Circles has partnered with Airwallex to enable telecom operators to launch digital banking services across more than 70 countries through its CirclesX platform. The partnership will integrate Airwallex’s embedded finance capabilities into CirclesX, Circles’ SaaS platform for telecom operators. The companies said telcos will be able to offer services such as global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments and expense management without building or managing their own financial infrastructure. Awais Malik “At Circles, we’re continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation for the industry beyond just core telco products and we are confident that embedded financial products will power the next phase of revenue growth for telcos. With Airwallex’s fintech expertise, we’ve built a globally scalable financial services stack embedded in our platform, making it seamless for any telco organisation to launch and scale financial products or services with zero licensing and infrastructure hassles,” said Awais Malik, Chief Growth Officer, Circles. Arnold Chan “Telecom operators sit at the centre of their customers’ daily lives, but connectivity alone is no longer enough to drive long-term growth. By partnering with Circles and integrating with the CirclesX platform, we’re enabling operators to embed trusted, global financial services directly into their digital experiences – unlocking new revenue streams, deeper engagement and stronger customer lifetime value at scale,” said Arnold Chan, General Manager, Asia-Pacific, Airwallex. Circles said FinX will help operators expand into payments and remittances using existing KYC capabilities. Airwallex supports money movement to more than 200 countries and territories and holds more than 80 licences and permits globally. CirclesX has been used by telecom operators including KDDI, e&, and AT&T to launch digital MVNOs across Asia and South America. It has also supported Telkomsel’s end-to-end digital backbone in Indonesia. In Singapore, Circles.Life has already launched two FinX-powered products: a semi-open wallet and a cashback card. Circles will begin rolling out FinX to existing CirclesX customers and other telecom operators in the coming weeks.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by pvproductions via Freepik   The post Circles Taps Airwallex to Add Digital Banking Capabilities for Telcos appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Independent Reserve will expand its offerings for corporate, accredited and institutional customers across APAC, with new products planned for the second half of 2026. The crypto exchange said the new offerings will be introduced in Singapore, Australia and the UAE. Preliminary plans include payment capabilities for corporate customers, as well as yield products, subject to regulatory approval. The expansion follows IG Group’s acquisition of a majority stake in Independent Reserve in February 2026. The company said the deal has advanced its next phase of product development and sharpened its regional growth focus. Lasanka Perera Lasanka Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Reserve Singapore, said, “We’re seeing stronger demand from corporates and institutions for infrastructure that is regulated, scalable and built for long term participation. These new products are an extension of how we’ve been evolving our platform as we continue to build on the governance and compliance discipline we’re known for. With Singapore as our base, we’re in a strong position to support more customers across multiple APAC markets.” Independent Reserve said Singapore will remain central to its regional strategy, with continued investment in local talent, capabilities and product development. The exchange will continue operating under its existing leadership team. The company also said it will continue its community partnerships in Singapore, including its support for golfer Shannon Tan, Extra•Ordinary People and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Independent Reserve Expands APAC Offerings Following IG Group Acquisition appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore-based dtcpay has secured US$10 million in Series A funding to expand into new licensed markets and grow its stablecoin payments business. The round was led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, while Singapore-based boutique investment bank Favour Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor. The company said the funding will be used to enhance its product suite, strengthen its infrastructure and support expansion across newly licensed jurisdictions. Founded by Alice Liu and Band Zhao, dtcpay provides payment infrastructure that allows businesses and individuals to accept, store and transact in stablecoins for everyday use. Its platform includes a real-time swap engine that enables instant settlement between stablecoins and fiat currencies. Alice Liu Alice Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of dtcpay, said, “By prioritising compliance and regulatory rigour alongside a user-centric experience, we have built a foundational infrastructure ready for global scale. This capital will accelerate our product adoption and facilitate our entry into high-growth markets.” dtcpay has secured an Electronic Money Institution licence in Luxembourg, which allows it to offer regulated payment services across the European Economic Area. The company already holds a Major Payment Institution licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, along with licences and registrations in Hong Kong, Australia, the United States and Canada. dtcpay said it is also among a select few firms in Asia Pacific to partner with Visa on card products that support transactions across digital and fiat currencies. These include Visa Infinite cards for individuals and corporate card solutions for businesses. Watch our interview with dtcpay COO Sam Lin on why the stablecoin market could grow well beyond US$2 trillion.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by vart_dant via Freepik   The post dtcpay Raises US$10 Million to Expand Global Stablecoin Payments Network appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it is seeking public comment on proposed Travel Rule requirements for digital asset transfers. The proposed rules would require digital asset business operators to collect and transmit information tied to transfers to support anti-money laundering checks and related risk management. The proposal follows coordination between the SEC and other agencies on measures to prevent technology-related crimes. The regulator said a January 2026 meeting of a subcommittee on suspicious transaction monitoring had agreed that the SEC and the Anti-Money Laundering Office would issue interim guidance for digital asset business operators. AMLO is preparing regulations under the Anti-Money-Laundering Act. Under the proposed framework, operators would need to establish policies and procedures for receiving and transmitting transfer information on behalf of customers. They would also have to collect transaction details, customer information and counterparty information for anti-money laundering checks and related risk management. Records for all digital asset transfer transactions would need to be retained for at least five years. The SEC said the ordering operator must send the transfer order together with relevant information, including details of the originator and beneficiary, to the beneficiary operator. Firms would also need to implement risk management measures for incoming and outgoing transfers. Pornanong Budsaratragoon SEC Secretary-General Pornanong Budsaratragoon said, “This initiative will enable digital asset business operators to obtain the necessary information for verifying and preventing the misuse of digital assets in technology‑related crimes, enhance the effectiveness of asset tracing and recovery, and help prevent the use of the digital asset market as a channel for money laundering activities in line with international standards.” The consultation paper is available on the SEC website and Thailand’s Legal Hub portal, with feedback open until 25 March 2026.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by funtap via Freepik The post Thai SEC Seeks Public Feedback on Travel Rule for Digital Asset Transfers appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard has tapped Borderless.xyz for its Crypto Partner Program as it expands work on stablecoin-linked payment use cases. Borderless.xyz is joining as a launch partner alongside more than 85 companies across digital assets, payments and financial services, including Binance, Circle, PayPal, Ripple, Fireblocks, Solana and Polygon. The program focuses on cross-border transfers, B2B payments and global payouts using onchain infrastructure. The company joined Mastercard’s Start Path blockchain and digital assets accelerator in September 2025 as one of five selected firms. It has now moved on to the Crypto Partner Program as a launch partner. Borderless.xyz operates an API that connects wallet infrastructure to more than 14 licensed stablecoin providers across over 94 countries and more than 63 fiat currencies. Through the program, it is working with Mastercard on ways to connect that network to Mastercard’s payments infrastructure, which reaches consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Kevin Lehtiniitty Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO and Co-Founder of Borderless.xyz, said, “We started working with Mastercard through Start Path last year. Now we’re collaborating as launch partners on how stablecoin infrastructure connects to the world’s largest payments network. That progression tells you where this industry is heading, from speculative to real-world payments at scale.” Borderless.xyz said its infrastructure already supports global payouts for wallet provider DFNS, which is also part of the program, and enterprise on- and off-ramping for Bastion, whose clients include Sony. The company said its network connects wallet platforms with locally licensed providers that handle compliance and settlement in each market. Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program is aimed at linking onchain innovation with payments infrastructure to support compliant digital asset use cases across markets. Borderless.xyz and Mastercard said they will continue working on connecting stablecoin on- and off-ramp infrastructure to Mastercard’s global network.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik The post Mastercard Taps Borderless.xyz as Launch Partner for Crypto Partner Program appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Chubb has appointed Seshadri (Sesh) Iyer as Executive Vice President, Chubb Group, Operations, Technology and Digital Transformation, effective April 6. He succeeds Julie Dillman, who will retire on 2 April after nearly a decade with the company. In the role, Iyer will oversee Chubb’s global operations and technology. He will also work with Sean Ringsted, Chief Digital Business Officer, on the company’s digital transformation across underwriting, sales and service operations worldwide. Iyer will report to Evan G. Greenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chubb Limited and Chubb Group, and John Keogh, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chubb Group. Iyer joins Chubb from Boston Consulting Group, where he spent nearly 20 years working with clients across industries, including financial services, in North America, Europe and Asia. Most recently, he served as North America chair for BCG X, the firm’s technology design and build unit. He also led the firm’s work in the Americas on lean services and operations in technology and IT, as well as cloud computing. Reporting to Iyer will be Gordon Mackechnie, Global Head of Technology; Mike Jones, Global Operations Officer and Head of North America Operations and Technology; and Jamie Trish, Global Transformation Officer. Rakshit Kapoor, Global Data Officer, will report to both Iyer and Ringsted. Dillman has served as Executive Vice President, Chubb Group and Digital Transformation Officer since 2022. Previously, she was Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and Global Head of Operations and Technology. Before joining Chubb in 2016, she was Executive Vice President of Operations, eBusiness and Analytics at Travelers Insurance, where she led operations as well as company-wide digital and analytics delivery.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Borin via Freepik The post Chubb Names Seshadri Iyer EVP for Operations, Technology and Digital Transformation appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

BIDC, a subsidiary of BIDV and one of Cambodia’s fastest-growing commercial banks, has gone live on BPC’s SmartVista platform, replacing its legacy systems and enabling EMV contactless card issuing and acquiring. The upgrade supports the bank’s cardholders and merchant network with enhanced payment security and lays the foundation for digital retail growth. BIDC can now issue EMV contactless cards more efficiently across mobile and branch channels. Merchants benefit from faster “tap-and-go” acceptance and streamlined settlement. Customers enjoy simplified payments, 3D Secure online protection, and consistent digital self-service. The new platform also consolidates operations, reduces time-to-market, and provides a scalable foundation for future growth. Nguyen Xuan Dung “Offering modern card programmes and secure payment experiences to our customers are critical to our strategy and future growth,” said Nguyen Xuan Dung, Senior Executive Vice President, BIDC. “The modernisation with BPC marks an important milestone. We’ve moved from fragmented systems to a single platform that lets us launch new card products quickly, offer contactless acceptance, and extend secure services to customers wherever they bank.” BIDC chose SmartVista for its modular, secure, API-first design, enabling management of domestic CSS and international Visa portfolios on a single platform. Features include multi-account, multi-currency cards, policy-driven lifecycle controls, and integration with mobile banking, including virtual cards. Acquiring modernisation enhances ATM and POS acceptance, clearing, and settlement, while providing the bank with real-time visibility and stronger fraud management. Veasna Nguon “BIDC was looking for one singular platform and SmartVista is designed just like that,” said Veasna Nguon, Business Development Director, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, BPC. Looking ahead, BIDC and BPC plan to expand card features and broaden merchant acceptance. They also aim to introduce cash-recycling machines and deepen mobile integration to support Cambodia’s cashless payments agenda.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Rashed_stock via Freepik The post BIDC Migrates to BPC’s SmartVista, Expanding Card Services and Payments in Cambodia appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

MetaComp, a Singapore-based company specialising in unified Web2.5 payments and wealth management, has completed its Pre-A+ funding round, bringing total funding to US$35 million across two rounds in three months. Alibaba, Spark Venture, and other institutional investors supported the round, with existing shareholders co-investing. 100Summit Partners acted as exclusive financial adviser. The funding will expand MetaComp’s StableX Network across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. It will also advance the company’s AI strategy for an Agent-Skills-MCP architecture, designed to support Web2.5 payment and wealth services. MetaComp reported full-year net profitability in 2025. Combined cash flows and new capital now provide more than US$100 million in available liquidity. The company operates through licensed affiliates, including Alpha Ladder Finance, which holds Capital Markets Services (CMS) and Recognised Market Operator (RMO) licenses. These affiliates provide regulated services across payments, treasury, and investment, covering both traditional and tokenised assets. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licenses MetaComp as a Major Payment Institution, authorising it to provide Digital Payment Token and cross-border money transfer services. MetaComp serves over 1,000 institutional and accredited clients globally through its group-level platform. Its proprietary Client Asset Management Platform (CAMP) manages more than US$500 million in wealth assets and runs at a monthly rate exceeding US$1 billion. In 2025, the platform processed over US$10 billion in payments and over-the-counter trading across 13+ stablecoins. The StableX Engine and VisionX Compliance Engine support the network. They enable clients to move, convert, and manage capital under a single regulatory framework. MetaComp and Alpha Ladder provide integrated payment, treasury, and investment services through the PayX and WealthX1 platforms. The platforms bring together traditional finance and digital assets on a unified Web2.5 architecture. Tin Pei Ling, Co-President of MetaComp, said: Tin Pei Ling “Traditional payment systems remain constrained by multi-day settlement cycles, high costs and limited currency coverage, and that gap is exactly what we were founded to solve. This funding accelerates the StableX Network across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, where demand for compliant, real-time cross-border settlement is growing fastest.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by lekhawattana via Freepik The post MetaComp Secures US$35 Million in Pre-A+ Funding to Expand Web2.5 Platform appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Global payments technology firm EBANX will open its new Asia-Pacific (APAC) headquarters in Singapore on 24 March. The facility will act as a regulatory and product development centre for the company’s global e-commerce operations. The Brazil-founded enterprise currently processes payments for over 100 APAC merchants. It has accounted for 36% of its Total Payment Volume (TPV) in 2025. EBANX projects a 30% TPV growth within the region in 2026, driven by business and consumer activity across emerging markets. EBANX CEO and Co-Founder João Del Valle noted the ongoing trend of Asian businesses entering markets in Africa and Latin America. João Del Valle “In the current global landscape, companies are searching for diversified growth opportunities, strengthening South-South ties and building resilient global partnerships,” Del Valle stated. The Singapore office follows the firm’s acquisition of a Major Payment Institution licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2025. Chief Product Officer Eduardo de Abreu, who recently relocated to Singapore as regional CEO, will lead the new headquarters alongside 25 professionals spanning engineering, compliance, and treasury. Abreu explained that the new base will anchor the firm’s global product strategy and facilitate payment solutions for international merchants. Furthermore, the new Singapore hub is designed to support businesses from Europe and North America. Its primary goal is to help them tap into rapidly expanding markets like India and the Philippines. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by bunditinay via Freepik. The post EBANX to Open New APAC Headquarters in Singapore appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Razorpay announced the launch of the “World’s First Agent Studio”, built using the Claude Agent SDK from Anthropic, at Razorpay’s flagship event, FTX’2026, in India today. Razorpay Agent Studio is a B2B agent marketplace and builder platform for payments and business banking. It is said to function similarly to a team of AI specialists, with each agent purpose-built to handle a specific commerce challenge, ranging from recovering failed payments to settling disputes before escalation. For the initial rollout, Razorpay has introduced production-ready agents: Abandoned Cart Conversion Agent, Dispute Responder Agent, Subscription Recovery Agent, and Cashflow Forecaster Agent. Harshil Mathur, co-founder and CEO of Razorpay, shared, Harshil Mathur “With the launch of the world’s first Agent Studio for payments, we’re enabling companies to deploy AI agents that can understand and monitor their revenue flows, resolve payment issues, and unlock insights across billions of transactions in real time.” The Agent Studio also has a “Build Your Agent” feature, which enables businesses to create their own AI agents in plain English without needing to code. Businesses can describe what they want the agent to do, choose the systems it can access, and set a few rules. From there, the agent is created instantly and starts handling the tasks automatically. The company also introduced the Razorpay Agentic Experience Platform, an AI-native layer developed with Claude. It is designed to make interactions with Razorpay as seamless as having a conversation. The platform introduces three capabilities: Agentic Onboarding, Agentic Dashboard and Agentic Integration. Irina Ghose, Managing Director of Anthropic India, added, Irina Ghose “Razorpay’s work with Claude shows how AI agents can address real commerce challenges – recovering revenue, resolving disputes, and predicting cash flow. It’s a great example of what AI can do when it’s embedded into the operating fabric of business.” Last year, during Global Fintech Festival 2025, Razorpay introduced India’s first concept of agentic payments with NPCI and OpenAI, where it showcased how AI could move from recommendations to completing payments. The 7th edition of FTX brought together 70+ speakers from global and Indian companies, including NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Airtel, ICICI Bank, and more. Featured image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on image by muhagraph on Freepik The post Razorpay Debuts AI-Native Agent Studio for Payments, Powered by Claude appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

OpenWay and UnionPay International (UPI) have expanded their partnership to support UnionPay products on the Way4 platform. Way4 is OpenWay’s platform for card issuing, acquiring, switching, and digital wallet services in real time. With the expansion, OpenWay clients can issue, acquire, and tokenise UnionPay cards, allowing for a more consistent rollout of UnionPay-powered payment services across markets. OpenWay has enabled the launch of Big Pay functionality for UnionPay cards on Way4 with six major banks in Central Asia. This is the first global integration of a UnionPay card with a Big Pay solution. OpenWay plans additional Big Pay integrations, which will expand mobile and digital wallet options for UnionPay cardholders on Way4. Since 2004, OpenWay has driven international payment scheme (IPS) innovation in Central Asia, powering the first UnionPay card issuance in Kazakhstan on the Way4 platform. The company has also supported the rollout of UnionPay chip cards and acquiring infrastructure in the region. Today, the Way4 platform is used internationally for cross-border card scheme integration, wallet-based services, real-time payments, and AI-based payment solutions. Rustem Nurmambetov, Operational Director, OpenWay in Central Asia, said: Rustem Nurmambetov “This partnership demonstrates the power of glocal innovation. Global breakthroughs often begin with local vision. Together with UnionPay International and our local banking partners, we are setting a global precedent for modern, inclusive, and interoperable payments.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik The post OpenWay Enables Big Pay for UnionPay Cards on Way4, Expands Global Support appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Kredivo Group, the Indonesia-based buy now, pay later and fintech company, has acquired Vietnam-based digital bank Timo, according to Tech in Asia, based on sources familiar with the matter. The report indicated that final paperwork has been signed, though the deal has not yet been formally announced. Financial terms remain undisclosed for the Kredivo Timo acquisition. Kredivo plans to invest approximately US$15 million in Vietnam over the next three years, targeting one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing fintech markets. Kredivo Group’s co-founder and CEO, Akshay Garg, will purportedly oversee operations of the combined entity. The Timo brand is expected to be retained, with Kredivo’s Vietnam operations consolidated under it over time. The integration will unfold in two phases: first, migrating Kredivo’s lending technology into Timo’s platform, followed by the introduction of card-based payment products. Phoenix Holdings, an early Timo backer, is expected to retain its stake following the deal. Timo currently operates in partnership with Viet Capital Bank, as Vietnam does not issue standalone digital banking licences. Featured image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by Zay Win Htai on Freepik The post Kredivo Group Acquires Vietnamese Digital Bank Timo in Regional Push appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Alteryx has surpassed US$1 billion in annual recurring revenue as it expands its push into enterprise AI and automation. The company is positioning its Alteryx One platform as a way for businesses to connect data, business context and AI in a single platform, with a governed and repeatable logic layer designed to preserve lineage and support AI use at scale. Alteryx added that thousands of customers are moving to its simplified pricing model. The push comes as businesses look for more reliable ways to scale AI. Alteryx cited research showing that 28 percent of organisations have limited or no confidence in the accuracy and quality of their data. Andy MacMillan Andy MacMillan, CEO of Alteryx, said, “When automation becomes agentic, inconsistency is no longer just inefficient. It becomes an enterprise risk. AI requires a governed and repeatable logic layer. Without that foundation, organisations don’t just move faster — they scale risk faster than productivity. Alteryx is purpose-built for this next phase, giving enterprises the control, transparency, and confidence to operationalise AI, and giving lines of business the flexibility they need to adapt and change.” Alteryx’s global community reached more than 750,000 members in 2025, marking 10 years since its launch. Its customers executed more than 380 million automated workflows in 2025, up from more than 260 million in 2023. The company’s platform supports newer generative AI use cases, including natural language interaction with data, while maintaining explainable and auditable outputs aligned with enterprise compliance needs. Alteryx also expanded its cloud data platform ecosystem, including a deeper partnership with Google Cloud, and introduced a refreshed brand identity tied to its focus on AI-powered analytics and enterprise-scale automation.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Borin via Freepik The post Alteryx Surpasses US$1 Billion in ARR Amid Rising Enterprise AI Demand appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard has rolled out a new Crypto Partner Program that brings together more than 85 firms across digital assets, payments and financial services. The new global initiative is intended to create a forum for collaboration as digital asset use cases become more closely tied to mainstream financial systems. Among the companies joining the program are Anchorage Digital, Binance, Bybit, Circle, Crypto.com, DCS Card, dtcpay, Episode Six, Fireblocks, Gemini, Paxos, Paymentology, PayPal, Ripple, StraitsX, Thought Machine, Thredd, TRM Labs and Worldpay. Mastercard said digital assets are increasingly being used in areas such as cross-border remittances, B2B money transfers, payouts, settlement and other forms of cross-border money movement. These use cases are starting to create new opportunities to improve how money moves across markets. Through the program, participants will engage with Mastercard teams on the design and direction of future products and services. This includes solutions aimed at combining the speed and programmability of digital assets with existing card rails and global commerce flows. Mastercard said the initiative is focused on turning technical innovation into scalable and compliant use cases that can operate across markets and fit into everyday commerce. It also aims to support more consistent standards and responsible growth across the ecosystem. The launch builds on Mastercard’s earlier digital asset efforts, including its Start Path track for blockchain and digital asset firms and its Engage platform, which includes a Crypto Card program. Mastercard said it will continue focusing on trust, standards and connecting systems at scale as it works to bridge on-chain innovation with existing payments infrastructure.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Vladislav via Freepik The post Circle, Binance and Ripple Join Mastercard’s New Crypto Partner Program appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard is rolling out a new platform to help banks tackle SME cross-border payment friction in Asia Pacific. The company has launched Mastercard Global Commerce Suite for Small Businesses, a new offering powered by Mastercard Move. It is designed to help banks support SMEs with cross-border payments, collections and expenses. It is now available to banks and financial institutions in Hong Kong SAR, with plans to expand into selected Asia Pacific markets. The launch comes as more SMEs in the region expand into cross-border trade while continuing to face issues such as limited payment visibility, compliance requirements, vague timelines and fragmented processes. Mastercard said the suite includes virtual accounts in multiple currencies, a multi-currency card, app-based controls, API links to marketplaces and ecommerce platforms, and near real-time payment tracking. It also includes authentication and compliance features aimed at reducing friction and fraud. Anouska Ladds Anouska Ladds, EVP, Commercial and New Payment Flows, Asia Pacific at Mastercard, said, “Mastercard Global Commerce Suite for Small Businesses aims to offer banks a powerful, scalable way to support SME growth by bringing payments, visibility, and control together in one platform that is purpose-built for cross-border commerce. It will enable banks to serve SMEs more effectively, while building the foundation for deeper, long-term relationships as their customers grow.” Mastercard Move supports money movement across more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 150 currencies.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Mastercard Rolls Out Cross-Border Payments Suite for APAC SMEs appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Thunes has made two senior hires as the company expands its payments network and strengthens its leadership team. The company has appointed Guy Duncan as Chief Technology and Product Officer and Parvinder Bhatia as Chief Financial Officer. Duncan joins Thunes with experience in digital transformation and scaling technology platforms. He previously served as CTO at Tide and OVO Energy. Duncan also led BMW’s digital transformation across 64 markets and helped scale Tide’s platform from 50,000 to more than 1 million members. At Thunes, he will lead the company’s technology and product teams, with a focus on building teams and deploying AI across its Direct Global Network. Guy Duncan Guy Duncan, CTPO of Thunes, said, “Thunes is at a fascinating juncture where technology and innovation acts as the ultimate strategic enabler. I am thrilled to join a team that shares my ‘Think Big’ philosophy and entrepreneurial mindset. My focus will be on ensuring our solutions solve customer friction both for now and for the future, through innovative, production-ready AI and scalable architecture.” Bhatia joins from bunq, where he served as CFO and supported the bank’s financial strategy and international expansion. He has more than 24 years of experience across fintech, private equity and venture-backed businesses. At Thunes, he will lead the company’s global finance organisation and work with the leadership team as the company continues to grow its cross-border payments infrastructure. Parvinder Bhatia Parvinder Bhatia, CFO of Thunes, added, “Thunes has built a remarkable foundation for global cross-border payments and I am joining at a time of significant momentum. I look forward to working with the board and the executive team to navigate our next phase of international growth, ensuring our financial strategy remains as innovative and robust as our technology.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ghiska via Freepik The post Thunes Taps Guy Duncan and Parvinder Bhatia for Next Growth Phase appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Stablecoins are gaining ground in APAC finance as clearer rules draw more institutional interest, a new Money20/20 Asia report found. Published ahead of Money20/20 Asia in Bangkok this April, the report draws on insights from more than 130 stakeholders across the region and points to a fintech sector moving beyond experimentation in areas such as AI and digital assets. It highlights three main themes for 2026: maturing core technologies, deeper collaboration between banks and fintechs, and the growing importance of trust across data, cybersecurity and governance. In digital assets, the report says interest is rising particularly around stablecoins, with attention shifting away from speculative crypto activity and toward practical uses in B2B and cross-border payments. It says growing regulatory clarity is helping support that shift and attract larger traditional financial institutions, while also noting that monetisation remains a hurdle for many players and that digital assets are still seen as a parallel option rather than a replacement for fiat. AI is also moving further into deployment. The report says it has progressed beyond experimentation into active scaling, with firms focusing on embedding it into core operations. At the same time, it warns that AI is also creating new risks, especially in fraud, phishing, identity verification and broader cybersecurity. Ian Fong “APAC is no longer experimenting — it’s executing. The region is building financial infrastructure that is faster, safer, and more inclusive than ever before. What happens here will influence the future of money globally.” said Ian Fong, VP of Content at Money20/20 Asia. Separately, the report found Southeast Asia was the top market APAC fintech organisations are focused on or expanding into over the next 12 to 18 months, cited by 22.9 percent of respondents. Digital Trust Emerges as a Core Priority That focus on trust runs throughout the report. It says 91.7 percent of respondents view cybersecurity and data privacy as a top priority, while 88.2 percent see digital identity as a foundational part of the modern banking and payments ecosystem. The report adds that security is increasingly being treated as a business capability woven into products and operations, rather than just a compliance requirement. The report also points to a more collaborative regulatory climate across Asia Pacific. It says regulators are increasingly engaging through initiatives, pilots and public-private partnerships, with growing momentum toward regulatory harmonisation across markets. Respondents broadly viewed regulation as increasingly supportive of innovation, particularly in areas such as digital assets and AI risk management. Overall, the report suggests APAC fintech is moving into a stage where the question is no longer just what can be built, but what can be scaled, trusted and sustained.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by tamirt via Freepik The post Money20/20 Asia Report Maps APAC Fintech’s Shift to Scale appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard has introduced Virtual C-Suite, a new agentic AI offering designed to help small businesses operate with executive-level insight and decision-making. The first tool to be launched under the suite will be a Virtual CFO, which Mastercard said will be introduced this year through financial institutions, accounting platforms and software providers. Additional AI-powered roles tied to functions such as security and marketing are planned over time. Virtual C-Suite builds on Mastercard’s Agent Suite and is designed to work within the accounting systems, business software and banking applications that small businesses already use. According to Mastercard, the system can analyse business performance, identify risks and opportunities, forecast likely outcomes, and recommend both immediate and longer-term actions. Business owners will be able to access the service through dashboards and conversational interfaces, including for questions about cash flow and business performance. Mastercard said the recommendations will draw on a business’ own financial activity as well as insights from transactions across its network. It processed 175 billion transactions in 2025, and said the system is designed to help businesses manage how they pay, get paid, and handle working capital. Mark Barnett, Mark Barnett, Global Head of Small and Medium Enterprises at Mastercard, said, “With Virtual C-Suite, we are bringing the innovative technology, quality data at scale, and strategic expertise usually available to large enterprises to small business owners. Our goal is to turn operational complexity into clarity — helping entrepreneurs regain time, make smarter decisions, and translate their ambition into measurable growth.” Mastercard is positioning the offering as a tool for SMEs, which often operate with lean teams and may lack dedicated subject matter expertise. It said the service is aimed at giving smaller businesses access to the kind of analysis and support that has typically been more available to larger enterprises.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik The post Mastercard Launches Virtual C-Suite AI Tool for Small Businesses appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Broadridge has added Crypto.com to its NYFIX network, allowing market participants to route crypto orders through its existing FIX-based trading infrastructure. The integration also marks NYFIX’s first cryptocurrency trading connection in Asia. With the tie-up, firms already connected to NYFIX can route crypto orders directly to Crypto.com through the same network used for other asset classes. The integration also gives Crypto.com access to NYFIX Marketplace. Broadridge said the setup supports order routing, drop copies and market data handling through the FIX protocol. It added that the integration combines its market access and connectivity with Crypto.com’s liquidity and low-latency trading capabilities. For Crypto.com, the connection also expands its access to Broadridge’s global network of more than 2,200 buy-side and sell-side participants, supporting its reach among professional trading firms. Broadridge also said the partnership could allow Crypto.com to explore additional capital markets capabilities on the platform as its business grows. George Rosenberger George Rosenberger, Senior Vice President of Trading and Connectivity Solutions at Broadridge, said, “As interest in digital assets continues to accelerate, this relationship reflects Broadridge’s commitment to expanding access to emerging asset classes while maintaining compliance and operational resilience. With Crypto.com we are extending NYFIX’s robust connectivity into the digital asset space, enabling our clients to route orders with the same reliability and transparency they expect from all their trading activity.” Eric Anziani Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer of Crypto.com, said, “Working with Broadridge allows us to connect with a trusted global network that has long served the world’s leading financial institutions. This collaboration strengthens our ability to serve professional trading firms with robust FIX connectivity solutions and supports our ongoing mission to expand Crypto.com’s presence across key global markets.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by vykhopentaras via Freepik The post Broadridge Adds Crypto.com to NYFIX in First Asia Crypto Trading Link appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand is leading the transition towards cashless and digital payments both domestically and across borders, driven by real-time payment infrastructure, e-money growth, and cross-border payment linkages, a new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says. However, this shift is also introducing new risks and challenges. Between 2019 and 2024, the use of non-physical payments increased annually by more than 75% on average. This surge has been fueled largely by PromptPay, Thailand’s real-time digital payment system. Launched in 2016, PromptPay links bank accounts to national identification (ID) or mobile phone numbers, offering a universal, low-cost platform for multiple use cases, including request to pay, merchant payments, cross-bank bill payments, bulk/batch payments, and e-donations. During 2019 to 2024, the average number of fast payment transactions through PromptPay rose more than eight-fold from below 40 per person per year to almost 350. Today, registration to PromptPay exceeds over 90 million against a population of about 71 million, and the system processes more than 74 million every day, according to The Nation. Thailand is also seeing high penetration of e-money account. Today, nearly half of the adult population owns an e-money account, outperforming its regional peers where only about 20% of ASEAN consumers have an e-money account. This significant progress in digital payments has been a catalyst for financial inclusion. In 2024, about 80% of adults in Thailand owned financial accounts, 55% owned a debit card, and 50% had made digital payments. The country now has more registered mobile banking accounts at 107.24 million than people, according to The Nation. ASEAN: Payment digitalization and financial inclusion, Source: ASEAN’s Digital Payment Revolution: A New Frontier for Regional Integration, International Monetary Fund, Feb 2026 In response to the shift to cashless payments, Thai merchants are embracing digital payments at a fast pace. A 2022 survey by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) found that 96% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had adopted digital payments, which accounted for over two-thirds of their payment value. Thai SMEs adoption of e-payment, Source: Survey on SMEs Payment Behavior, Bank of Thailand, 2023 Cross-border payment linkages Across ASEAN, Thailand is also leading progress in establishing bilateral and multilateral cross-border fast payment linkages with its regional counterparts. Thailand was one of the first movers in linking digital payments across borders, establishing in 2018 its first QR payment linkage with Japan, and later with eight other economies. This type of linkage is the most common in Southeast Asia, and allows travelers to make real-time payments to merchants in other countries by scanning a QR code. In April 2021, Thailand established the first cross-border fund transfer connectivity with Singapore. This type of linkage aims to facilitate instant remittances and fund transfers across borders between individuals by using simple identifiers like a mobile phone number or a national identification. ASEAN: Bilateral cross-border payment linkages, Source: ASEAN’s Digital Payment Revolution: A New Frontier for Regional Integration, International Monetary Fund, Feb 2026 The IMF report notes that while QR cross-border payments in Southeast Asia are still small in value and volume, they have shown a significant surge in growth. In Thailand, inbound payments through all bilateral QR linkages stood at approximately THB 2.5 billion (US$79 million) in 2024. This represents a fivefold increase from THB 500 million (US$15.8 million) in 2023. Cross-border payments in Thailand, Source: ASEAN’s Digital Payment Revolution: A New Frontier for Regional Integration, International Monetary Fund, Feb 2026 Growth potential remains nevertheless substantial, particularly given rising intra-ASEAN tourism. In 2023, intra-ASEAN tourists accounted for 42% of total visitors, up from 36% in 2019. Fragmentation issues However, multiple linkages in current bilateral cross-border payment arrangements are leading in a highly fragmented landscape, making interoperability between systems and jurisdictions difficult to achieve. Project Nexus, a collaboration between the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub and central banks from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and India, aims to address that through a multilateral approach. Project Nexus employs a standardized blueprint to connect multiple domestic fast payment systems through a single, central hub. This significantly simplifies the infrastructure required for regional and global payment connections. The initiative completed a successful proof of concept in 2022 and a comprehensive blueprint in July 2024. Nexus is already being incorporated in Singapore, marking a key step towards operationalization. The scheme is expected to go-live in the city state by 2027. Financial crime on the rise In addition to technological challenges, increased reliance on digital platforms is also heightening risks of financial crime and money laundering. Just this week, the Thai Digital Asset Operators Trade Association (TDO) said that more the 10,000 suspicious accounts had been frozen as the industry intensified efforts to combat money laundering through mule accounts. This initiative follows a series of arrests conducted in late-2025 involving hundreds of suspects, recruiters, and ringleaders linked to mule-account networks. These actions are part of a nationwide effort to curb financial crime amid surging online scam activity. Between November 01, 2023, and June 27, 2025, Thailand’s Anti Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC) received more than 1.18 million cases of online scams. This trend is accelerating in 2026. According to police, authorities logged 7,682 complaints of online scams from March 01 to 07, 2026 alone, up 4% from the 7,344 complaints the prior week. These scams caused THB 433.86 million (US$14 million) in damages.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by coffeemill and via user21016237 Freepik The post Thailand Leads ASEAN in Digital Payment Transformation appeared first on Fintech Singapore.