APAC

MAS completes live trial of interbank lending using wholesale CBDC

MAS completes live trial of interbank lending using wholesale CBDC

SGD Testnet enables financial institutions to settle tokenised financial assets using wholesale CBDC.

Visa expands Intelligent Commerce framework across Asia Pacific

The trusted Agent Protocol enhances verification for AI-led transactions.

Visa expands scan to pay QR network across APAC

Unified wallet integration under Visa Pay enhances regional acceptance

Nium joins Visa stablecoin settlement pilot to enhance cross-border payments

The partnership enables USDC-based blockchain settlements for enterprise clients.

ASEAN fintech funding hits nine-year low as larger deals dominate

Singapore captures 87% of total, led by late-stage firms

Financial leaders reject ‘Global South’ label over tech boom reality

Financial distress is not an emerging market-only problem.

Mastercard, Thunes expand stablecoin wallet payouts worldwide

Mastercard Move currently supports over 200 markets and 150 currencies.

Five takeaways from day 1 of the Singapore Fintech Festival

Tokenisation emerges as a key driver of future digital money systems.

Why finance leaders push tokenisation as next phase of digital money

Tokenised deposits invert the model, allowing banks to deliver liquidity directly where required.

Ant International’s Antom launches AI‑powered MSME app for finance and business operations

The app embeds an AI copilot to simplify operations and turn business information into actionable insights.

Banks risk losing $170b if AI adoption lags

But longer term, AI may erode bank profitability as customers turn to AI agents.

Will AI define banking’s winners and losers?

The next five years will determine the industry’s AI adoption journey.

More firms plan to support instant payments within next two years

Yet 13% FIs in APAC remain unsure about timelines and readiness.

Banks embedding sustainability pay less for capital, UNFI says

Half of global banking assets now aligned with responsible banking principles

Banks’ AI adoption to shape cost and revenue advantage

An AI-gap may emerge amongst global banks depending on their adoption journeys, says S&P.