risk.
Mynt CTOO Sy: AI Adoption Needs Trust, Not Just Speed
Mynt's Chief Technology and Operations Officer, Pebbles Sy, stressed that artificial intelligence (AI) integration demands strong governance and accountability. Speaking at the GCash iGnite Innovation Summit 2026, Sy noted that building user trust must accelerate faster than technology itself.
MAS Commits S$220 Million to Singapore Fintech Development
Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), will inject S$220 million over three years into its financial technology sector. This funding, via the FSTI 4.0 scheme, aims to boost innovation and talent.
ACI Worldwide Acquires Cranium Ventures for Card Switching Tech
ACI Worldwide will acquire Cranium Ventures, a company with key operations in Singapore and Malaysia, for its cloud-native card switching technology. The deal expands ACI's payment platform capabilities.
Asian Cybercrime Networks Use AI, Deepfakes; APG Warns Businesses
Asian cybercrime groups are shifting to decentralised operations and deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to scale their scams and avoid detection, according to a new report from the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG).
UOB, HSBC Finalise Tokenised Hong Kong Dollar Payments
UOB and HSBC completed live cross-border Hong Kong dollar transactions using tokenised deposits on Swift's shared ledger. UOB marks the first Singapore-headquartered bank to use this system.
DBS, Stripe Expand Asia Cross-Border Payments, Explore AI Tools
DBS and Stripe will broaden international payment services for Asian businesses. The partnership also investigates agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to boost transaction efficiency.
Philippine SEC Warns Fraudulent Apps Harm Fintech Trust
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warns of a rise in fraudulent lending applications. These apps impersonate legitimate brands and obscure true costs. This damages public trust in the online lending sector. It also increases operational costs for compliant fintech firms.
Singapore Digital Banks GXS, Trust, MariBank Offer Six Credit Cards
Singapore's three digital banks now collectively provide six consumer credit cards. GXS Bank, Trust Bank, and MariBank products vary in rewards, cashback, and eligibility criteria. These offerings target distinct user segments within the market.
LankaPay, Alipay+ Enable Wise QR Payments for Sri Lanka Tourism
Wise customers from seven markets can now make QR payments at LankaQR merchants across Sri Lanka. This service, enabled by LankaPay and Alipay+, aims to boost the country's tourism sector.
GCash, EMCOR Expand Digital Payment Access Across Mindanao, Visayas
Digital payments firm GCash partnered with Mindanao-based retailer EMCOR to introduce scan-to-pay and installment options. This collaboration covers 174 branches, extending digital finance to new areas.
Thunes, Circle Launch EURC Payments for 24/7 Global Treasury
Thunes now allows network members to fund cross-border transactions around the clock using Circle's euro-backed stablecoin, EURC. This service enables treasury management outside traditional banking hours for businesses globally, including those in Asia.
ShopeePay Users in Singapore, Thailand Gain Weixin Pay Access in China
ShopeePay users from Singapore and Thailand can now make QR payments across China via Weixin Pay. The service will later expand to Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, enhancing cross-border digital connectivity.
Ant International FalconTST 2.0 AI Boosts FX Hedging for Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered
Ant International's FalconTST 2.0 artificial intelligence model now powers foreign exchange forecasting for four global banks. The system aims to improve cross-border payment risk management.
DBS Deploys AI to Cut Corporate Credit Assessment Time by 30%
DBS has introduced an agentic artificial intelligence tool for 1,500 global employees, aiming to reduce corporate credit memo preparation by at least 30%. The bank states the tool handles over 70 tasks, streamlining client financing evaluations.