APAC

Retail banks embrace social media and streaming to boost revenue

One digital bank in Europe reported an ARR of $50m from “financial media networks.”

Banks leverage AI to streamline research and financial analysis

AI is being adopted in use cases outside CRM and as a research assistant.

This week in finance: TenPay Global CEO on interoperable payments; tap-to-pay service roll-outs

OCBC and Vietnam separately strengthen their QR payment ties with China.

Here are five ways banks can use agentic AI

Agentic AI helped free up 10% more time for client interactions, McKinsey reported.

HSBC names Brendan Nelson as group chair

He will remain chairman of the group audit committee until February 2026.

APAC EM banks face rising bad loans in 2026

Risks are potentially highest in China, Thailand, the Philippines, Mongolia, and India.

What makes Malaysia and India more creditor friendly than the Philippines?

The Philippines is ‘unpredictable’ in enforcement of laws and resolution time.

Fiuu unveils tap-to-pay contactless payments on iPhone

Merchants must have the Fiuu VT iOS app and at least an iPhone XS.

Banks struggle to keep pace as fintechs scale agentic AI

Most incumbent initiatives are defined by narrower applications.

Malaysia’s GXBank facilitated 220 million transactions in 2025

The bank has also disbursed about MYR25m to MSMEs via GX FlexiLoan.

OxPay clinches licence in Bhutan, will launch crypto B2B payments

It is setting up a subsidiary in Gelephu Mindfulness City.

APAC DM banks take on more risk as margins shrink

Aussie banks are growing their SME exposure whilst other banks are expanding overseas.

Citi boost FX team in Japan, JANA, and Asia South with new hires

New hires include a head of corporate FX sales in India and three director-level hires.

What do corporate treasuries need from banks today?

The majority want a simple, real-time dashboard but may not have the budget or skills.

Manulife hires HSBC banker for Asia CFO role

Ming Lau was most recently the CFO for HSBC Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

APAC developing markets slated to see lower margins in 2026

Except for Japanese banks, which could see NIMs rise faster if monetary tightening is more aggressive than expected.