HSBC Singapore has announced two senior appointments aimed at strengthening its China corridor proposition, as it seeks to support Chinese businesses and entrepreneurs expanding into Singapore and across ASEAN. Singapore continues to serve as a strategic entry point into Southeast Asia and a hub for companies pursuing broader international expansion. The bank said the appointments reflect its focus on facilitating cross-border banking, trade and wealth needs linked to China-ASEAN flows. Wong Kee Joo, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Singapore, said: Wong Kee Joo “As the region’s leading trade and business hub, Singapore is uniquely positioned to support Chinese companies as they expand into ASEAN. Irene and Ying bring deep expertise in developing the China corridor, strengthening our ability to serve this fast-growing client segment and connect them to new engines of growth across the region.” Ying Wang has been appointed Head of Distribution, International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB), effective 26 February 2026. She will oversee sales and service channels, including the International Wealth Hub, Direct Sales and Contact Centre, with responsibility for distribution strategy and customer experience. Ying has more than 20 years’ experience in wealth management, product development and digital channels in Singapore and China. She was most recently Head of Wealth and Premier Solutions at HSBC China. HSBC Singapore has also appointed Irene Zeng as Managing Director. She will also serve as Head of Business Development, China Corridor, Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB), effective 1 March 2026. In this newly created role, she will focus on supporting Chinese corporates and entrepreneurs. She will oversee clients with cross-border requirements across Singapore and ASEAN. Irene has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate and transaction banking. She most recently served as Head of Global Payments Solutions at HSBC China. The bank noted continued growth in China–ASEAN trade and investment. ASEAN exports rose 12% year on year in 2025. Bilateral trade reached US$984 billion in 2024.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by tahantanha10 via Freepik The post HSBC Singapore Appoints Irene Zeng and Ying Wang to China-Focused Roles appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore has emerged as a prominent fintech hub in Southeast Asia, capitalizing on its effective regulatory framework, robust infrastructure, and its large pool of highly skilled and experienced finance professionals. In 2025, Singapore maintained its position as the region’s top recipient of fintech funding, securing over US$725 million in the first nine months of the year, and accounting for 87% of ASEAN’s total funding. The country also represented more than half of all deals, primarily driven by activity in blockchain for financial services and investment technology. As this landscape continues to expand and evolve, Singapore remains a significant hub for fintech events, attracting industry leaders from around the globe to explore opportunities and address emerging challenges. Among the numerous conferences scheduled in the upcoming months, the following 8 stand out as the most significant gatherings in 2026. These events are set to convene leading decision-makers, regulators, and innovators to shape the future of the sector. Fintech Events to Attend in Singapore in 2026 Nexgen Banking Summit 2026 March 12, 2026 Singapore The Nexgen Banking Summit 2026, scheduled for March 12, 2026 in Singapore, will focus on the future of intelligent transformation within financial services. The conference will gather digital banking leaders, data strategists, product innovators, and artificial intelligence (AI) decision‑makers to discuss how banks are integrating advanced AI technologies, automation, and real‑time intelligence into their core systems. The summit will highlight ways to accelerate productivity and innovation by connecting core banking platforms, chat logs, compliance documents, and transaction data, thereby fostering smarter collaboration and faster execution. It will also emphasize the delivery of hyper‑personalized customer journeys and the empowerment of employees with intelligent tools that improve resolution speed and deepen engagement. Attendees will learn how AI, large language models (LLMs), and predictive analytics are reshaping decision making across retail, commercial, and investment banking. They will also gain insight into building scalable, secure, genAI‑powered infrastructures that can evolve alongside digital banking strategies. In addition to the main program, the summit will offer opportunities for one‑on‑one meetings with senior banking executives and fintech leaders who are actively exploring AI‑driven financial services, embedded finance platforms, and core‑banking modernization. Roundtable discussions will allow participants to lead focused dialogues on subjects such as real‑time payments, regtech compliance, and digital transformation, while also gathering direct feedback from decision‑makers.   TMT Finance APAC 2026 May 06-07, 2026 Singapore TMT Finance APAC 2026 will take place in Singapore on May 06 and 07, 2026. Formerly known as the TMT M&A Forum APAC, this conference promises a premier gathering for senior dealmakers involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financing, and investment across digital‑infrastructure sectors such as data centers, fibre, telecoms, towers, and cloud services throughout the Asia‑Pacific (APAC) region. The two-day event is expected to bring together 350 senior industry, investment, and advisory leaders, featuring 75 speakers who will deliver 25 sessions and facilitate roughly seven hours of networking each day. Attendees can expect a focused agenda built around key thematic tracks: Power-First Data Center Investment and Acquisition Strategies AI Infrastructure Valuations, Risk and Reality Funding APAC’s Fibre Future Tower and Wireless M&A in the 5G Transition The Financing Playbook for Hyperscale and Colocation Strategic M&A and Capital Structuring in APAC Financing Innovation with REITs, Private Credit and Securitization Emerging Market Investment Outlook Speakers will include: Udhay Mathialagan, Managing Partner and CEO, Global Data Centers, Brookfield Asset Management; Wilson Chung, Managing Director, DigitalBridge; Mary Roberts, Executive for Infrastructure Strategy, Planning and Risk, Telstra InfraCo; Rangu Salgame, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, PDG; Projesh Banerjea, Managing Director and Head of Southeast Asia Infrastructure, KKR; and Preet Gona, CEO, STACK APAC. In addition to the conference, TMT Finance APAC 2026 will provide a platform for industry stakeholders to meet, discover emerging deal opportunities and strategic trends, and forge new partnerships on site. Participants will also have the chance to raise their corporate profile, showcase thought leadership, generate leads, and gain recognition through the conference awards. Asia Tech x Singapore 2026 May 20-22, 2026 Capella, Singapore Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) 2026 will be held in Singapore from May 20 to 22, 2026. Jointly organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and Informa and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, ATxSG 2026 will mark the sixth anniversary of one of Asia’s premier technology gatherings, bringing together government officials, industry leaders, and innovators to discuss the intersection of technology, society and the digital economy. The three-day event will be structured around three core components. ATxEnterprise, hosted at Singapore Expo and run by Informa, will serve as the commercial hub of the conference, showcasing broadcast technology, telecommunications infrastructure, satellite communications and enterprise solutions. It will provide a marketplace for more than 22,000 global tech, broadcasting, telecom, satellite and startup leaders to exhibit innovations, forge partnerships and explore digital‑transformation opportunities. ATxSummit, hosted by IMDA at Capella Singapore, will serve as the apex event of ATxSG, comprising two distinct experiences: The Plenary and The Village. The Plenary will present an invitation-only conference exploring critical themes including AI, governance and safety, quantum computing, and sustainability and compute; while the Village will curate exclusive government-to-government and government-to-business roundtables where senior government officials, industry leaders and academia will share digital challenges, alongside symposiums, workshops, showcases and networking to cultivate digital partnerships between the public and private sector. Finally, ATxInspire, a companion series to ATxSummit, will host a year-round series of thought-provoking discussions and presentations by industry leaders, government officials, and academics. These events will focus on cutting-edge advancements in technology, empowering the tech community to stay ahead of the curve.   SuperAI 2026 June 10-11, 2026 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore SuperAI 2026 will take place on June 10 and 11, 2026 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The conference aims to showcase the transformative power of AI by gathering visionaries, developers, startups, enterprises, researchers and policymakers from around the world. It’s expected to bring together more than 10,000 attendees representing over 100 countries, alongside roughly 1,500 AI‑focused companies and upwards of 150 speakers. SuperAI 2026 will highlight six themes that are defining the current AI landscape: frontier models; robotics and embodied AI; AI infrastructure; AI applications in finance; biotech and healthtech; and the broader global impact of AI on society. These themes will be explored through keynote talks, panel discussions and demonstrations that illustrate how AI is reshaping industries and everyday life. Speakers will include Balaji Srinivasan, founder, investor and author of The Network State; Dwarkesh Patel, host of the Dwarkesh Podcast; Tao Cheung, co‑founder of Manus AI; Edward Snowden, noted whistleblower; and Felix Shang, director at Unitree. ITC Asia 2026 June 30-July 02, 2026 Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore ITC Asia 2026 will be held from June 30 to July 02, 2026 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. This three‑day conference will gather more than 1,500 senior insurance leaders from around the world, with roughly 80% occupying VP‑level or higher positions. Over 200 inspirational speakers will address the rapid evolution of Asia’s insurance sector and the strategic imperatives needed to stay competitive. The program will be organized around key thematic tracks: Leadership Insights will feature APAC executives discussing strategy, transformation realities and fostering an innovation culture; Tech in Action will showcase real‑world implementation stories, measurable returns on investment and scalable technologies; Growth and Profitability will examine smarter pricing models and capital strategies for scaling successful initiatives; AI and Data will explore agentic workflows, analytics and revenue‑driving decision‑making; Underwriting Intelligence will highlight data‑driven risk assessment and pricing improvements; Claims Excellence and Retention will cover automation, fraud control and measures that enhance speed, loss ratios and customer retention; Customer Trust will focus on personalization, secure onboarding and privacy protection; Distribution Reinvented will discuss bancassurance, ecosystem partnerships and embedded distribution models that sustain growth; and Cyber and Specialty will address cyber risk, climate‑related opportunities and profitable specialty underwriting. Two main stages will host keynote addresses, “in‑the‑hot‑seat” sessions, a startup pitch competition and fireside chats with insurers, regulators and technology providers. Curated education will be delivered through kickoff summits, tailored tracks and a variety of interactive formats. Finally, networking opportunities will include a dedicated one-to-one meeting zone, roundtable discussions and Ask‑Me‑Anything sessions.   Tech Week Singapore 2026 September 29-30, 2026 Sands Expo Convention Centre, Singapore Tech Week Singapore 2026 will take place on September 29 and 30, 2026, at the Sands Expo Convention Centre. The two-day program is expected to attract more than 29,000 business leaders, visionaries and decision‑makers across all technology verticals, over 500 exhibitors and more than 500 international speakers and thought‑leaders who will showcase solutions and share insights. Tech Week Singapore 2026 will consolidate five co‑located conferences: Cloud and AI Infrastructure Asia, DevOps Live!, Cyber Security World Asia, Data Centre World Asia and Big Data and AI World Asia. Together, these tracks will cover the full spectrum of modern enterprise technology, from cloud and AI infrastructure to development operations, cybersecurity, data center strategies and big data analytics. Attendees can therefore expect a blend of product demonstrations, expert panels and networking opportunities designed to help organizations learn, connect and shape their future strategies. TOKEN2049 Singapore 2026 October 07-08, 2026 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore TOKEN2049 Singapore 2026 will be held on October 07 and 08, 2026 at Marina Bay Sands. Promoted as the definitive global gathering for the cryptocurrency and Web 3 ecosystem, the event will occupy all five floors of the iconic venue, creating a pop‑up city that hosts immersive experiences, side events and a festival‑like atmosphere. The event is expected to bring together decision makers from more than 160 countries, with over 60% of attendees holding C‑level roles. Organizers anticipate over 1,000 side events and a schedule of panels, workshops and networking sessions that aim to shape the worldwide trajectory of crypto and decentralized technologies. Highlights will include the TOKEN2049 Origins Hackathon, a 36‑hour challenge that will guides participants from concept to functional prototype while providing mentorship and the opportunity to pitch for prizes, funding and global recognition, and the Nexus Startup Competition, which will offer the hottest Web 3 startups a stage to pitch for equity‑free prizes, meet top investors and potentially launch their ventures on a global platform. Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) 2026 November 18-20, 2026 Singapore EXPO, Singapore The Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) 2026 will take place from November 18 to 20, 2026 at the Singapore EXPO. Organized as a global gathering of policy makers, financiers, and technology innovators, the three‑day event aims to foster connections and collaborations across the financial services ecosystem. The program will span six thematic stages that cover emerging trends such as blockchain, AI, and other cutting‑edge financial technologies. Attendees will get to participate in panels, keynotes, roundtables, workshops, and a week‑long series of side events designed to deepen learning and networking. SFF 2026 will also offer a variety of exhibition options, including standard and premium booths, international pavilions, dedicated startup and technology zones, and bespoke activations for demonstrations, workshops, or private events. It will also provide ample opportunities for business development and collaboration.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by creativaimages via Freepik The post 8 Fintech Events to Attend in Singapore in 2026 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard has appointed Minsook Cho as Country Manager for Singapore, where she will oversee the company’s strategy and operations. She will also work with regional and global clients headquartered in Singapore on cross-market initiatives. In the role, Cho will support Singapore’s digital payments agenda, collaborating with public and private sector stakeholders on payments infrastructure and related initiatives. Cho has more than 20 years of experience in payments, fintech, analytics and consulting. She joined Mastercard in 2013 and most recently served as Senior Vice President, Advisors Client Services, Asia Pacific. In that position, she led consulting, analytics, test-and-learn and managed services across markets including Japan, Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Cho said: Minsook Cho “I am honoured to lead Mastercard’s business in Singapore, a market I have been deeply connected with for many years. Having spent over a decade driving data-driven strategies and advisory services across Asia Pacific, I look forward to leveraging this experience to deliver insight-led solutions that support Singapore’s digital innovation.” Her appointment comes as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) advances initiatives in areas such as tokenisation, artificial intelligence and a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Before joining Mastercard, Cho held senior roles at foodpanda, Lazada and Boston Consulting Group. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by siegostuan via Freepik The post Mastercard Names Minsook Cho as Singapore Country Manager appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Financial crime in Singapore has escalated to unprecedented levels, with scams costing more than S$3.4 billion since 2019, according to the Straits Times. To help organizations tackle this challenge, Salesforce’s Agentforce offers AI-driven capabilities to automate customer anti-money laundering and combating the financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations, enhance client risk profiling, and streamline regulatory filings, according a joint paper by Salesforce and PwC. The paper explores the changing financial crime landscape in Singapore and looks at Saleforce’s Agentforce solution, showing how the platform can help Singaporean banks combat financial crime threats. Agentforce is Salesforce’s enterprise grade AI agent platform that enables companies build, test, deploy, manage, and orchestrate AI agents. It covers the full lifecycle of AI agents, offering low‑code and pro‑code tools for developers and business users to create digital labor that can act on behalf of customers, suppliers, and employees 24/7. The primary purpose of Agentforce is to automate repetitive, knowledge‑intensive tasks across organizations. In sales, AI agents can generate and update quotes, surface relevant deal information, and coach representatives in real time, helping teams close deals faster, and improving overall performance. In customer service contexts, agents can resolve routine inquiries, pull data from CRM records, and hand off complex issues to human operators. This enables faster response times, minimizing errors, and scaling support capacity. In fraud detection and compliance, Agentforce integrates seamlessly with MuleSoft Agent Fabric. MuleSoft Agent Fabric is a governance and orchestration layer that connects multiple AI agents into a single coordinated ecosystem, acting as the “central nervous system”. This integration delivers coordinated fraud detection, with agents sharing insights and triggering joint investigations, reducing time‑to‑detect. MuleSoft Agent Fabric also offers strong governance and auditability across all AI agents in the financial crime ecosystem, enforcing security, privacy, and regulatory controls. This helps banks confidently deploy AI at scale, knowing that every autonomous decision is safe, compliant, and auditable. Another key feature of MuleSoft Agent Fabric is its Agent Visualizer, which automatically records every agent-to-agent interaction and decision, creating a comprehensive trail. This means banks can easily demonstrate to regulators how decisions were made, which agents were involved, and what data was accessed. Key use cases The Salesforce and PwC paper highlights three main ways Agentforce can strengthen fraud detection and compliance. First, Agentforce can be used to streamline traditionally manual and time-consuming know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD) processes. By leveraging Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), it automates ingestion and validation of client documents, detect expiration, ensure completeness, and apply onboarding checklists. This can result in benefits including reduced onboarding time and friction, improved accuracy and consistency across jurisdictions, and enhanced operational efficiency for middle-office managed service environments. Second, Agentforce can be used in risk scoring automation by aggregating and analyzing internal and external data sources using configurable rules and AI-driven insights. It can dynamically adjust due diligence levels based on evolving risk indicators, such as transaction patterns, geography, and adverse media, and trigger escalations when thresholds are breached. This allows for real-time risk assessment, a reduction in manual efforts and false positives, and optimized resource allocation for compliance teams. Finally, in regulatory compliance management, Agentforce can automate the preparation, validation, and submission of mandatory regulatory filings. It can be used to extract key data points, validate against regulatory requirements, and generate submission-ready documentation with full audit trails. This automation can cut manual data analysis by up to 30%, reduce risk of errors and missed deadlines, and strengthen confidence in meeting local and global compliance standards, the paper says. Financial crime on the rise Financial crime in Singapore has risen dramatically over the past years. In H1 2025, close to S$500 million was lost to scams in the city state, with almost 20,000 cases reported in Singapore, according to the Straits Times. Government official impersonation scams, in particular, remained a key concern during that period, with the number of cases almost tripling from 589 in H1 2024 to 1,762 in H1 2025. The trend continued into 2026, with at least S$2.9 million lost in February alone to a scam variant in which victims were duped into handing over valuables such as gold bars, jewelry and luxury watches to imposters posing as government officials. These trends coincide with rapid digital transformation. Singapore’s digital economy now contributes S$128.1 billion in value-added output, representing 18.6% of GDP in 2024, up from 18% in 2023 and 14.9% in 2019, according to official data. Between 2019 to 2024, the digital economy grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12%, significantly faster than that of the nominal GDP growth rate of 7.3%. Among businesses, digital adoption is near-universal. In 2024, 97% of SMEs had adopted at least one sector-specific digital solution, up from 85% in 2023. AI is further amplifying these risks, with deepfakes posing a rising threat to the business community. In March 2025, a finance director at a multinational firm in Singapore authorized a US$499,000 payment after a Zoom call that featured an AI-generated deepfake of the company’s senior leadership. The deepfake convincingly replicated the facial movements and voices of the actual executives, effectively duping the director. Survey data indicate that 56% of Singaporean businesses have encountered audio deepfake fraud and 52% have experienced video deepfakes.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Musfikur Rahman Muin via Freepik The post Financial Crime in Singapore Escalates to Unprecedented Levels, Sparks Call for AI Agents appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

The Singapore Tourism Board and Ant International have renewed their multi-year partnership to drive tourism growth through stronger digital connectivity. The collaboration will focus on driving visitor demand, enabling seamless and secure mobile discovery and payments through Alipay+, and supporting local businesses. It will also expand data sharing to generate actionable insights on traveller behaviour and strengthen the competitiveness of Singapore’s travel ecosystem, in line with STB’s Tourism 2040 roadmap. In 2025, transactions via Alipay+ in Singapore rose 36 percent year on year, placing the city-state among the platform’s top five global travel destinations. Spending through SGQR nearly tripled, benefiting SMEs including neighbourhood merchants and hawker stalls. Peng Yang “The Singapore Tourism Board has set the benchmark for how innovation, trust and public-private collaboration can power a world-class tourism economy. Together, we will support Singapore’s ambition to inspire not just as a place to visit, but one that shapes the future of travel and its shared value to communities.” said Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International. Merchants can accept 25 international e-wallets and bank apps via Alipay+, enabling travellers from 17 countries and regions to pay using familiar applications. Mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, the Philippines and South Korea were the top inbound markets, with transactions by Chinese travellers rising 26 percent year on year. Growth was also recorded from Kazakhstan and Italy, while visitors increasingly spent beyond retail on food and beverage, accommodation and transport. The renewed partnership will also expand joint marketing campaigns, including a 2026 campaign featuring Chinese actor Dylan Wang ahead of Chinese New Year, and leverage AI tools such as Alipay+ Voyager to enhance travel discovery and engagement.     Featured image: (From left) Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board; Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International The post STB, Ant International Renew Partnership to Expand Digital Travel Payments appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

TerraPay has partnered with Raenest to enable faster local currency payouts for freelancers in India and the Philippines. The integration supports Raenest’s expansion into both markets, allowing users to receive cross-border earnings more quickly in domestic currencies. TerraPay’s payments network will power international transfers for freelancers serving clients in the US, UK and Europe. India and the Philippines are among the largest freelance talent hubs globally. As more workers depend on overseas income, payment speed and reliability remain critical. Raenest said it serves more than one million customers and has processed over US$2 billion in transactions. The company, backed by over US$14 million from investors including QED, Google, Seedstars and Techstars, enables earnings from global platforms to be settled in under one hour in certain markets. TerraPay said the partnership strengthens payout infrastructure for digital workers who rely on cross-border income. Ani Sane Ani Sane, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of TerraPay, said, “By enabling faster and more reliable payouts into India and the Philippines, we’re helping freelancers receive their income with the speed and certainty they deserve. Together, we’re building a payout experience that keeps pace with how the world works today – simple, dependable, and designed for a truly global digital workforce.” Victor A Victor A, CEO and Co-founder of Raenest said, “At Raenest, we believe borders shouldn’t be a barrier, and no one should be cut off from accessing global opportunities and banking services because of their geographic location. That’s why we’ve partnered with Terrapay to ensure millions of Indian and Filipino freelancers and virtual assistants working remotely with companies and clients in the US, UK, Europe, and other parts of the world can get paid easily, faster, and with more value for their money.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ghiska via Freepik The post TerraPay and Raenest to Scale Payouts for Freelancers in India, Philippines appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Grab has set a US$1.5 billion EBITDA target for 2028, placing AI at the centre of its next growth phase, Reuters reported following an interview with President and COO Alex Hungate in Singapore. Hungate said the Nasdaq-listed group aims to grow revenue by more than 20 percent annually over the next three years. Grab operates in over 900 cities across Southeast Asia. The company is looking to lift margins by tightening execution across its core app while expanding financial services and online groceries. Management believes frequent usage across mobility and deliveries supports lower-cost cross-selling into adjacent products. Grab reported its first full-year net profit in its 2025 results and authorised a US$500 million share buyback programme, as previously reported. However, its 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance fell short of expectations, weighing on its shares. Analysts at Huatai Securities said increased investment in AI and autonomous vehicle partnerships could pressure profitability. They also flagged risks including slower user growth and macroeconomic volatility. Hungate said Grab will prioritise reinvestment in Southeast Asia while remaining open to selective acquisitions. The company has also agreed to acquire U.S.-based wealth platform Stash as part of its limited steps outside the region. He added there are no plans for a second listing and no update on speculation regarding a potential merger with Indonesian rival GoTo. Grab is developing AI-driven tools for drivers and merchants, alongside customer-facing features aimed at improving retention. While it works with model providers such as OpenAI, the company plans to build its own AI agents tailored to its platform rather than integrate directly with standalone chatbot products.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Grab Targets US$1.5 Billion EBITDA by 2028 as AI Drives Next Growth Phase appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

The payment industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by growing demand for seamless, contactless, and autonomous experiences, alongside an accelerating rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) throughout the payment value chain. In the Asia‑Pacific (APAC) region, consumer adoption of AI‑driven shopping tools is soaring, laying fertile ground for agentic payments that act on behalf of buyers. Yet, a new Visa survey reveals that lingering concerns about security and transparency are creating hesitation at the moment of checkout. The survey, which polled more than 14,700 consumers across 14 APAC markets in 2025, found that 74% of respondents are already using AI to shop, leveraging the technology to discover, track or learn about products. This underscores a strong appetite for AI during the early stages of the purchase journey. Singaporeans are among the top adopters of AI, with eight in ten local consumers now relying on the technology for assistance when shopping online. Trust gaps and transparency concerns While many consumers in APAC are comfortable using AI to compare prices and better understand product features, confidence fades when it comes to handling money and personal data. 32% of APAC consumers are reluctant to share personal or payment information with AI systems, drawing a clear line between using AI to browse and trusting the same technology when transactions become more personal. Additionally, 26% are unsure if AI recommendations fully align with their best interest, signaling some level of suspicion and a demand for greater transparency and user control. Nearly half (45%) of those surveyed in APAC indicated that they would be more open to AI-powered or agentic commerce if they had stronger assurances around payment security. This highlights the pivotal role that trust and clear data‑usage policies will play in scaling AI‑driven commerce. The study also revealed income and regional variations. In particular, affluent households with monthly income of US$8,000 or above exhibited the most caution, with 39% of this group demanding higher expectations around how their data is used, compared to 29% for lower-income groups. Digital-first markets such as Australia (38%), New Zealand (37%) and Singapore (34%) also displayed above-average caution, suggesting that consumers in digitally advanced economies tend to be more vigilant about privacy and are likely to demand stricter safeguards compared with other markets. Emerging markets most open to agentic commerce Within APAC, the study shows that emerging economies are the most open to fully autonomous AI commerce. India and Vietnam lead the region in this regard, with 42% of consumers in each market being prepared to use AI for online purchases, indicating strong appetites to experiment with new ways of shopping. In contrast, consumers in digitally mature economies show greater reservation towards AI-enabled online shopping, with just 14% in Singapore, 14% in Japan and 16% in New Zealand expressing interest. This could indicate higher concerns about control or privacy for agentic commerce. Agentic commerce refers to the use of autonomous AI agents that can act on behalf of customers or businesses throughout the buying journey. These AI agents can find, compare, and potentially make purchases for customers based on their needs and preferences, aiming to enhance customer experience, convenience, and efficiency. Agentic commerce represents a booming industry that’s set to influence over US$1 trillion in e-commerce spending. According to research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), 81% of US consumers expect to use agentic AI tools to shop, shaping more than half of all online purchases in the near future. Powering agentic payments Within this space, a new class of startups and solutions is emerging to support agentic commerce. These solutions allow organizations to build and deploy AI agents that learn, adapt, and make real-time decisions across the entire payments value chain. Stripe, for example, launched in September 2025 an API for agentic payments. It also introduced with OpenAI the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which is designed to enable AI agents to complete purchases on behalf of users. Similarly, Visa has created Visa Intelligent Commerce, offering a suite of tools and protections to support agentic commerce and enable AI-driven purchases through Visa’s payment network. These tools include tokenized “AI-ready” payment credentials, APIs for authentication, transaction controls, and lifecycle management, personalization and consent-driven data sharing, as well as fraud preventions and security features. Earlier this week, Singapore’s DBS Bank became the first bank in APAC to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce for agentic transactions. This collaboration will allow the two organizations to example a broad range of use cases, including online shopping, travel bookings and more, aiming to make digital transactions more seamless for consumers, reduce manual steps and streamline payment processes. In e-commerce, agentic payments are poised to address several high-impact use cases. According to an extensive post by AWS, AI agents can choose the best route for a payment by considering fees, regulations, currencies, and fraud risks. They can also manage foreign currency flows and liquidity so companies always have the right funds in the right places. In cross-border payments, AI agents can monitor currency markets and execute exchanges at better times to reduce costs. These systems also improve security by detecting fraud through multiple specialized agents working together. They can fix failed payments automatically by understanding payment network rules and local regulations. In e-commerce, AI assistants may eventually search for products and complete purchases on behalf of users. Finally, AI agents can automate operational tasks such as matching invoices with payments and handling payment disputes, reducing manual work and speeding up resolution. The rise of AI agents Beyond commerce, AI agents are gaining traction across an array of business applications and industries. Since 2023, more than 500 AI agent startups have emerged across over 20 categories, including financial services, supply chain, and healthcare. Booming funding activity has further helped propelled this market. In 2024, AI agent startups raised US$3.8 billion, nearly tripling 2023’s total. Adoption is also keeping pace. A 2025 McKinsey survey of nearly 2,000 professionals in 105 nations found that 23% of respondents said their organizations were scaling an agentic AI system somewhere in their enterprises, and an additional 39% were experimenting with AI agents. But use of agents is not yet widespread, with most of those who are scaling agents stating that they were only doing so in one or two functions. Phase of AI agent use at respondents’ organizations, by business function, % of respondents, Source: McKinsey, 2025 Despite the early-stage nature of implementation, the market for AI agents is expected to grow strongly over the coming years. BCG projects an annual growth rate of 45% through 2030, with the the AI agent market surging from US$5.7 billion in 2024 to US$52.1 billion in 2030. AI agents market by technology 2024-2030 (US$ billion), Source: BCG analysis   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post APAC Consumers Embrace AI Though Security Concerns Slow Agentic Payment Adoption appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

In the first half of 2025, I took a glance at KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech, which at that time read like the sector was taking a breather. What I meant by that is that investment across Asia Pacific had slowed sharply, valuations were adjusting, and investors were pulling back after years of aggressive deployment. Six months later, the tone has shifted, although only ever so slightly. Just like the H1 report, the Pulse of Fintech H2 2025 update does not point to a broad-based recovery, nor does it suggest the return of easy money. What it does show is a market that is beginning to stabilise, with capital still flowing but under a much tighter scrutiny. The change is subtle but meaningful. Compared with the earlier read in H1, where the narrative centred on contraction, the second half of the year reflects something a bit more measured. Yes, the pullback has not reversed completely, but the pace of decline appears to be easing as investors become more selective about where they place their bets. So is this the beginning of a genuine reset, or simply a more disciplined funding cycle taking shape? Funding Still Remains Soft, but the Floor May be Forming On the surface, the numbers still look subdued as reported by KPMG. Asia Pacific attracted just US$9.3 billion in fintech investment in 2025 across 763 deals, down from US$11.7 billion the year before. In the second half alone, the region recorded US$4.6 billion across 362 deals. Those figures confirm that the funding winter has not fully thawed from last year’s. Taken from the KPMG Pulse of Fintech H2 2025 page 56. Compared with the Americas and EMEA, the Asia Pacific continues to lag in absolute investment volumes. However, the more telling signal is the funding in H2 showed signs of levelling compared with earlier declines The steep downward trajectory that defined earlier cycles appears to be flattening. That matters as markets rarely snap back overnight as they tend to always find a floor first. Selectivity is Replacing Broad-Based Caution If the past year was about investors stepping back, the latest data suggests they are now stepping forward. But are treading carefully, ever so slightly. KPMG reported that macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and profitability concerns have continue to weigh on decision-making for most of these investors. Many fintechs across the region are still rightsizing operations and extending their runway, where none of that has changed materially. What has changed however is investor behaviour. Capital is no longer retreating indiscriminately as instead, it is now concentrating. The report repeatedly points to a market that is becoming more disciplined. Investors are prioritising scalable business models, clearer paths to profitability and technologies that can deliver measurable efficiency gains. The era of funding growth at all costs is giving way to something more sober. In many ways, this mirrors the natural maturation of the sector. After a decade of rapid expansion, Asia Pacific fintech is being forced to prove its fundamentals. AI Moves From Experiment to Investment Magnet And nowhere is this shift clearer than in artificial intelligence. AI has been a jargon slang in fintech circles for several years, but in 2025, it began to translate into real capital flows. Globally, AI-focused fintech investment climbed to US$16.8 billion, and Asia Pacific is increasingly part of that story. What investors are backing, however, is telling. The focus is less on flashy consumer applications and more on embedded financial infrastructure. Financial institutions across the region are exploring generative AI, large language models and emerging agentic AI capabilities, particularly in areas such as compliance, fraud detection, risk management and operational automation. The emphasis is pragmatic. Banks and insurers are looking for tools that reduce cost, improve accuracy and streamline complex workflows. AI is being evaluated less as a novelty and more as core plumbing. For fintech startups, this raises the bar. According to the report, firms hoping to attract capital will need to demonstrate genuinely differentiated intellectual property and real business impact. Simply layering AI onto an existing product is unlikely to be enough. Infrastructure Plays Begin to Dominate Investor Interest Closely linked to the AI story is a broader reorientation towards infrastructure and efficiency. Across payments, regtech and core banking technology, investors are showing a growing preference for platforms that support the underlying financial system rather than purely consumer-facing propositions. The payments sector itself illustrates this shift. Total global payments investment remained relatively flat at US$19.2 billion in 2025, but deal volume fell to a nine-year low. Taken from the KPMG Pulse of Fintech H2 2025 page 17. Fewer companies are getting funded, but those that do tend to be larger, more established players. Within payments, B2B infrastructure has been drawing increasing investor attention in the second half of the year. Demand is rising for modular platforms that can support cross-border transactions, integrated compliance and multi-rail orchestration. This is a notable change from the previous cycle, when much of the excitement centred on digital wallets and super apps. Those models are not disappearing, particularly in emerging markets, but they are no longer commanding the same premium attention from investors. Where the Biggest Deals Are Landing The shift towards more disciplined capital deployment is also visible in the region’s largest transactions. Data from KPMG’s latest report shows that the top fintech fundraisings in H2 2025 were concentrated in more established platforms and infrastructure-oriented players rather than early-stage consumer disruptors. India’s PhonePe led the pack with a US$600 million late-stage round, underscoring continued investor confidence in scaled payments ecosystems. Other notable transactions included Hong Kong-based AlloyX (US$350 million), cross-border payments player Airwallex in Singapore (US$330 million), and Japan’s back office platform Upsider (US$313.7 million). Risk and compliance-focused firms such as PremiaLab also featured prominently, with a total of US$220 million. Payments specialists remained well represented, with South Korea’s Toss (US$200 million) and Indonesia’s Honest (US$140 million) both securing significant late-stage backing. Rounding out the list were consumer finance provider Snapmint (US$125 million), wealthtech player Raise Fintech Ventures (US$120 million), and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange (US$144.4 million), all coming from India. Taken from the KPMG Pulse of Fintech H2 2025 page 60. Digital Assets Quietly Rebuild Credibility Another development worth watching is the steady rehabilitation of the digital assets sector. After two difficult years marked by market volatility and regulatory uncertainty, global investment in digital assets nearly doubled to US$19.1 billion in 2025. While the Asia Pacific share remains modest compared with the United States and Europe, the region continues to play an active role in evolving regulatory approaches. Several Asian jurisdictions have been actively refining their stance on crypto and stablecoins. Hong Kong, for instance, has been advancing its stablecoin licensing regime, while other markets across the region continue to explore tokenisation frameworks and central bank digital currency initiatives. At the same time, policy divergence remains pronounced. China continues to maintain a strict ban on most crypto-related activities, highlighting the fragmented nature of the regional landscape. What stands out in the H2 report is the growing participation of traditional financial institutions. Corporates are exploring stablecoins for treasury management, cross-border payments and money market fund tokenisation. The conversation is shifting away from speculative trading towards regulated financial infrastructure. That evolution may prove critical for the sector’s long-term credibility. Taken from the KPMG Pulse of Fintech H2 2025 page 26. What to Watch in 2026 The outlook for the coming year is cautiously constructive. The report points to several forces that could shape the next phase of fintech development across Asia Pacific. Artificial intelligence is expected to remain a major draw for investment, particularly where solutions can demonstrate measurable business impact rather than incremental automation. Consolidation among smaller fintech firms is also likely to continue as companies pursue scale and more sustainable unit economics. At the same time, progress in digital asset regulation could determine how quickly institutional participation deepens across the region. Compared with the first half of 2025, the direction of travel now looks more defined. Earlier in the year, the story was largely about contraction and correction. By the second half, the emphasis has shifted towards discipline, with capital still flowing but into a much narrower set of business models and technologies. Whether this marks the start of a healthier fintech cycle or simply a more selective funding environment remains an open question. What is becoming clear is that the era of easy capital has fundamentally reshaped investor expectations. If the past decade rewarded the fastest disruptors, the next phase may favour something totally different. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by Who is Danny via Freepik. The post KPMG Finds That AI Is Still the Talk of the Town in Asia Pacific Fintech Funding appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

ONERWAY’s Singapore entity has obtained a Major Payment Institution licence, expanding its regulated footprint in the city-state. The licence was granted to Overcross, the Singapore-incorporated operator of the ONERWAY payment platform, by the Monetary Authority of Singapore with effect from 1 March 2026. Under the approval, Overcross is authorised to provide regulated payment services in Singapore. These include merchant acquisition, domestic money transfer and cross-border money transfer services. The company is regulated under the Payment Services Act 2019. Overcross must comply with regulatory requirements including anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism controls, safeguarding of customer funds and technology risk management standards. ONERWAY provides multi-currency payment solutions to e-commerce and enterprise clients, supporting over 110 global payment methods from offices in London, the United States, Europe and Asia.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Max4e via Freepik The post ONERWAY Secures Payment Licence from MAS appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Contour has named Rahul Bhargava Interim COO as it enters its next growth phase after being acquired by XDC Ventures. In his interim role, Bhargava will lead operational scale-up, deepen engagement with global network members and expand participation across the platform. He will also oversee integration of XDC’s trade, digital asset and settlement capabilities, including structured trials of regulated digital settlement models alongside fiat payment rails. The trade finance platform said the appointment supports its plans to extend its Letters of Credit digitisation services and strengthen links between trade workflows and settlement infrastructure. Integration with XDC Network will support reconciliation and broader settlement capabilities. Bhargava has held roles across banks, regulators, multilateral institutions and payment infrastructures, with experience in cross-border financial systems and interoperability standards including ISO 20022. Contour said his background will support operational scale-up and regulatory alignment as the platform advances. Rahul Bhargava Rahul Bhargava said, “By vertically scaling up Contour’s proven Trade digitisation services portfolio and horizontally extending to combine XDC Network capabilities we aim to deliver a future-ready, scalable platform helping streamline trade to settlement. A Stablecoin Lab will also be available to trial USDC based settlement models.” Ritesh Kakkad Ritesh Kakkad, Co-Founder of XDC Network and XDC Ventures, said, “Rahul’s expertise in bridging legacy financial infrastructure with emerging digital rails directly supports our vision of building a powerful institutional gateway for tokenised trade finance. With Contour, we are focused on delivering scalable, compliant solutions that connect trade digitisation with efficient settlement optionality.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Borin via Freepik The post Contour Appoints Rahul Bhargava as Interim COO appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Across the global banking and financial services industry, artificial intelligence (AI) implementation has shifted from experimentation to aggressive adoption. In 2025, nearly all of the 1,500+ managers and executives in the banking and financial services sector polled for a study commissioned by Finastra indicated either using, exploring or research AI options, underscoring the near ubiquity of AI in the space. The study, conducted last year and covering 11 markets, revealed the widespread adoption of AI in finance, finding that only 2% of the organizations surveyed were not using AI at all. This result is a dramatic indicator of near-universal adoption of AI in the global financial industry, and reveals that what was once a frontier technology, faced with undeniable skepticism, is now embedded across the banking value chain, reshaping trust, efficiency and customer experience. Which of the following best describes your organization’s adoption and implementation of AI? Source: Financial Services State of the Nation Survey 2026, Finastra Despite the global uptake, findings show that some markets are leading the charge. In particular, Vietnam is seeing the highest level of active AI deployment at 74%. In contrast, Japan is lagging behind its global counterparts at just 39%. According to Finastra, Japan’s low performance may be in part explained by the fact that digitally advanced economies are more cautious about technological change and favor incremental innovation over rapid deployment. These economies may also be hindered by their legacy systems which are slowing down modernization efforts and upgrades. Different priorities The research also found that although AI is a key focus for financial institutions worldwide, the motivations behind adoption differ across markets. In Vietnam, banks and financial institutions are embracing AI to increase speed, with 49% of respondents in the country indicating using AI to accelerate processing in payments and lending services. This is possibly to respond to booming demand and the need to keep pace with rapid financial inclusion. In Japan, institutions are leaning more into workforce productivity at 49%, reflecting demographic pressures and a cultural preference for incremental, employee-centric innovation. Singapore, meanwhile, emphasizes compliance and regulatory processes at 43%, with firms leveraging AI to navigate the city state’s increasingly complex oversight while maintaining resilience. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), banks are deploying AI to improve accuracy and reduce error (53%) but also to lower operational costs (44%). This reflects a clear focus on efficiency and reliability. Finally, in Saudi Arabia, AI is perceived as a lever for competitive advantage at 41%, reflecting an ambition to leapfrog peers in digital transformation. Organizations’ primary objectives for implementing AI, Source: Financial Services State of the Nation Survey 2026, Finastra Payment as a primary focus for AI transformation: Singapore Leads Across key business lines, banks and financial institutions have identified payments as their primary area of focus for AI transformation, leveraging the technology to deliver personalized, trustworthy, and customer-centric experiences. Over the past 12 months, 38% of organizations have deployed or enhanced AI use cases in their payment technology. This highlights the significance of AI in areas including fraud detection, anomaly detection, and personalized transaction flows. AI use cases were their top focus for payment technology improvement and deployment over the past year, surpassing real-time payments, alternative payment methods, and operational resilience. This underscores the sector’s emphasis on immediacy and customer convenience. Certain markets, particularly across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, have progressed significantly further than others. Notably, Singapore leads in experimentation and deployment of AI use cases in payment technology, with a 73% adoption rate, followed by Vietnam at 57%. AI use cases in payments will remain a top priority in payment technology for the next 12 months, with 40% of respondents globally planning improvements and deployments in this area. Payment technologies improvement and deployment, Source: Financial Services State of the Nation Survey 2026, Finastra Lending: focus on AI assistants and fraud Another key business line of AI adoption in the global financial industry is lending. In this field, the technology is used to enhance risk assessment and expedite automated credit decisions. Like for payments, AI-related use cases were the top priority in lending improvement in 2024 and 2025. 36% of the organizations polled in 2025 indicated having adopted AI assistants and chatbots for training and troubleshooting over the past year, with the US, Germany, and the UK leading in adoption, at 45%, 42%, and 41%, respectively. AI assistants and chatbots will remain a key area of focus for lending technology improvement and deployment within the next 12 months, at 34%. Following AI assistants, fraud, along with know-your-customer (KYC) and know-your-business (KYB) enhancements, were the second most significant areas of focus for improvement and deployment in lending. Over the past 12 months, 35% of respondents deployed fraud, and KYC/KYB enhancements to strengthen identity verification and financial crime prevention. This trend was most prevalent in Vietnam at 47%, while Japan lagged behind at just 11%. Over the next 12 months, 29% of global respondents will continue to focus on fraud, and KYC/KYB enhancements, underscoring a shift towards faster, more transparent, and seamless lending journeys. Lending technologies improvement and deployment, Source: Financial Services State of the Nation Survey 2026, Finastra Though the adoption of AI has increased around the world, some regions are leading others. A July 2025 study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) polled over 4,500 employees and found that workers in APAC are embracing generative AI (genAI) tools faster than their global peers. In APAC, 70% of frontline employees use genAI regularly compared to just 51% globally. Overall, 78% of APAC respondents use AI at least weekly, versus 72% worldwide. Adoption of AI also varies sharply across countries. In India, an overwhelming 92% of employees use AI, while Japan lags at just 51%.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by freepik via Freepik The post AI Reaches Mainstream Adoption in Finance: Singapore Leads in Payment Use Cases appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Syfe has partnered with J.P. Morgan Asset Management to launch a new actively managed ETF portfolio for investors in Singapore. The portfolio, named Equity Alpha, will be available on Syfe’s platform from this week. Syfe said this marks the first time a digital wealth platform in Singapore is offering J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s institutional active ETF strategy in a managed format. Active ETFs accounted for about 25 percent of global ETF inflows in 2025, up from 16 percent in 2023. Equity Alpha targets annual excess returns of 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent over its benchmark. J.P. Morgan Asset Management has reported long-term outperformance of the MSCI World Index over a 20-year period for similar strategies. Ritesh Ganeriwal Ritesh Ganeriwal, MD, Head of Investment and Advisory at Syfe, said, “By partnering with J.P. Morgan Asset Management, we are bridging the gap between institutional sophistication and retail accessibility. The Equity Alpha portfolio brings a repeatable, research-led process to individual investors that was historically available only to the world’s largest institutions. The new portfolio serves as an expansion of Syfe’s growth suite, offering a different driver of returns that complements the factor-based Core Equity 100.” The portfolio builds on a global equity benchmark and takes multiple small active positions across sectors and countries, with modest country tilts. J.P. Morgan Asset Management provides research insights. Syfe remains the discretionary manager and oversees portfolio implementation. It said the strategy uses actively managed ETFs as building blocks, resulting in underlying costs of about 0.20 percent per year, compared with 1 percent to 2 percent for many traditional active funds. Yuejue Jin Yuejue Jin, Co-Head of Multi-Asset Solutions Asia at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, added, “With this partnership with Syfe, our active investment expertise and industry-leading active ETF strategies are now accessible to a wider community of investors in Singapore. We are proud to support local investors in achieving their long-term goals with portfolios designed for diversification, resilience, and consistent results.” The launch follows an earlier announcement this month that the two firms are also working together on an Income+ Max portfolio for investors in Hong Kong.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by smartmalik6384 via Freepik The post Syfe Brings J.P. Morgan’s Active ETF Strategy to Singapore Investors appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Triple-A is expanding its cross-border remittance network through a partnership with Mastercard. The company has integrated Mastercard Move into its remittance-as-a-service platform to support faster international payouts for banks, fintech firms and telecom operators. The move enables European financial institutions to launch global remittance services with near real-time settlement and improved liquidity management. Banks in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America can also use Triple-A’s infrastructure to facilitate remittance flows from Europe to key home markets. Triple-A, a licensed global payment institution, said the collaboration marks another step in its continued expansion in Europe. Mastercard Move provides cross-border money movement solutions that connect banks and payment providers across multiple markets. Eric Barbier Eric Barbier, Founder & CEO of Triple-A, said, “This collaboration with Mastercard is a natural extension of our mission to simplify global payments. Together, we’re unlocking new levels of interoperability and trust in the cross-border space, offering banks, fintech and telecom service providers with fast and efficient payment solutions to key remittance corridors.” Tulsi Narayan Tulsi Narayan, EVP, Commercial & New Payment Flows Europe, at Mastercard said, “This collaboration expands access to Mastercard Move’s cross-border payment solutions, enabling European banks, fintechs, and telecom providers to launch global remittance services while helping Middle East and Africa banks connect with diaspora communities. Together, we’re making it easier for people to support loved ones back home, securely, quickly, and with confidence.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by isaac1112 via Freepik The post Triple-A Taps Mastercard for Europe-Focused Remittance Growth appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Stripe has shown early interest in acquiring PayPal or parts of its business, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter. The talks are at an exploratory stage and may not result in a deal. Both companies declined to comment. PayPal shares rose about 6.7 percent to US$47.01 in New York trading on Tuesday, giving it a market value of roughly US$43.3 billion. Stripe was valued at US$159 billion in a recent employee and shareholder tender offer. PayPal, an early online payments pioneer, has faced slower growth amid rising competition from digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its latest quarterly results missed analyst expectations and showed continued moderation in payment volumes. The company is also undergoing a leadership transition, with Enrique Lores set to assume the role of President and CEO on 1 March, succeeding Alex Chriss.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by farknot via Freepik   The post Stripe Explores Possible PayPal Acquisition appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Checkout.com processed over US$300 billion in payments in 2025 and swung back to full-year EBITDA profitability. Total payment volume rose 64 percent year on year, while net revenue grew more than 30 percent for the second straight year. Adjusted EBITDA margin exceeded 10 percent. The company now serves more than 1,000 enterprise merchants, including Uber, eBay, Spotify, Temu, Pinterest, HelloFresh, ASOS and Vinted. Sixty-three merchants process more than US$1 billion annually on its platform, up from 39 a year earlier. Guillaume Pousaz Guillaume Pousaz, CEO and Founder of Checkout.com, said, “Our return to profitability and the record-breaking performance of our enterprise clients validate the long-term architectural bet we made from day one: that a single, unified infrastructure would ultimately outmatch patched-together legacy systems.” Checkout.com reported 99.999 percent uptime in 2025. It handled US$5.2 billion in volume over Black Friday and Cyber Monday across nearly 100 million transactions, with 95 percent completed in under one second. The company said it is building infrastructure for agentic commerce and is live with Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, while supporting Visa Intelligent Commerce and Mastercard’s Agentpay framework. AI tools reduced due diligence time by 83 percent and now automate all rejected transaction distribution. The company generates about 2.7 million lines of AI-assisted code each month. Headcount rose 15 percent to about 2,000 employees, with new hubs in San Francisco, Atlanta and São Paulo. Checkout.com also secured approval for a Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank license in Georgia.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ismode via Freepik The post Checkout.com Swings Back to Profitability as Payment Volume Tops US$300B appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mambu has expanded its Payments Hub platform into Southeast Asia, making it available in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore for the first time. The rollout follows adoption of the hub by banks and fintech firms operating across multiple payment schemes and jurisdictions, as the company strengthens its payments offering in the region. The cloud-native, API-first platform enables financial institutions to manage multiple payment rails through a single system. It supports processing, liquidity management and reconciliations across markets while maintaining compliance. Mambu said institutions can connect to new schemes and onboard banking partners more quickly, in some cases up to six times faster, while reducing manual processes. David Becker David Becker, Managing Director and Head of APAC Sales at Mambu, said, “Mambu’s Payments Hub provides a modern, cloud-native platform that enables the orchestration of multiple payment rails, real-time payment processing, and the build and scaling of new payment solutions more quickly and efficiently and all on a single system.” Edouard Mandon Edouard Mandon, VP Payments at Mambu, said, “Payments are becoming more global and more local, more interconnected and more fragmented, and now move in real-time. This complexity makes scaling payments across multiple markets challenging. To solve this, we have expanded our payments hub to give institutions access to local schemes while maintaining a consistent integration and operational experience.” The platform is already used by Western Union, BCB Group, Flowe and Spendesk to support payment flows at scale and regional expansion.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Mambu Expands Payments Hub Footprint to Southeast Asia appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

McKinsey estimates the stablecoin market will hit $2 trillion by 2028. But according to Sam Lin, COO of dtcpay, even that massive number might be an underestimate. In this video, we dive into why the “train cannot be stopped.” From Visa embracing stablecoins to transactions that are faster and cheaper than SWIFT, the infrastructure of money is changing fundamentally behind the scenes. Key Topics: Why the $2 Trillion forecast might be conservative Stablecoins vs. SWIFT: Speed and Cost Why Visa is entering the game The next 5-10 years of digital finance The post Why The $2 Trillion Stablecoin Prediction Is Too Low appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Chinese New Year marks more than the start of a new lunar cycle. For many Singapore SMEs, it represents a reset and a chance to reflect on festive trading performance and set the tone for the months ahead. Now that the celebrations have concluded and we enter the Year of the Fire Horse, the focus shifts from managing peak demand to planning for sustainable growth. The horse symbolises energy, drive and forward momentum.  The Fire Horse will no doubt bring with it some disruption and ambiguity for customers, businesses and supply chains. For business owners, that means moving decisively, with a clear strategy and the right financial support in place. Reflecting on the festive period lifeforstock vie Freepik Chinese New Year is traditionally a busy trading period across Singapore, bringing increased consumer spending and operational activity. Whether your business experienced strong sales or a steadier start, now is the ideal time to assess your business performance. Were there opportunities you could not fully pursue due to limited working capital? Are receivables still outstanding while supplier invoices are now due? Do you need to replenish stock or invest in marketing to maintain momentum? Joseph Lim Joseph Lim, Bizcap’s Managing Partner for Asia, said this period offers a natural checkpoint. He said, “Chinese New Year gives businesses a moment to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how they want to approach the rest of the year.” Rather than treating the festive season as a standalone spike, he encourages SMEs to view it as a launchpad for broader growth plans, both in Singapore and regionally across Asia.   Why cash flow planning matters now The weeks after Chinese New Year can bring tighter cash flow. Customer payments may be delayed following holiday closures, while payroll, rent and supplier commitments continue. At the same time, many SMEs are preparing new initiatives or looking ahead to the next peak trading period. Without proactive planning, early-year momentum can slow. Lim said,  “Cash flow should support your strategy, not dictate it. When SMEs secure working capital early, they are better positioned to act on opportunities rather than react to pressure.” This mindset shift from reactive borrowing to strategic financing is increasingly important in a competitive environment. Funding growth without slowing down Traditional bank financing can suit long-term investments, but approval timelines and strict criteria do not always align with the pace of SMEs. When opportunities arise, speed matters. Non-bank lenders have become an important part of Singapore’s SME financing landscape for this reason. With Bizcap, small business financing is designed to provide efficient access to capital through a streamlined application process and timely decisions. A fast “yes” or “no” is better than a long “maybe”. Flexibility is equally critical. Every SME operates on its own cash flow cycle, shaped by customer payment terms and seasonal demand. A working capital loan or line of credit should complement that cycle, not complicate it. Alternative lending solutions are structured with real-world operations in mind, offering funding amounts and repayment terms that align with business needs. Lim said that fast, practical support can make a tangible difference at the start of the year. He said,  “Access to funding at the right time allows business owners to move forward with confidence and set a strong pace for the months ahead,” Turning momentum into long-term growth As the Year of the Fire Horse gathers pace, many Singapore SMEs are focusing on sustainable expansion. Access to the right SME financing partner can support investments in new product lines, digital capabilities, staffing or equipment upgrades. It can also provide the confidence to secure supplier discounts or pursue new contracts that require upfront capital. Lim said,  “A working capital loan should solve problems quickly so businesses can keep moving forward. When funding gaps are left too long, they can compound and create bigger challenges.” By reinforcing cash flow early, SMEs create room to plan strategically rather than make rushed decisions under financial strain. Moving forward with confidence The Year of the Fire Horse represents strength and forward movement; qualities that resonate strongly with Singapore’s SME community. The post-festive period offers a timely opportunity to refine strategy, strengthen your financial foundation and commit to clear growth objectives. With the right funding partner, a business loan or line of credit  can support expansion without placing unnecessary pressure on day-to-day operations. Exploring flexible funding options, through providers like Bizcap, may help transform early-year momentum into sustained success. The year has only just begun. With clarity, preparation and the right financial backing, your business can set a confident pace for the months ahead. Bizcap offers small business loan options here for companies reviewing their cash flow needs this year. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by tahantanha10 via Freepik The post Why Post-Festive Business Funding Planning Matters for Singapore SMEs appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

DBS is set to overhaul the fee structure for its virtual account custodian services in April, according to Tech in Asia. The bank will move to a per-account pricing model that could significantly raise costs for larger fintech platforms. The shift reportedly replaces a flat annual fee, typically capped at around S$10,000, with charges tied to the number of individual customer accounts, industry sources said. Sources cited a monthly fee of S$1 (US$0.79) per customer account under the new structure. DBS did not publicly confirm a specific pricing figure in its statement, saying only that fees reflect the cost of additional risk controls and may vary from client to client. For major payment institutions required to safeguard client funds in segregated accounts under Singapore’s Payment Services Act, the change could turn what was previously a four-digit yearly expense into a six-figure one for platforms with large user bases. The update centres on virtual accounts, which fintech firms use to assign unique identifiers when processing high volumes of incoming payments. Previously, many of these accounts were generated dynamically by the firms themselves. DBS is now migrating selected clients to static accounts issued and managed by the bank, embedding additional screening and fraud controls. A DBS spokesperson told Fintech News Singapore that the move reflects the growing complexity of round-the-clock domestic and cross-border payment flows and the heightened risk of scams. “DBS is taking several proactive steps to strengthen controls for enhanced consumer protection. We take a risk-based approach, which includes migrating some fintech platforms from dynamic to static virtual accounts that embed additional controls and screening of end-customers and corporates. As we seek to balance risk and pricing, any pricing changes reflect the costs of additional risk controls and processes and may vary from client to client. We are committed to closely engaging clients and partners to support their migration.” Tech in Asia reported that some affected firms have begun trimming services or offboarding users as they assess the financial impact of the new structure.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by DBS The post DBS Fee Overhaul May Lift Custodian Costs for High-Volume Payment Firms appeared first on Fintech Singapore.