Qashier, a merchant operating system for Southeast Asia, announced a US$6.125 million Series A financing round, which consists of equity and debt. The Qashier Series A+ round was led by Cocoon Capital, IFP Securities and Blacksoil Global, and includes participation from angel investors. The capital will be used to support the company’s regional expansion and product development plans. Christopher Choo, the co-founder and CEO of Qashier, shared, Christopher Choo “Merchants should not have to stitch together five vendors to run one business. By bringing payments, software, financial services and customer engagement into a single ecosystem, we give them clarity, lower costs and the confidence to scale across markets. This round lets us leverage that advantage into the next phase of growth.” Michael Blakey, the Managing Partner of Cocoon Capital, added, Michael Blakey “Qashier’s cofounders, Christopher Choo and Franklin Zhao, have an exceptionally clear and compelling vision for what Qashier is becoming, ‘the default operating infrastructure for commerce across Southeast Asia,’ and we remain firmly committed to supporting that journey.” Qashier plans to channel the new funding into stronger omnichannel payments, a wider suite of embedded financial services, and AI-powered insights and workflow automation. The company will also broaden its offering for larger, multi-outlet businesses, especially in food and beverage and beauty and wellness. Qashier now processes US$1 billion in annualised payment volume for 20,000+ merchants across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. It says it has been profitable since December 2025. Qashier is also currently preparing a Series B round to fund its next growth phase, targeting milestones in recurring revenue, payment licensing and loan disbursements. Featured image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by viktoryvisuals on Magnific The post Qashier Hits Profitability on US$1B Volume, Lands US$6.1M in Series A+ appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

87% of GXBank’s small-business borrowers had never held a loan before. Deputy CEO Hildah Hamzah explains how the bank reaches them and still makes money. Hildah Hamzah is Deputy CEO and COO of GXBank, Malaysia’s first digital bank. She joined as employee number three and helped grow the team to around 400 people, with the bank focused on serving the B40 and M40 segments. She sat down with Fintech News Network to talk through whether digital banks have delivered on the financial inclusion they promised. In this episode: How 87% of its MSME borrowers were new to credit, and the way GXBank underwrote a segment most banks avoid Why Hildah argues a bank has to be profitable before it can do much good, using the logic of zakat The difference between consumptive and productive borrowing, and whether easy access to credit counts as inclusion or something closer to engineered consumerism The post Have Malaysia’s Digital Banks Delivered on Financial Inclusion? | Hildah Hamzah, Deputy CEO, GXBank appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Enterprise AI company Amity has opened its Southeast Asian regional headquarters and AI research and application hub in Singapore. Backed by a US$100 million Series D funding round, the expansion was led by EDBI, the investment arm of SG Growth Capital, which serves as the investment platform of EDB and Enterprise Singapore. Operations at the new AI Research and Application Center will focus on developing agentic AI and vertical models tailored for enterprise use. Amity is building these systems to execute complex business processes autonomously. Funding from the recent capital injection will accelerate product development through the new centre. Capital will also support strategic acquisitions across Europe and Southeast Asia, alongside efforts to attract engineering and commercial talent. Over the next three years, executives expect to create up to 60 roles in Singapore. Korawad Chearavanont “Singapore is where our belief that Asian enterprises deserve AI built for their reality comes to life,” said Korawad Chearavanont, Executive Chairman and Founder, Amity. “The new centre is our commitment to building the foundational AI capabilities that enterprises across Asia will run on for the next decade.” This regional push aligns with Singapore’s national agenda to integrate AI into specific economic sectors such as financial services, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, and healthcare. Globally, more than 20,000 organisations currently use platforms built by the firm. Revenue targets for the technology provider sit at US$200 million on an annualised basis by the end of 2026. This comes ahead of a planned public listing in 2027.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by fledermausstudio via Magnific The post Amity Opens Singapore AI Hub Following US$100M Series D Funding appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Over the past year, technology providers have accelerated their acquisitions of artificial intelligence (AI) agent startups as they race to build agentic AI platforms. According to a new report by global market research firm Forrester, these acquisitions signal key market trends. First, tech providers are moving to control the layer responsible for interpreting user intent and coordinating workflows, rather than focusing on data or foundational models. Second, conversational AI is being elevated from a front-end capability to a core execution layer. Just last week, Backbase, a provider of an AI-native banking operating system, acquired Kasisto, a pioneer in agentic AI for banking and financial services. The deal aims to deliver the only AI-native solution built for the complexity of agentic banking in regulated financial services. With Kasisto embedded at the core of the Backbase’s Banking OS, banks will be able to deploy agents that natively handle the full arc from customer intent to governed resolution across all conversational banking surfaces such as chat, messaging, and voice. Another notable deal this month was the acquisition of Fin, formerly Interom, by Salesforce. The transaction, which valued Fin at a staggering US$3.6 billion, aims to bring the startup’s long-tenured technical AI team and established global customer base of more than 30,000 companies to Salesforce. Fin’s core AI agent resolves complex customer queries end-to-end across every channel, including live chat, email, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, and Slack. The agent is powered by the company’s proprietary AI model, Apex, that is purpose-built for customer support, and aims to improve autonomous resolution and reduce cost-to-serve. It claims to resolve on average 76% of support volume end-to-end. Salesforces has been among the most active AI acquirers, having made agentic AI central to its strategy for Agentforce, the firm’s platform for building and deploying AI agents. Previous acquisitions include Convergence.ai, a company developing technology enabling AI agents to navigate dynamic interfaces and manage everything from web-based workflows to multi-step processes in real time; and Moonhub, which specialized in AI tools for hiring. Moonhub was eventually shut it down with some staff integrated into Salesforce, according to a TechCrunch report. Other recent AI agent acquisitions include Cognigy, which was acquired by NiCE in July 2025. Cognigy specialized in conversational and agentic AI. Its acquisition, which valued Cognigy at approximately US$955 million, aimed to unite NiCE’s customer experience AI platform, CXone, with Cognigy’s conversational and agentic AI capabilities, enabling organizations to rapidly adopt AI-first customer service delivery, and orchestrate AI agents seamlessly across the front and back office in a unified customer experience AI platform. Similarly, Moveworks was acquired in March 2025 by ServiceNow for US$2.85 billion. Moveworks provides an agentic AI assistant that connects all enterprise systems. Its acquisition aimed to combine ServiceNow’s agentic AI and automation strengths with Moveworks’ front‑end AI assistant and enterprise search technology to unlock new employee experiences across the business. Market implications According to Forrester, these developments highlight shifting priorities in the landscape. First, tech vendors are targeting the application layer that activates data and decisions in real time, rather than focusing on owning the data platform or foundational models. This market consolidation forces a critical architectural decision upon banks between relying on tech vendors or building capabilities in-house. As vendors expand into end-to-end agent platforms, the risk increases that banks cede control of customer journeys to external providers. At the same time, building orchestration capabilities internally requires significant investment in integration, governance, and model coordination. Overall, Forrester states that these acquisitions mark a structural transition where agentic orchestration is becoming foundational infrastructure. For banks, this layer will determine how banks deliver outcomes, differentiate customer and employee experiences, and retain control over journey design and execution. Conversational banking on the rise This trend lays the groundwork for advanced conversational banking. Conversational AI in banking refers to the use of AI-powered natural language technology to let customers interact with their bank through voice or chat. It aims to delivers fast, personalized support by understanding intent, and access account data and guide users in real time. Banks increasingly view conversational banking as a strategic priority, with investment accelerating as incumbents recognize the competitive edge that natural language, personalized, always‑on engagement can deliver. According to Forrester, AI assistants are becoming central to digital service strategies, with banks like Bank of America, BBVA, and PKO Bank Polski using them to elevate customer experience. Adoption of conversational banking is rising as people are growing increasingly comfortable using conversational interfaces such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity for financial inquiries. Forrester data from March 2026 shows that 31% of consumers in the US, Canada, and the UK use conversational AI for at least some personal finance questions.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mamunmarketer12 via Magnific The post Tech Companies Move to Control the AI Agent Orchestration Layer appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Olivier Crespin has rejoined DBS Bank as Chief Analytics Officer as the lender deepens its focus on data, analytics and AI. Crespin previously spent more than seven years at DBS from 2010 to 2017, holding senior roles across digital banking, wealth management and private banking. During that period, he helped lead DBS’ digital banking push, including the launch of DBS Digibank in India and its expansion into Indonesia. He most recently served as Senior Consultant at DBS from June 2025 to June 2026, before taking on the Chief Analytics Officer role. Prior to that, Crespin was co-founder and CEO of Zand Bank in the United Arab Emirates from 2018 to 2023. He also served as Chief Fintech Officer at CIMB in Malaysia from 2017 to 2018, following his first stint at DBS. Earlier in his career, Crespin spent more than 16 years at Citi, where he held senior roles in private banking, operations and international wealth management. He also worked at BNP Paribas in Argentina from 1992 to 1994, focusing on sovereign debt management, after beginning his career at the French Embassy in Argentina. Olivier Crespin In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, Crespin said, “Excited to be rejoining DBS Bank as Chief Analytics Officer. Very happy to be back at an institution I have always deeply admired. Really looking forward to contributing, learning, and working alongside an incredible team to help shape the future of banking through data, analytics and AI.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by sanigo718 via Magnific The post Olivier Crespin Returns to DBS as Chief Analytics Officer appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

DBS has completed a US$1 billion synthetic securitisation deal, giving the bank more capacity to lend while marking a first for a Singapore bank. The transaction references a diversified portfolio of corporate loans and is DBS’ first synthetic securitisation. Synthetic securitisations, also known as Significant Risk Transfer transactions, are widely used by global banks for capital and risk management. They allow investors to take on part of the credit risk linked to a loan portfolio. DBS continues to own and service the underlying loans, while the structure reduces the regulatory capital it needs to hold against those assets. This allows the bank to redeploy capital into new lending and growth opportunities. The bank noted that its capital ratios remain well above regulatory requirements, but the transaction gives it more flexibility as demand for financing grows across Asia. The deal also expands DBS’ capital management options and lays the groundwork for the bank to carry out more selective SRT transactions in future. Philip Fernandez Philip Fernandez, Group Corporate Treasurer at DBS, said, “This debut transaction strengthens our ability to maintain strong capital and balance sheet discipline and prudently capture opportunities as we scale our franchise. We are also pleased to contribute to the continued development of Singapore’s financial markets by introducing globally established risk management solutions to the region.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by sanigo718 via Magnific The post DBS Completes US$1 Billion Synthetic Securitisation Deal in Singapore First appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Visa Destinations is now live in 10 locations as travel spending shifts further toward concerts, sport, food and cultural experiences. The platform is available in Paris, London, Dubai, Milan, Rome, Mexico City, New York City, Miami, San Francisco and Thailand, with more destinations to be added later this year. Visa Destinations gives Visa cardholders access to travel offers, city guides and curated experiences across dining, entertainment, culture, hospitality, wellness, shopping and transport. These include priority access and selected experiences at attractions such as Top of the Rock Observation Deck in New York City and the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The mobile-first platform is available exclusively to Visa customers. Premium cardholders, including Visa Infinite and Visa Signature users, can access additional benefits and tailored travel experiences. The expansion comes as travellers place more focus on experiences, events and personal interests when choosing destinations. Visa’s Global Travel Intentions Study 2026 found that 66% of Asia Pacific travellers intend to travel for global concert tours, while 54% intend to travel for sports events. T.R. Ramachandran T. R. Ramachandran, Head of Products and Solutions for Asia Pacific at Visa, said, “Travel demand across Asia Pacific remains strong, but travellers are raising the bar on what they expect from every trip. Our Visa Global Travel Intentions study shows that travellers are more deliberate than ever, prioritising destinations they trust while seeking flexibility and greater ease in planning. Interest in distinctive local experiences continues to grow.” Visa has partnered with Global Blue, Star Alliance and Trip.com Group for the platform. The partnerships give cardholders access to tax-free shopping benefits, airline connectivity, travel planning tools and destination-based experiences. Visa Destinations also supports the company’s wider focus on digital commerce, cross-border payments and travel-related businesses looking to benefit from global tourism.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by tsyhun via Magnific The post Visa Destinations Goes Live in 10 Locations as Experience-Led Travel Grows appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

OceanBase has launched an AI database portfolio as enterprises look for simpler ways to connect trusted business data with AI agents. The OceanBase AI Database is built on the company’s LakeBase architecture, which combines data lake storage, database transaction processing and multimodal data capabilities. Its portfolio covers structured, unstructured and vector data, allowing enterprises to manage business records, documents, images, audio, video, logs and vectors within one data foundation. The launch includes OceanBase Lakebase, the core data engine for managing, processing, searching and serving data. OceanBase DataStudio supports data ingestion, processing, governance, semantic modelling and agent collaboration. Meanwhile, OceanBase DataPilot helps users generate reports, dashboards and answers through natural language queries. The portfolio is designed for enterprise AI systems that need access to real-time, governed and consistent business data. Charlie Yang Charlie Yang, Chief Technology Officer of OceanBase, said, “As AI moves from answering questions to taking actions, databases must evolve from systems of record into trusted context engines for AI. OceanBase AI Database is not about stitching together data lake and database. It is about bringing multimodal data, real-time serving, transaction consistency, and open compute into a single architecture.” The company estimates that the AI Database can reduce total cost of ownership by about 30% to 50% compared with traditional solutions. OceanBase named Ant Group’s AQ, Lingguang, Lalamove, China Unicom and Trip.com among users and AI use cases for the technology.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by OceanBase   The post OceanBase Targets Enterprise Data Gaps With New AI Database appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Searches for the highest-paid bank CEOs in Singapore usually start with a simple question. How much does it take to run one of the country’s biggest banks? A bank CEO’s annual remuneration usually goes beyond fixed salary, with cash bonuses, deferred shares, share-linked awards and benefits often making up a much larger part of the final figure. The headline number becomes more useful when readers can also see how the package is structured. Recent changes in disclosure have made the comparison more transparent. SGX-listed issuers with financial years ending on or after 31 December 2024 must disclose the names, exact amounts and breakdown of remuneration paid to each individual director and chief executive officer in their annual reports. Against that backdrop, bank CEO salary Singapore comparisons are no longer limited to broad pay bands or vague estimates. Readers can now look at disclosed remuneration alongside return on equity and net profit, which gives a better sense of Singapore bank CEO compensation in 2025. We’ve compiled the ranking of the top-paid bank CEOs in Singapore using disclosed remuneration from the official annual reports of Singapore-headquartered listed banks, then placed those figures beside ROE and net profit.  Salary alone does not tell the full story, but it is a useful starting point for understanding Singapore bank CEO pay 2025. Top 3 Highest-Paid Bank CEOs in Singapore for 2025 With salary only telling part of the story, the full ranking gives a clearer view of how Singapore bank CEO compensation was structured in 2025. The table compares total CEO remuneration, fixed salary, ROE and net profit across the three Singapore-headquartered listed banks. It also shows how close the race was at the top, with the first and second-ranked packages separated by just S$0.04 million, or about S$40,000 when rounded. Wee Ee Cheong’s disclosed pay stood at S$12.04 million, while Helen Wong followed closely at S$12.00 million. Tan Su Shan’s package came in lower at S$9.64 million, although DBS reported the highest ROE at 16.2% and the largest net profit at S$11.0 billion among the three banks. Those numbers make the comparison more useful than a simple salary ranking. Fixed salary formed only a small portion of each CEO’s total package, with bonuses, deferred shares, deferred awards and other performance-linked components carrying much of the weight. Many searches around bank CEO salary in Singapore focus on base pay, but the 2025 disclosures show why total remuneration gives a fuller picture. The largest packages were driven less by fixed salary and more by how each bank rewarded performance, leadership and longer-term outcomes. 1. Wee Ee Cheong, UOB UOB Deputy Chairman and CEO Wee Ee Cheong topped the 2025 ranking among Singapore’s listed local bank CEOs by disclosed remuneration. His package, shown in the infographic, reached S$12,042,629 for the year. Fixed salary accounted for S$1,440,000, while the bonus component came in at S$10,560,000. Other benefits added S$42,629. The split between salary and bonus shows how UOB structured Wee Ee Cheong’s pay in 2025. His fixed salary made up about 12% of the total package, while the bonus drove most of the final figure. UOB’s annual report also disclosed that the bank deferred 60% of Wee’s variable pay over the next three years, with 40% of the deferred portion delivered in cash and the remaining 60% delivered through share-linked units. The pay figure sits against a year where UOB reported S$4.7 billion in net profit and an ROE of 9.6%. UOB attributed the lower profit mainly to pre-emptive provisioning, which strengthened coverage during the year. 2. Helen Wong, OCBC OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong placed second in the 2025 ranking, with total remuneration of S$12 million in her final year leading the bank. The infographic breaks that figure into S$1.2 million in fixed salary, S$6.286 million in bonus, S$4.191 million in deferred shares and S$323,000 in other benefits. OCBC also reported ROE of 12.6% and net profit of S$7.42 billion for the year. While OCBC disclosed S$1.2 million in fixed salary for 2025, Wong’s total pay reached S$12 million after bonus, deferred shares and other benefits were included. Bonus and deferred shares together made up about 87% of her package, while salary accounted for 10%. The deferred share component is also worth noting because it formed the second-largest part of Wong’s remuneration after her cash bonus. Her package included S$4.191 million in deferred shares, reflecting how senior bank compensation is often structured around both current-year performance and longer-term incentives. Wong’s final year as Group CEO came against a steady performance backdrop. OCBC reported FY2025 net profit of S$7.42 billion, down 2% from the previous year, while ROE remained at 12.6%. She retired as Group CEO and Executive Director on 31 December 2025, so the disclosed remuneration reflects a full year in the role. 3. Tan Su Shan, DBS DBS disclosed S$9,643,944 in remuneration for Tan Su Shan for the 2025 performance year, placing her third among Singapore’s listed local bank CEOs. Taken from DBS’s Remuneration Report, her package comprised S$975,250 in fixed salary, S$3.685 million in cash bonus, S$4.915 million in deferred award and S$68,694 in other benefits. DBS also stood out on performance, with ROE at 16.2% and net profit at S$11.0 billion, the strongest figures in this comparison. DBS changed leaders during 2025, which makes Tan’s remuneration less straightforward than a full-year CEO package. She became Group CEO on 28 March, so the disclosed figure covers her time as Deputy CEO from 1 January to 27 March and as Group CEO from 28 March onward. Her pay was weighted more towards deferred remuneration than fixed salary. The S$4.915 million deferred award was the largest component of the package, followed by the S$3.685 million cash bonus, while fixed salary made up just over 10% of total remuneration. DBS said about 17% of Tan’s deferred award will be in cash, with the remaining portion delivered in shares. Such a structure links part of the CEO package to future vesting rather than immediate cash payout. Against that pay structure, DBS reported S$11.0 billion in net profit for 2025 and an ROE of 16.2%, the highest among the three listed local banks in this comparison. FAQs Who was the highest-paid bank CEO in Singapore in 2025? UOB’s Wee Ee Cheong had the highest disclosed CEO remuneration among Singapore’s listed local banks in 2025, with total pay of S$12.04 million. How much did UOB CEO Wee Ee Cheong earn in 2025? Wee Ee Cheong’s pay in 2025 was S$12.04 million, including S$1.44 million in fixed salary, S$10.56 million in bonus and S$42,629 in other benefits. How much did OCBC CEO Helen Wong earn in 2025? Helen Wong’s pay in 2025 was S$12 million, including fixed salary, bonus, deferred shares and other benefits. How much did DBS CEO Tan Su Shan earn in 2025? Tan Su Shan’s pay in 2025 was S$9.64 million, including fixed salary, cash bonus, deferred award and other benefits. Which Singapore bank had the highest ROE in 2025? DBS had the highest ROE among the three listed local banks at 16.2%, followed by OCBC at 12.6% and UOB at 9.6%. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by shamaoonstudio via Magnific. Infographic images: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on images via the respective bank websites. The post Top 3 Highest-Paid Singapore Bank CEOs in 2025 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has partnered with Promon to help businesses protect mobile apps as fraud attacks move deeper into app and device environments. This combines LexisNexis ThreatMetrix digital identity, device and behavioural intelligence with Promon Shield and Promon Insight, which provide in-app protection and trusted telemetry. The partnership is aimed at helping organisations protect mobile applications from tampering, malware, overlay attacks, device manipulation, reverse engineering and automated abuse. LexisNexis Dynamic Decision Platform will support the combined capabilities, allowing organisations to bring together app-level protection, identity intelligence and transactional risk signals for real-time fraud decisions. Promon Shield helps secure mobile applications and collect telemetry, while ThreatMetrix provides digital identity intelligence and risk decisioning to detect suspicious activity. Daniel Kollberg Daniel Kollberg, CEO at Promon, said, “We are bringing Promon Shield, mobile risk detection, behavioral insights and tamper-resistant telemetry into one of the world’s leading fraud intelligence platforms, helping organisations protect customers, reduce fraud losses and deliver safer mobile experiences.” Grayson Clarke Grayson Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said, “Fraud prevention is increasingly dependent on understanding the full context of a digital interaction. Promon’s app protection capabilities complement the insights delivered through our LexisNexis Risk Intelligence Network, helping customers strengthen the signals they rely on to better detect fraud across the mobile environment.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Magnific The post LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Promon Tackle Rising Fraud Risks Inside Mobile Apps appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Applications have now opened for the 2026 Global Fintech Hackcelerator and SFF Fintech Excellence Awards ahead of Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF). The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the call on 29 June. Winners for both programmes will be announced at the SFF Fintech Excellence Awards Dinner on 19 November 2026. The Global Fintech Hackcelerator, organised by MAS with the Global Financial Technology Network (GFTN), is seeking proposals from fintech firms and solution providers on how artificial intelligence (AI) can address key challenges in financial services. This year’s challenge areas cover credit and fraud risk modelling in digital banking, wealth management for a digitally native generation, and tools to help SMEs assess and manage business risk. The 2026 edition is supported by GXS, Julius Baer and Zurich Insurance as corporate champions. Each has contributed a problem statement in its area of expertise. AI Takes Centre Stage Up to 20 finalists will be chosen for the programme. Each finalist will receive a S$20,000 cash stipend, work with their corporate champion and receive mentoring before attending an in-person programme in Singapore from 11 to 13 November 2026. They will pitch their solutions at the Global Fintech Hackcelerator Demo Day during SFF on 18 November 2026. One winner will be selected for each problem statement, with each winner receiving S$80,000 in prize money. After the competition, each corporate champion may also select one finalist for a pilot project, subject to mutual interest and agreement. SFF Awards Open for Nominations MAS also opened applications and nominations for the 2026 SFF Fintech Excellence Awards, which are organised with the Singapore Fintech Association (SFA) and supported by PwC Singapore. The awards recognise fintech solutions and individuals that have contributed to new industry practices, financial inclusion, emerging technology adoption and improved delivery of financial services. Eight winners will be named at SFF 2026. The corporate categories are Emerging Fintech, Financial Inclusivity, Regulatory Leader, Sustainable Innovator and Artificial Intelligence Champion. Three individuals will be selected under the Fintech Mentor Award category. Each corporate category winner will receive S$50,000, while the three Fintech Mentor Award winners will each receive S$5,000. The awards are also supported by the Fintech Gives Back initiative, which was launched in 2023 to encourage established industry players to support early-stage innovation in the sector. In 2025, contributors included Ripple, Visa, HeyMax, Aspire, Experian, LexisNexis, Sumsub, Syfe and YouTrip. Applications for both the Global Fintech Hackcelerator and SFF Fintech Excellence Awards close on 14 August 2026. Singapore Fintech Festival 2026 will be held from 18 to 20 November.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mrsiraphol via Magnific The post MAS Opens Call for 2026 Global Fintech Hackcelerator and SFF Awards appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Buying Bitcoin in Singapore takes minutes. Doing it without handing your money to the wrong platform? Now that takes a little more care. The safest route for everyday investors is through a licensed Digital Payment Token provider, as these providers fall under the purview of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and hold a Major Payment Institution licence. With these providers, your money is placed inside a rigorous regulatory framework. Licensed platforms have to follow strict anti-money laundering rules, defend their systems against attack, and keep customer funds separate. Now, how do you buy your Bitcoin and keep it securely? Last updated: 29 June 2026 How to Buy Bitcoin in Singapore (A Step-by-Step Guide) Source: Fintech News Singapore analysis Buying Bitcoin in Singapore can be completed in just a few steps. Step 1: Pick an exchange, then check the licence First, look up the platform’s operating name in the official MAS Financial Institutions Directory. If the company isn’t listed as a licensed Major Payment Institution for Digital Payment Token services, it’s best to avoid the exchange altogether. Do note that, effective June 2025, crypto firms will need to conduct a risk awareness assessment before providing services to you. Step 2: Sign up with Singpass Identity verification, or Know Your Customer, usually takes minutes because most licensed platforms plug straight into Singpass. A few taps confirm your legal name, National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) or Foreign Identification Number (FIN), and address. Step 3: Fund your account in Singapore Dollars Once you’re verified, you can add funds to your account with Singapore dollars. FAST bank transfers can be made almost instantly from DBS, OCBC, UOB, and other major banks. There may be other payment methods, depending on the provider you use. One thing to know is that the MAS restricts locally issued credit cards for retail crypto purchases. The reasoning behind this is to keep people from buying Bitcoin on borrowed money. Step 4: Buy your Bitcoin With SGD sitting in your account, open the BTC/SGD pair and decide on your purchase sum. Enter the amount in Singapore dollars you’re willing to spend, then pick your order type. A market order will fill up at the current price. A limit order, meanwhile, waits and only buys if Bitcoin reaches the price you’ve set. The Bitcoin is yours once you complete your purchase. Step 5: Decide where your Bitcoin lives Owning Bitcoin and securing it are two different things. You have two options. The first is to leave it on the licensed exchange. MAS’ regulations require the service providers to keep at least 90% of customer assets (that are held in trust accounts) in cold wallets. The providers also have to review this regularly to decide if a higher proportion is necessary. The second is self-custody, where you withdraw the Bitcoin to your own wallet, typically an offline hardware device, and hold the private keys yourself. That’s full ownership on your part. How to Choose the Right Platform to Buy Bitcoin in Singapore Once you’ve narrowed the field to licensed platforms, a few things need to fall into place. Firstly, if you’re picking from MAS’s list, it’s good to know that as of January 2026, Singapore is home to 30+ licensed cryptocurrency providers, including StraitsX, dtcpay, moomoo, Circle, and BitGo. Next, it’s best to take a look at how the platform works across providers. First, take a look at liquidity. A platform with tight buy and sell spreads on the BTC/SGD pair means you’re paying close to the real market price, while wide spreads may skim a premium off every trade you make. Fees deserve the same scrutiny. Check what you’ll pay to deposit (if any), to trade, and to move Bitcoin off the platform later, so that you know the costs involved when trading in Bitcoin. Finally, weigh the experience against how you plan to trade. A clean mobile app is ideal for most beginners, whereas active traders will care more about depth and the added functionalities that come with it. If you’re undecided, you could try out two or more platforms and see which suits you best. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is Bitcoin legal in Singapore? Yes, buying, selling, and holding Bitcoin is legal in Singapore. To ensure consumer protection, transactions should only be conducted through licensed Major Payment Institutions. Where to buy Bitcoin in Singapore? The safest way to buy Bitcoin is through a platform with a Major Payment Institution license. As of 2026, MAS has granted over 30+ Major Payment Institution (MPI) licenses for Digital Payment Token services to various fintechs, traditional brokers, and specialised digital asset exchanges. Is Bitcoin legal tender in Singapore? No, Bitcoin is not legal tender in Singapore. However, it may be transferred to another person in exchange for services or goods. What is the key risk of being involved with owning Bitcoin in Singapore? When you own Bitcoin, you need to understand that you may be open to volatile price risks. For instance, just earlier this year, there was an overwhelming freefall in Bitcoin prices, dropping from US$126,000 in October 2025 to lows of US$63,000 in February 2026. How to sell Bitcoin in Singapore? To sell Bitcoin in Singapore, you’ll need to choose a trading platform, complete the identification process, deposit your Bitcoin and then sell it on the app, and finally withdraw Singapore dollars into your bank account. Note that the process may slightly differ based on the provider you’re using. Featured images edited by Fintech News Singapore based on images by songsak and freepik on Magnific The post How to Buy Bitcoin in Singapore (2026) appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Huawei and CP All are bringing wearable loyalty and payment features to 7-Eleven Thailand. CP All, which operates 7-Eleven in Thailand, signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei during the Huawei Developer Conference 2026 at Huawei’s Dongguan campus. The partnership integrates 7-Eleven’s membership code and TrueMoney’s payment code into Huawei wearable devices. Customers can use the feature to access loyalty and payment functions through a single wearable interface in stores. The companies plan to improve the service and explore more everyday use cases for the technology. They also aim to support Chinese visitors in Thailand through Huawei’s QuickApp Services, with a more connected experience across shopping, payments and loyalty rewards. The collaboration may later extend to retail distribution, including the possible sale of Huawei devices through 7-Eleven’s store network in Thailand.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Huawei Mobile Services The post Huawei and CP All Bring Wearable Payments to 7-Eleven Thailand appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Finmo has appointed Josh D’Ambrosio as Chief Commercial Officer after securing new licences in Dubai, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong SAR. D’Ambrosio will oversee Finmo’s global go-to-market strategy, commercial growth, customer acquisition and strategic partnerships as the company expands across regulated markets. The new licences extend Finmo’s regulatory footprint to eight active jurisdictions. The company is looking to grow adoption of its Treasury Operating System and payment infrastructure across its key markets. D’Ambrosio has a decade of experience in regulated fintech, payments and digital assets. He was most recently Chief Commercial Officer at Banxa, where he helped shift the company from a consumer-facing startup into a B2B fintech infrastructure platform operating across more than nine regulated markets. Banxa was recently acquired by OSL Group. Earlier in his career, D’Ambrosio held enterprise risk and compliance advisory roles at Ernst and Young. David Hanna David Hanna, CEO and Co-founder of Finmo, said, “We have spent the last four years building the regulatory foundation and product infrastructure that positions Finmo to grow at scale across multiple markets simultaneously. Josh understands what it takes to build and lead revenue functions in multi-jurisdictional environments where compliance, product, and commercial strategy have to move in lockstep.” Josh D’Ambrosio D’Ambrosio said, “Finmo is solving a problem that every CFO scaling across borders eventually runs into: the infrastructure they started with was never built for the complexity they are now managing. What excites me about this opportunity is that Finmo is not just building a better payment tool or a smarter dashboard.” He added that Finmo’s Treasury Operating System brings cash visibility, payments and forecasting into one layer, with a focus on mid-market finance teams. His role will include bringing the platform to partners and customers while building the company’s commercial engine.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by defstock via Magnific The post Finmo Appoints Josh D’Ambrosio as Chief Commercial Officer appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Financial services provider QI Tech has teamed up with Ant International’s Bettr to offer working capital and instalment payment options in Brazil’s online retail sector. The partnership will focus first on working capital loans for small and medium-sized online sellers, helping them fund inventory and support business growth. It will also introduce a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) option for shoppers on AliExpress, allowing consumers to pay for purchases in instalments at checkout. The credit services will use transactional data, automated analysis and real-time decision-making to assess repayment capacity and manage risk. Pedro Mac Dowell Pedro Mac Dowell, CEO and founder of QI Tech, said “We work with Ant International to better serve the growing demand for inclusive financial solutions among underserved groups in Brazil, especially small businesses. We seek to enable a more interconnected ecosystem, covering onboarding, credit analysis, credit issuance, and the structuring of a Credit Rights Investment Fund (FIDC).” Mac Dowell added that credit is becoming part of the wider digital shopping experience rather than a standalone product. He noted that the partnership combines Ant International’s technology with QI Tech’s regulated infrastructure to link credit and payments in Brazil’s retail market. Quan Yu Quan Yu, General Manager of Bettr Credit and Senior Vice President of Ant International, said, “The partnership underlines our commitment to local collaboration for deeper insights and creating greater synergy. By making long-term investments in such partnerships, we’re expanding broader, more flexible and secure consumer credit access, helping users manage their finances while unlocking new growth avenues for merchants, while also supporting SMEs with financing to build a more resilient retail ecosystem.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by freepik via Magnific   The post QI Tech, Ant International’s Bettr Bring More Credit Options to Brazil’s Online Shoppers appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has increased the sophistication of fraud, with criminals now increasingly deploying autonomous agents to launch attacks at scale, and improve their odds of success, according to a new report by BioCatch released in June 2026. The report, based on a survey of 1,440 professionals in fraud management, financial crime prevention, and risk and compliance professionals at financial institutions across 25 countries, reveals that 80% of the organizations polled had experienced an attack carried out by an AI agent. These findings are corroborated by other research. The 2026 Interpol Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment, released in March, warns of the escalating use of AI agents in criminal activities. Unlike traditional tools, these systems can autonomously plan and execute entire fraud schemes, allowing adversaries to launch a much larger volume of attacks, test a broader range of tactics, and more rapidly adapt against new defenses. Their capabilities include reconnaissance of victims, harvesting of credentials, infiltration of systems, selection of high-value data, calculation of optimal ransom amounts based on financial analysis, and generation of psychologically tailored, visually alarming ransom notes. According to Boston Consulting Group (BCG), agentic AI offers significant advantages to criminals by slashing the cost of executing scams and fraudulent schemes by over 90%. Additionally, the firm forecasts that these agents could enable a doubling, or more, of successful fraudulent activities. Geographically, the BioCatch study found that the threat landscape varies considerably. The research found that financial institutions in Latin America (LatAm) are the most likely to have encountered attacked utilizing agentic AI, at 89%. They are followed by those in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, both at 79%. North America trails slightly at 75%. Experts warn that this is merely the beginning. 84% of fraud management and financial crime prevention professionals believe that AI agents could be the industry’s largest exploitable vulnerability by fraudsters in the next year. Has your institution yet encountered attacks utilizing agentic AI? Source: The future of digital trust, BioCatch, Jun 2026 Accelerated fraudulent activity Beyond the rise of autonomous agents, the BioCatch report highlights several other emerging trends. An overwhelming 88% of surveyed professionals noted that AI is increasing the sophistication of fraud and scam schemes, especially deepfake-enabled social engineering (50%), automated phishing (48%), and automated money laundering and transaction fraud (44%). Types of fraud and scams enabled or amplified by AI in the past 12 months, Source: The future of digital trust, BioCatch, Jun 2026 Globally, fraudulent activity is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. In 2026, 81% of respondents reported that fraud attempts at their organization increased year-over-year (YoY), up from 71% in 2025. Increased activity was visible in every region. 76% of those surveyed in North America reported an uptick in attempted fraud, 81% of respondents in both the APAC region and EMEA saw the same, and, most overwhelmingly, 89% of those surveyed in LatAm said fraud attempts against their financial institution’s customers were increasing every year. In response to these threats, financial institutions are investing in new processes, tools, and technologies. Globally, 48% of respondents said that their financial institution spends US$10 million or more fighting fraud and financial crime every year. Ironically, while AI is exacerbating fraud, agentic AI also promises vast improvements in defense, underscoring how AI is emerging as a double-edged sword for businesses. Professionals foresee agentic AI benefiting several key areas of fraud management, including real-time transaction monitoring and anomaly detection (40%), behavioral analytics and pattern recognition (34%), and identity verification and authentication (27%). Areas of fraud management that will benefit most from agentic AI intervention, Source: The future of digital trust, BioCatch, Jun 2026 Despite the significant investment allocated to combating fraud and financial crime, 76% of professionals said that fraud losses at their organization in 2026, increased YoY, a significant uptick from 59% in 2025. LatAm and APAC recorded the biggest YoY jump, rising 21 points and 20 points, respectively. Percentage of respondents who say YoY fraud losses are increasing at their organization, Source: The future of digital trust, BioCatch, Jun 2026     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Magnific The post The Rise of Agentic AI in Cyber Fraud and Scams appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is setting up a Future of Finance Institute to help financial firms move AI and tokenisation projects beyond pilots. The institute will initially focus on AI and tokenisation, bringing together financial institutions, technology firms, researchers and fintech players to support wider adoption across the sector. The Future of Finance Institute will build on existing MAS-led initiatives in AI and tokenisation, including the MindForge AI Risk Management Toolkit, PathFin.ai, Project Guardian and Project Orchid. MAS said the institute will act as a coordinating body for the next phase of Singapore’s financial innovation efforts. While MAS will continue to set policy and regulatory frameworks, the institute will work with industry to reduce adoption barriers and support deployment across institutions of different sizes. Its work will include maintaining a knowledge hub of validated use cases, deployment guides and solution providers. It will also support industry collaboration through an innovation garage, provide sandboxes for testing technologies such as programmable money, tokenised assets and AI-enabled workflows, and develop toolkits for areas such as agentic AI and programmable compliance. The institute will have a board comprising representatives from MAS, major financial institutions, technology firms and academia. It will also draw on practitioners with industry and technology experience. More details on the Future of Finance Institute’s strategy and governance will be announced later this year.   The post MAS Sets Up Future of Finance Institute to Move AI, Tokenisation Beyond Pilots appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore banks are moving to cut the friction families face when ageing, cognitive decline or bereavement turns banking into paperwork. The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) has published a senior banking playbook as the country becomes a “super-aged” society, with one in five citizens now aged 65 and above. Banking a Longevity Society sets out 20 initiatives covering scam protection, banking access, financial resilience, estate matters and community support for seniors. A key focus is legacy planning and bereavement support, where families often face unclear processes during difficult transitions. By the first quarter of 2027, banks will align procedures to give families clearer guidance on Lasting Power of Attorney, deputyship and account closures for deceased customers. DBS, OCBC and UOB will also harmonise processes for LPA, deputy accounts and deceased customers’ banking information enquiries to reduce confusion for families and caregivers. Banks will streamline existing processes to help bereaved families withdraw small balances and close a deceased customer’s account without a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration. This applies where the total balance across accounts with the bank does not exceed S$5,000. Banks Add Safeguards for Vulnerable Seniors The playbook also sets out support for vulnerable and at-risk seniors. Banks are working with the Agency for Integrated Care to introduce common guidelines by end-2026 to help frontline staff identify possible signs of cognitive decline. The industry will pilot escalation protocols in 2027 through an industry-wide referral approach. Branch officers will be trained to recognise when customers may need more help and connect them to the right support. About 74,000 people in Singapore were living with dementia in 2023, with the number expected to rise to 152,000 by 2030. The playbook also includes a cash access measure, with DBS, OCBC and UOB, together with NETS, committing to ensure an ATM, branch or cashpoint within 500 metres of every HDB block by end-2027. Banks Frame Ageing as an Industry Issue Ong-Ang Ai Boon ABS Director Ong-Ang Ai Boon said, “Seniors today are generally healthier, more independent, and want to make their own decisions for longer. Their families want clarity, not onerous paperwork, when difficult transitions come. And the community wants to know that banks are trusted partners.” ABS described the effort as the first of its kind in Asia, adding that retail banks will continue to review the initiatives with government agencies and community organisations.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by rajacuann via Magnific The post Singapore Banks Plan Clearer Legacy, Bereavement Processes in Asia-First Effort appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Jumio has expanded its digital identity acceptance network to more than 60 countries through a new integration with gateway provider Trinsic. The expansion allows businesses to verify users using government-issued digital credentials, such as Singapore’s Singpass and European eIDs, without managing country-specific accreditations. The integration targets financial institutions and fintechs looking to streamline customer onboarding and meet local KYC requirements. As digital credentials increasingly coexist with physical documents, the partnership removes the need for cross-border companies to build separate verification systems. This applies across different jurisdictions. The updated platform enriches basic credential checks with biometric authentication and liveness detection. Jumio uses global data to assess risk signals during the onboarding process, consolidating the workflow into a single verification channel. The identity verification provider began accepting Brazil’s digital driver’s license in early 2025. It processed more than one million verifications, using QR code and biometric cross-checks against government databases. The company plans to apply a similar approach to emerging formats mandated by initiatives like the European eIDAS 2.0 framework. Philipp Pointner “Our job is to make sure our customers are always ahead of the curve with each new government mandate, wallet format, or fraud vector,” said Philipp Pointner, Chief of Digital Identity, Jumio. The integration also supports major wallet providers like Apple and Google, allowing users to verify their identities using credentials already stored on their mobile devices. Riley Hughes “By integrating Trinsic’s acceptance network, Jumio’s customers can now instantly verify customers through mobile driver’s licenses, eIDs, and reusable credentials,” said Riley Hughes, CEO and Co-founder, Trinsic. The unified platform aims to consolidate identity workflows for businesses operating internationally, reducing the technical burden of navigating fragmented digital credential standards.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by AbulKalamAzad0420 via Magnific The post Jumio Adds Digital ID Support Across 60+ Countries via Trinsic Integration appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore’s three local banks and NETS plan to expand ATM and cash access points as part of a wider industry effort to keep physical banking services available for seniors. The move is outlined in the Association of Banks in Singapore’s Banking a Longevity Society playbook, which sets out measures to make banking more accessible for older customers as Singapore becomes a super-aged society. DBS, OCBC, UOB and NETS have committed to ensuring 100% coverage by the end of 2027, with at least one ATM, branch or cashpoint within 500 metres of every HDB block. The distance is based on straight-line measurement. The commitment is aimed at keeping cash access available as a dependable option for seniors, especially those who are less comfortable with digital payments. As an interim step, the three banks and NETS will ensure that an ATM, branch or cashpoint is available within 500 metres of public transport hubs, National Environment Agency-managed hawker centres and major supermarkets by the end of 2026. The playbook said the coverage will be reviewed periodically to account for new and growing towns. Making ATMs Easier to Use Source: ABS Banks are also improving ATM accessibility for seniors and customers with disabilities. DBS has enhanced lighting at its branches and ATMs, while UOB and Standard Chartered provide enhanced ATMs with audio jacks that offer text-to-speech instructions. ATM keypads are also braille-enabled to support visually impaired customers. UOB and Standard Chartered also offer lower-height ATMs for wheelchair users. The cash access measures form part of the banking sector’s broader plan to help seniors manage their finances more independently while maintaining access to essential physical banking services.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ABS via Banking a Longevity Society playbook The post Singapore Banks Set 2027 Target for Wider ATM Access Near HDB Blocks appeared first on Fintech Singapore.