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
Philippine cybercrime cases triple as fintechs deploy AI to curb money mulling
Losses hit US$3.35m as regulators tighten controls.
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
Societe Generale names head for Power, Utilities, & Infrastructure investments
Anoop Chaudhry will be based in Hong Kong.
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.
Commentary
Asia’s banks hold the mandate to innovate. Now they must earn it.
Why Asia's banks are rebuilding their credit infrastructure in 2026
Banks retreat, private credit advances: Asia Pacific’s quiet lending revolution
Human Sparsity Blockchain: A citizen-validated ledger for digital finance supervision
Will stablecoins disrupt the banking business?
Digital transformation starts with leadership