Poni Financial Advisory, the international arm of Nasdaq-listed Huize Holding, has received approval from Singapore’s central bank to operate as a licensed financial adviser and exempt insurance broker, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The Monetary Authority of Singapore granted the license effective 10 July 2025, expanding the reach of Huize’s insurtech brand, Poni Insurtech. The move marks a key step in Huize’s push to diversify beyond China and Hong Kong. Poni Insurtech, which already operates in Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, is building a regional digital platform to distribute insurance and wealth products. The company has signalled plans to extend its presence to Indonesia and the Philippines, although it has yet to set a timeline for those markets. Huize executives said the license provides a foundation for scaling Poni Insurtech’s advisory and distribution capabilities across Southeast Asia.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Huize’s Subsidiary Gets Singapore License for Regional Insurance, Wealth Push appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

HSBC has unveiled Wealth Intelligence, a generative AI-powered ecosystem designed to help its private banking teams deliver faster, more tailored investment advice. Developed in-house and powered by OpenAI’s large language model, Wealth Intelligence reviews and summarises HSBC’s research alongside external news from more than 10,000 data sources. It gives investment counsellors and product specialists quicker access to reports from the bank’s award-winning Chief Investment Office, while an open product platform will progressively integrate a growing volume of third-party product information. The platform has been rolled out in Hong Kong and Singapore and will expand to other markets to serve HSBC’s growing global client base. HSBC said the next stage of Wealth Intelligence will allow its teams to screen and identify suitable products to support discussions on investment options and asset allocation with clients. Gabriel Castello Gabriel Castello, CEO, HSBC Global Private Banking a.i., said, “Client relationships are core to every private banker. With the rapidly-evolving financial markets, we understand our clients have stronger expectations for timely, trustworthy and personalised investment advice than ever. Riding on our deep institutional knowledge and experience, our wealth management teams can now leverage these AI capabilities to spare more time to attend to our clients’ unique investment objectives and portfolio optimisation needs.” Lavanya Chari Lavanya Chari, Head of Wealth and Premier Solutions, HSBC, added, “AI adoption is one of our core strategic pillars for enhancing our client experience at scale. By harnessing AI’s analytical power and data delivery speed, we continue to upskill our wealth management talent, transform our workflows and client journeys to support our clients in making better data-driven decisions to achieve their goals.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Ataullah23456 via Freepik The post HSBC Deploys Generative AI to Streamline Private Banking Advice appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s venture arm, plans to raise a US$250 million fund for digital assets in 2026, Bloomberg reported. Operating partner Gautam Jain announced the plan at the Money 20/20 conference in Riyadh, saying the vehicle will target global financial services opportunities with backing from Middle Eastern investors. The fund will focus on early-stage companies developing digital custody infrastructure, compliance tools and hybrid platforms that connect fiat and crypto ecosystems. SC Ventures is also preparing a US$100 million Africa fund and exploring its first venture debt vehicle, though it has not confirmed whether these will include digital assets. The announcement in Saudi Arabia underscores the Middle East’s rise as a crypto and blockchain hub, with Dubai and Riyadh introducing progressive regulations and sovereign wealth funds pouring capital into blockchain projects. SC Ventures’ presence in these markets positions it to attract both investors and deal flow. Since launching in 2018, SC Ventures has incubated and invested in firms spanning digital payments, sustainable finance and financial infrastructure. It already backs Libeara, Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, which provide institutional custody, trading and tokenisation services.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik The post SC Ventures Taps Middle East Investors for US$250M Digital Asset Fund appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Ant International has teamed up with Google to help shape a new way for AI agents to make payments safely, a step that could speed up the growth of autonomous commerce. The Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) is an open system that sets out how AI agents can carry out transactions with a user’s approval. It is designed to check user intent, make transactions easier to track, improve privacy and make it clear who is responsible for each step. The protocol works with different payment types including cards, real-time bank transfers and stablecoins. It also connects with Google’s Agent2Agent and Model Context systems. In addition, Google has launched the A2A x402 extension to support crypto payments between AI agents. Ant International said it will use its experience with alternative payment methods and its links to 36 digital wallets to help build AP2. This includes making the checkout process smoother, using AI to block fraud and applying its payment mandate model to clearly link each transaction to a user’s verified intent for compliance and dispute resolution. The company is testing how AP2 can work in real-world settings through Alipay+ Voyager, its AI travel service launched in July 2025. Under the multi-agent model of Agent2Agent, Alipay+ Voyager will be able to coordinate bookings and payments across different sub-agents in line with AP2. Jiangming Yang “Ant International is excited to partner with Google to advance standards-setting in agentic payments, leveraging our expertise in APM payments and trusted AI innovations. We are committed to working with global partners to shape the future of agentic commerce, where AI agents serve as trusted assistants for discovery, engagement, and transactions, powering merchant growth and transforming consumer experience,” said Jiangming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer of Ant International. Mark Micallef Mark Micallef, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Google Cloud, said, “AP2 establishes the core building blocks for secure transactions that will drive further growth, creating clear opportunities for the industry—including networks, issuers, merchants, and end users—to innovate on adjacent areas like seamless agent authorisation. We’re committed to evolving this protocol in an open, collaborative process and invite the entire payments and technology community to build this future with us.” Google said more than 60 organisations are working on AP2, including payments networks, technology providers and financial institutions. Among them are Adyen, American Express, Coinbase, Etsy, Forter, Intuit, JCB, Mastercard, Mysten Labs, PayPal, Revolut, Salesforce, ServiceNow, UnionPay International, Worldpay, and more.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Ant International Among Over 60 Firms Backing Google’s Push for AI Agent Payments appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

SEON, a company focused on fraud prevention and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, has raised US$80 million in its Series C funding round. The investment was led by Sixth Street Growth, with participation from existing investors IVP, Creandum and Firebolt, alongside new backers including Hearst. This round brings SEON’s total funding to US$187 million and is expected to support expansion in North America and other global markets, as well as further product development and hiring. Over the past year, SEON has reported strong growth among fraud and compliance technology providers. The company analyses millions of customer interactions daily for thousands of clients, which include Revolut, Plaid, Nubank, Afterpay, Worldcoin and Entain. Its platform aggregates over 900 real-time data signals, supporting digital onboarding, compliance and fraud prevention through a single API. Tamas Kadar, Co-founder and Chief Executive of SEON, said: Tamas Kadar “Our mission has always been clear, to enable companies to prevent fraud without impeding legitimate growth. This investment validates the critical market need for fraud prevention and AML solutions that can scale at the speed of modern digital commerce. With global fraud losses exceeding billions annually, we are tackling a fundamental challenge facing businesses worldwide.” The company stated that clients typically achieve reductions in fraudulent account creation of up to 90%, and report significant improvements in precision when stopping fraudulent transactions by combining fraud and AML controls. Manual review times have also been reduced, allowing teams to focus on other business priorities. Funding will be used to strengthen SEON’s AI capabilities for real-time fraud detection, continue international expansion in regions such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America, and invest in partnerships with financial institutions and cloud providers. Michael Bauer, Managing Director at Sixth Street Growth, who will join SEON’s board as part of the investment, said: Michael Bauer “Fraud is growing at an unprecedented pace in the age of AI, and businesses need better defences. SEON has built the command centre for fraud prevention and AML compliance that empowers organisations to combat bad actors without impeding real customer transactions. Their proprietary data signals and end-to-end workflow platform provide the real-time insights needed to make smarter decisions with confidence.”   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by jcomp via Freepik The post SEON Raises $80M in Series C to Expand Fraud Prevention and AML Platform appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

India’s markets regulator has cleared Pine Labs to proceed with its initial public offering (IPO), according to a Securities and Exchange Board of India filing cited by Reuters. The fintech company, which offers point-of-sale machines and other payment solutions, plans to raise up to US$1 billion through the listing and is seeking a valuation of about US$6 billion. Proceeds from the IPO are expected to go toward expanding international operations, investing in technology and paying down debt. Pine Labs operates digital payments and issuing platforms in India and several overseas markets including Malaysia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and the United States. The company positions itself as a technology partner for merchants, consumer brands and financial institutions.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Faraz Ali via Freepik The post India Clears Pine Labs for IPO, Paving Way for US$1 Billion Listing appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

CIMB Singapore has launched the CIMB Founders Card, described as the first purpose-built personal credit card for sole proprietors and small business owners. It is designed to help entrepreneurs manage cash flow through instant cash access, up to 114 days of interest-free credit and zero foreign exchange fees on overseas spending. CIMB said the card was developed to address financing challenges faced by small business owners, including irregular income, limited credit histories and lack of collateral. Sole proprietors and SMEs make up 99% of Singapore’s businesses and employ about 70% of the workforce. The bank said the Founders Card reflects the government’s call for SME-friendly financing solutions, helping business owners bridge cash flow gaps, cover unexpected costs and reinvest savings into their operations. Cardholders are invited to take part in a CIMB campaign offering complimentary bus stop advertising to promote local SMEs. The card also provides access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through Mastercard Travel Pass, with travel insurance coverage of up to S$1 million. Additional privileges include discounted access to co-working spaces, workplace productivity software and hotels through Mastercard’s Easy Savings Specials. Working capital loans under the card are subject to a 1% processing fee (EIR up to 4.47%). Merlyn Tsai “For sole proprietors and SME owners, what truly matters is financial flexibility and easy access to capital to support growth. CIMB Singapore is proud to be a partner in their entrepreneurial journey with inclusive and innovative solutions. We are committed to advancing customers and society with services and solutions that drive progress, and the CIMB Founders Card is a meaningful step in that direction,” said Merlyn Tsai, Head of Consumer Banking and Digital at CIMB Singapore. Deborah Heng “Mastercard is proud to collaborate with CIMB Singapore to introduce the CIMB Founders Card, an initiative that empowers entrepreneurs with the financial tools, digital solutions, and business travel support they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. This collaboration reflects Mastercard’s unwavering commitment to supporting SMEs beyond payments, and our shared vision to ensure that sole proprietors and small businesses have access to the solutions they need to succeed – today and into the future,” said Deborah Heng, Country Manager, Singapore, Mastercard.     Featured image: (From left) Benjamin Tan (Head of Commercial and Transaction Banking, CIMB Singapore), Merlyn Tsai (Head of Consumer Banking and Digital, CIMB Singapore), Andrew Boey (Chief Financial Officer and Officer-in-Charge, CIMB Singapore), Quek Puay Cheng (Head of Financial Institutions, Singapore, Mastercard), Jaden Tok (Commercial Cards Lead, Singapore, Mastercard)   The post CIMB Singapore Unveils New Personal Credit Card for Entrepreneurs appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Triple-A, a digital currency payments company, has appointed Kailash Madan as its new Chief Commercial Officer. Madan has more than a decade of experience in payments, fintech and banking across Asia Pacific, EMEA and North America. He most recently led global sales at Primer, driving revenue growth across three continents. Before that, he scaled Primer’s Asia Pacific business, built enterprise merchant adoption at Stripe and spent six years in commercial and consumer banking roles at Citi. At Triple-A, Madan will lead the company’s global commercial strategy, working with merchants and partners to unlock new use cases for stablecoin payments, open fresh growth corridors and scale adoption across industries.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Pixelid via Freepik The post Triple-A Names Kailash Madan as Chief Commercial Officer appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Finastra has moved to streamline annuity risk management, adding automation and real-time analytics to its Fusion Invest software. The updates include automating the dynamic hedging of annuity contracts, which the company said will improve transparency for risk and compliance teams and streamline operations. Fusion Invest brings portfolio management functions into one platform and reduces manual data entry and reconciliation. According to Finastra, this helps annuity carriers cut errors and increase efficiency in monitoring collateral positions, valuations and movements. The platform also meets derivatives processing regulations, such as Swift ISO 20022, and improves collateral management workflows. The system automates tasks from trade order creation through to compliance checks and uses real-time market data to model different scenarios. Finastra said this enables annuity providers to identify opportunities within their product rules, including participation rates, caps and crediting methods. The technology also supports cloud adoption for annuity carriers and includes multi-underlying indexed-linked derivatives modelling, cross-asset hedging and real-time analytics. Julie Barthés Julie Barthés, VP Product, Treasury and Capital Markets Business Unit at Finastra, said, “The current economic climate and state of the retirement nest egg has driven life and annuity carriers to develop a wider range of investment options, including registered index-linked annuities (RILAs). Since RILAs are considered both an insurance product as well as a security, carriers must comply with regulations set by both FINRA and the Securities Exchange Commission. The added complexity makes the right hedging and processing platform essential. This latest innovation in Fusion Invest covers the full scope of the annuity lifecycle, enabling annuity carriers to seamlessly coordinate front, middle and back-office functions, from trade decisioning, hedging and risk monitoring to collateral management, operations and hedge accounting.” Wissam Khoury Wissam Khoury, EVP, Treasury and Capital Markets Business Unit at Finastra added, “Fusion Invest offers enhanced portfolio management business agility that in turn drives significant value by optimizing revenue growth potential and streamlining operational efficiency. The ability to bring it into this new market speaks volumes about the flexibility and strength of our technology.”       Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Finastra Brings Automated Hedging, Real-Time Insights to the Annuities Market appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Asia’s growing appetite for real-world asset tokenisation has prompted Saison Capital to launch Onigiri Capital, a US$50 million blockchain fund linking global startups with the region’s financial institutions and 300 million-plus crypto users. The Singapore-based fund has already secured US$35 million for investments in stablecoins, payments, tokenised assets, decentralised finance and financial market infrastructure. The launch comes as blockchain venture funding rebounds to its highest level since 2022 and real-world asset tokenisation is projected to hit US$10 trillion by 2030. Institutions from BlackRock and Goldman Sachs to MUFG and Bank of China are already integrating blockchain into finance. Onigiri Capital is led by Qin En Looi and Hans de Back, who plan to use Credit Saison’s network across Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to give startups direct access to banks, asset managers and insurers. Looi co-authored whitepapers on asset tokenisation, helped launch Tokenize Indonesia through Project Wira and organises ONCHAIN, Asia’s first annual conference on real-world assets. De Back brings decades of experience building Southeast Asia’s innovation ecosystem and backing early-stage tech firms. Hans de Back “Trust in blockchain needs external validation and a proven track record. We’re here to complement existing product investors by offering founders the best of both worlds – Silicon Valley’s innovation combined with Asia’s institutional validation – and provide the expertise needed to originate high-quality solutions that meet institutional, global finance standards.” said Hans de Back, Managing Partner of Onigiri Capital. Qin En Looi “We saw a critical gap in the U.S. market: an absence of the specialised expertise needed to navigate and succeed in dynamic Asian markets such as Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Singapore. Our institutional background and deep roots in the region instantly provide a launchpad for U.S. founders and developers to drive real progress at scale and speed.” said Qin En Looi, Managing Partner of Onigiri Capital and Partner, Saison Capital.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Credit Saison Launches US$50M Onigiri Capital Fund for Real-World Asset Growth appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

A major test run by Swift shows financial institutions can double their fraud detection power without sharing customer data, based on synthetic data trials. Swift worked with 13 global financial institutions to test how artificial intelligence and privacy enhancing technologies could help detect and prevent cross border payment fraud more quickly. The experiments used privacy enhancing technologies to let participants verify intelligence on suspicious accounts in real time, helping them identify complex international crime networks and avoid fraudulent transactions. In a separate use case, these technologies were combined with federated learning, where the model trains locally at each institution so customer information stays private. Trained on synthetic data from ten million test transactions, the model was twice as effective at identifying instances of known fraud as a model trained on a single institution’s dataset. Swift plans to expand participation before a second phase using real transaction data to demonstrate the technologies’ impact on real world fraud. The cooperative says secure collaboration at scale could help reduce industry fraud related costs. Financial crime was estimated to have cost the industry US$485 billion in 2023. Swift says it is exploring more than 50 AI use cases and earlier this year launched an AI enhanced Payments Controls Service to help small and medium sized financial institutions flag suspicious transactions in real time. Participants included ANZ, BNY and Intesa Sanpaolo, alongside technology partners such as Google Cloud. Rachel Levi Rachel Levi, Head of AI at Swift, said, “These experiments demonstrate the convening power of Swift as a trusted cooperative at the heart of global finance. A united, industry-wide fraud defence will always be stronger than one put up by a single institution acting alone. The industry loses billions to fraud each year, but by enabling the secure sharing of intelligence across borders we’re paving the way for this figure to be significantly reduced, and allowing fraud to be stopped in a matter of minutes, not hours or days.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by diloka107 via Freepik The post Swift-Led Trial with 13 Banks Finds AI Can Double Fraud Detection appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Standard Chartered’s operations in Singapore delivered stronger earnings in the first half of 2025, supported by higher fee and foreign exchange income, The Business Times reported. While the bank did not disclose full local details in its global statement, preliminary figures point to continued growth in its Singapore franchise. Globally, the lender posted a pretax profit of about US$4.38 billion for the six months ended June 2025, up from the same period a year earlier and ahead of the US$3.8 billion average estimate of 15 analysts compiled by the bank. Profit attributable to shareholders also improved, reflecting robust performance across wealth and markets businesses. In line with the stronger earnings, Standard Chartered announced a US$1.3 billion share buyback programme. According to eport, fee and commission income in Singapore rose sharply alongside stronger foreign exchange revenues. This performance echoes a broader trend across the group as it benefits from higher transaction volumes and growing client demand. Standard Chartered continues to emphasise Singapore as a key market in its Asian strategy. The bank’s regional balance sheet remains substantial, with assets and liabilities running into the hundreds of billions of Singapore dollars. The lender said its global results were driven by a rebound in market activity and improved margins. The buyback is expected to enhance shareholder returns while signalling confidence in its capital position.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by EyeEm via Freepik The post StanChart Singapore Profit Nears S$1 Billion in First Half of 2025 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Travellers heading to Southeast Asia can now book Grab rides without leaving their home e-wallet, as Alipay+ brings the superapp’s ride-hailing service into its Voyager platform. The integration allows users of Alipay+ Voyager, its inbuilt AI travel agent, to arrange local transportation directly within their existing digital wallets, removing the need to download separate apps. It builds on the partnership Alipay+ and Grab formed in 2023, which enabled consumers to use their home e-wallets to make payments on the Grab app. Launched in mid-2025, Alipay+ Voyager is currently available on Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China) and GCash (Philippines) and will roll out to more partners throughout the year. Travellers visiting all eight Southeast Asian destinations where Grab operates including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar can book rides directly through the Voyager platform. Alipay+ connects 36 leading payment partner apps with more than 1.7 billion user accounts to over 100 million in-store merchants in 70 markets. Complementing its cross-border payment capabilities, Alipay+ is developing digital services for its partners, including rewards, in-app tax refunds and Alipay+ Voyager. Scarlett Xing “With Southeast Asia growing in popularity as a travel destination, making Grab’s services directly available within Alipay+ partner apps offers users the most comprehensive and trusted local transportation across the region. Alipay+ Voyager will continue to expand our ecosystem, particularly across essential travel services, to connect more partners with mobile-savvy travellers, while we collaborate to create new ways of engagement across the entire travel journey.” said Scarlett Xing, General Manager of Alipay+ Travel Solutions, Ant International. Samir Kumar “We’re thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Alipay+ Voyager to deliver safe and reliable ride-hailing services for more travellers visiting Southeast Asia. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to enhancing the travel experience and providing greater convenience for millions of users,” said Samir Kumar, Head of Mobility at Grab.     Featured image: (From left) Chuck Kim, Managing Director, Group Business Development, Grab; Samir Kumar, Head of Mobility, Grab; Scarlett Xing, General Manager of Alipay+ Travel Solutions, Ant International; Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International The post SE Asia Travellers Can Now Book Grab Rides from Their Home Wallets via Alipay+ appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore-based fintech firm FOMO Group has brought Singapore Exchange (SGX Group) on board as a shareholder, adding to its roster of blue-chip investors. Financial terms of the deal were not made public. The move follows SGX Group’s earlier investments in CapBridge and 1exchange, which sit under the FOMO Group umbrella. FOMO Group, founded in 2015, spans digital payments, cross-asset investment, tokenisation of real-world assets and digital capital markets infrastructure. It owns three licensed financial institutions that operate independently: FOMO Pay, CapBridge and 1exchange. FOMO Pay is a major payment institution licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, providing global collection and payout solutions. CapBridge offers digital investment products across funds, bonds, equities and insurance, while 1exchange focuses on the tokenisation and trading of real-world assets. SGX Group became a shareholder through a share exchange. FOMO Group said SGX Group’s experience in capital markets complements its own capabilities in areas such as tokenised asset listings, stablecoin-based settlement, digital capital markets infrastructure and cross-border market connectivity. Louis Liu Louis Liu, Group CEO of FOMO Group, said, “We are excited to welcome SGX Group as our newest shareholder. This represents a vote of confidence in our strategy and an opportunity to collaborate with SGX Group, Asia’s leading and trusted securities and derivatives market infrastructure. SGX Group’s deep expertise in capital markets, combined with our comprehensive digital finance capabilities, will unlock new possibilities for our merchants, corporates, and institutional clients.” Amit Kedia Amit Kedia, Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Development, SGX Group, said, “In a region rapidly embracing digital finance, there is a growing need for innovation that strengthens the trust and resilience of our market infrastructure. This presents opportunities for regulated interoperable solutions that enhance connectivity and efficiency across the ecosystem. FOMO Group is helping to build the foundation for the next generation of digital finance – seamless, secure and borderless financial experiences across the region.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by brilian via Freepik The post Singapore Exchange Takes Stake in Singapore’s FOMO Group appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Banks can now settle intraday FX swaps in real time, 24 hours a day, after Partior linked its digital settlement network with Finteum’s marketplace using Adhara’s integration technology. In a recent proof-of-concept, the three firms showed how trades negotiated on Finteum’s platform could be automatically settled using Partior’s network. This delivered settlement-risk-free intraday liquidity management, with Adhara’s DC Commander integration technology handling treasury operations and connectivity. Finteum’s platform enables banks to exchange excess cash for the currency liquidity they need for specific time periods, improving how they manage liquidity buffers and use capital. Partior provides a digital cash settlement network with global banks, offering 24/7 Payment versus Payment FX settlement across a growing number of currencies. Adhara acts as the integration layer between bank systems and the two platforms, enabling real-time automated settlement. Brian Nolan “The Finteum team is delighted to have successfully completed this proof-of-concept project, which creates an alternative to our current non-PvP settlement of intraday FX swap trades, across banks’ existing access to real-time gross settlement systems and nostros. Banks that are focused on the future state of balance sheet and liquidity management are prioritising real-time digital PvP settlement solutions.” said Brian Nolan, Co founder and CEO, Finteum. Humphrey Valenbreder “Our collaboration with Finteum and Adhara isn’t just a proof of concept; it’s a demonstration of how Partior’s network enables banks to tap into new market opportunities, such as intraday FX swaps, with the security and finality they need. This is about giving banks the tools to stay agile, reduce risk, and thrive in an increasingly fast-paced financial landscape.” said Humphrey Valenbreder, Chief Executive Officer, Partior. The firms said the joint approach addresses the need for better liquidity management tools as banks face pressure to optimise global liquidity and meet intraday buffer requirements.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Partior and Finteum Pilot Real-Time Intraday FX Swap Settlement appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

CreditBank Papua New Guinea (CBP) has partnered with OpenWay, a global provider of digital payment solutions, to modernise its banking services through OpenWay’s Way4 platform. The partnership allows CBP to offer secure and convenient digital services while improving its capacity to introduce new products, streamline operations, and provide a consistent digital experience across multiple channels. Danny Robinson “Our partnership with OpenWay and the adoption of the Way4 platform has given us the agility to innovate and deliver a digital-first banking experience that puts our customers at the centre. This partnership marks a new era in how we serve our customers and grow as the leading digital bank in PNG,” said Danny Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of CreditBank PNG. Rudy Gunawan, Managing Director of OpenWay Asia, said, Rudy Gunawan “Our collaboration with CreditBank reflects our commitment to advancing digital payments in growing markets. The Way4 platform’s flexibility and speed of implementation enable us to support financial institutions in meeting evolving customer demands. We are proud to be part of this journey to reshape Papua New Guinea’s banking landscape.”   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by drawnhy97 via Freepik The post CreditBank PNG Modernises Banking with OpenWay’s Way4 Platform appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Citi has named Lee Lung Nien as its new Country Officer and Banking Head for Singapore, according to The Edge. Lee brings more than three decades of experience at Citi to the position. Since 2020, he served as Chairman of Citi Private Bank for South Asia, following a six-year tenure as CEO of Citibank Berhad in Malaysia from 2014 to 2020. In his new capacity, Lee will manage all of Citi’s businesses and operations in Singapore. His responsibilities include strengthening franchise performance, overseeing regulatory compliance, and expanding key client relationships. He is also the first Singaporean in about 50 years to hold the bank’s most senior position in the country. Lee replaces Tibor Pandi, who has spent eight years in Asia and led Citi’s Singapore operations for the past two and a half years. He will report to Amol Gupte, Citi’s Head of Asia South, and is set to join the Asia South management team on 6 October. The appointment reflects Citi’s focus on continuity and regional expertise, as Lee has worked across multiple markets and held senior leadership roles within the group.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Lee Lung Nien’s Instagram  The post Veteran Banker Lee Lung Nien Appointed to Lead Citi Singapore appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Personetics has launched its MCP Server, giving financial institutions and fintech firms a platform to develop and deploy agentic AI applications using its financial models and actionable insights. The Model Context Protocol Server offers secure access to Personetics’ behavior analysis, predictive analytics and engagement frameworks, enabling banks to create personalised, proactive AI experiences that guide smarter financial decisions. Banks can use it to power conversational agents, predictive nudging or goal-based coaching through chatbots, mobile assistants, virtual advisors or embedded modules. Personetics said the server shortens development cycles, reduces reliance on in-house data science and meets enterprise-grade standards for privacy, auditability and global financial regulations. The company cited research showing 84% of consumers would switch banks for cognitive banking capabilities such as real-time, contextual guidance. “Cognitive Banking fundamentally shifts the paradigm from impersonal, one-size-fits-all interactions to intelligent, agentic partnerships between banks and customers. With the MCP Server, we’re giving banks a foundational toolkit—one that translates our deep customer financial intelligence into real, autonomous customer engagement mechanisms. This marks a powerful leap forward in enabling banks to act as trusted financial allies.” said Udi Ziv, CEO at Personetics.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by kate3155 via Freepik The post Personetics Rolls Out MCP Server to Help Banks Build Agentic AI Tools appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the fastest-growing region for cryptocurrency activity, driven by robust engagement across South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In the past 12 months ending June 2025, the region recorded the highest global growth rate, with the value received rising 69% from US$1.4 trillion to US$2.3 trillion, according to data from Chainalysis, a US-based blockchain analytics firm. Crypto activity growth rates in 2024 and 2025, Source: The 2025 Global Adoption Index, Chainalysis, Sep 2025 India, Pakistan, Vietnam drives crypto adoption in APAC APAC is also dominating the Global Crypto Adoption Index in 2025, with nine of the top 20 entries. India, Vietnam, and Pakistan are the main engines of growth, ranking first, third, and fourth globally for crypto adoption in the past year. The 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index Top 10, Source: Chainalysis, Sep 2025 India remains the world leader for the third consecutive year, boasting an ownership rate of 8.3% in 2024, according to research from Triple-A, a Singapore-based crypto payments provider. This implies that more than 100 million people in the country owned cryptocurrencies last year. Top 30 countries with the highest cryptocurrency ownership rate in 2024, Source: The State of Global Cryptocurrency Ownership in 2024, Triple-A, May 2024 Vietnam has also consistently ranked among the world’s top adopters. Currently, an estimated 17 million people in Vietnam own digital assets, with annual crypto transactions valued at around US$105 billion, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam’s adoption of cryptocurrencies is expected to expand following new government initiatives. Earlier this month, authorities approved a five-year pilot for crypto asset trading. Under the program, only Vietnamese companies will be permitted to provide crypto platforms, and all issuances, trading and payment of crypto assets will be required to be made in Vietnamese dong, according to a statement on the government website. Issuances are limited to domestic firms and offered only to foreign investors. In June, Vietnam’s parliament approved a law, effective January 2026, to accelerate the country’s digital transformation, strengthen local tech companies, and integrate them more deeply into global markets, according to local media. In particular, the law defines and establishes a legal framework for digital assets, including both tokenized and virtual assets. Pakistan has also witnessed rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies, moving from 10th place in 2024 to fourth globally. This comes as the government is reportedly planning to fast-track the adoption of cryptocurrencies for banks, foreign exchange (FX) companies, and gold trading, sources told Dawn in July. The central bank is said to be preparing to license crypto-trading banks and other financial institutions, while the government is finalizing legislation to regulate virtual assets, and preparing to launch a pilot for a digital currency. Latin America follows, leading in stablecoin adoption After APAC, Latin America (LatAm) follows closely, recording a 63% year-over-year (YoY) increase in crypto adoption, according to Chainalysis. Like for APAC, crypto adoption accelerated between 2024 and 2025, reflecting rising adoption across both retail and institutional segments. Across the retail segment, adoption is particularly strong in high-inflation economies such as Argentina and Venezuela, where inflation reached 117.8% and 48% in 2024, respectively. In these markets, cryptocurrencies, especially US-backed stablecoins, are being used to preserve savings, facilitate cross-border payments, and avoid government restrictions on buying US dollars. This trend is reflected in a 2025 survey by Fireblocks, a digital asset infrastructure provider. The company, which polled top executives from the financial services industry, found that all respondents in LatAm said they are either live, piloting, or planning stablecoin payment strategies, while 92% reported their wallet and API systems being ready. Stablecoin adoption in Latin America, Source: State of Stablecoins 2025, Fireblocks Findings from the study reveal that cross-border payments are the region’s dominant use case for stablecoins, cited by 71% as their primary application, significantly ahead of the 49% global average. LatAm institutions also view stablecoins as tools to combat persistent fraud and enhance security. Half of respondents cited protection as a key enabler of adoption, the highest globally. Another 36% said better protection would unlock even more adoption. Stablecoins surge globally The stablecoin landscape continues to grow this year, supported by favorable regulations such as the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) and surging transaction volumes. In July 2025, total stablecoin transaction volume hit nearly US$3 trillion, almost triple the US$1 trillion recorded a year earlier. Total stablecoin transaction volume, monthly, Source: The 2025 Global Adoption Index, Chainalysis, Sep 2025 Tether (USDT) and USDC remain dominant, which consistently dwarf other stablecoins in scale. Between June 2024 and June 2025, USDT processed over US$1 trillion per month, according to Chainalysis. USDC, meanwhile, ranged from US$1.24 trillion to US$3.29 trillion monthly. But smaller stablecoins like EURC, PYUSD, and DAI, are also expanding rapidly. For example, EURC grew nearly 89% month-over-month on average, with monthly volume rising from approximately US$47 million in June 2024 to over US$7.5 billion by June 2025. PYUSD, meanwhile, rose from around US$783 million to US$3.95 billion in the same period. Between July 2024 and June 2025, stablecoins were the third most purchased asset with fiat currency, drawing over US$1.3 trillion in fiat inflows during the period. Bitcoin retained the lead, accounting for over $4.6 trillion in fiat inflows over the same period. Cryptocurrencies purchased with fiat currency, July 2024-June 2025, Source: The 2025 Global Adoption Index, Chainalysis, Sep 2025   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post APAC Leads Global Crypto Adoption, Driven by South and Southeast Asia appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

SBI Digital Markets (SBIDM), Samara Alpha Asset Management (Samara Alpha) and Bracket Labs Group (Bracket) have partnered to expand access to tokenised securities and develop new asset management strategies. Under the collaboration, Samara Alpha will use Bracket’s technology platform to broaden access to yield strategies, while SBIDM will source and curate capital market products. Bracket will provide the infrastructure, including tokenisation systems and platform access. The three firms said the partnership aims to bridge traditional finance and decentralised finance by offering institutional investors a combined approach to fund management, regulatory compliance and technology. It targets growing demand for professionally managed tokenised investment solutions that combine the transparency of blockchain with the expertise of established asset managers. Winston Quek Winston Quek, Chief Executive Officer of SBI Digital Markets, said, “We are not looking to tokenise just one product at a time – instead, we are architecting a new infrastructure and pipeline which brings together traditional asset management excellence with Web3 innovation. By harnessing the combined capabilities of SBIDM, Samara Alpha, and Bracket, we can deliver a unique value proposition to the rapidly expanding tokenised securities market.” Adil Abdulali Adil Abdulali, Chief Investment Officer of Samara Alpha Asset Management, said, “Samara Alpha brings institutional investment discipline to digital assets, applied through our proven strategies designed to endure across market cycles. In partnership with SBIDM and Bracket, we aim to expand access to tokenised solutions while maintaining the standards sophisticated allocators expect.” Bracket CEO Michael Wasyl added that the company will provide the platform infrastructure and services to scale both on- and off-chain vaults, connecting traditional fund management with the growing digital asset economy.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by macrovector via Freepik   The post SBI Digital Markets Joins Forces to Open Up Tokenised Securities to More Investors appeared first on Fintech Singapore.