Fintech
Innovation in financial technology — digital payments, neobanks, blockchain, and more.
Ant Group pilots Alipay AI assistant to challenge WeChat's dominance
Ant Group piloted an AI assistant named Ah Bao inside Alipay, allowing users to execute text or voice commands to complete financial and lifestyle tasks, including mutual fund purchases with user authorisation.
US appeals court upholds sentence for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried
A panel of three judges in the United States upheld the 25-year prison sentence for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried after rejecting his appeal of fraud convictions.
Thailand banks Krungthai and Kasikorn tighten rules on buy now, pay later
Krungthai Bank and Kasikornbank tightened scrutiny of their buy now, pay later operations and adjusted business strategies as they moved to align with stricter regulatory oversight in Thailand.
Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation prices largest ever digital bond issuance globally
The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation priced its inaugural digital bond, raising about HK$12 billion equivalent under its US$30 billion Medium Term Note Programme, in what was the largest digital bond issuance globally.
Pine Labs launches AI agent payments on India's UPI network
Pine Labs launched a payment protocol called P3P that let AI agents execute UPI transactions automatically when predefined conditions were met, marking a move into agentic commerce in India.
VALR CEO urges South Africa to lift exchange controls to spur investment
VALR CEO Farzam Ehsani called on South Africa to lift exchange controls, as the crypto industry pushed back against national treasury's draft Capital Flow Management Regulations.
Bottomline launches CFO Suite to close corporate cash flow gaps
Bottomline launched a modular CFO Suite that linked treasury, payments and finance workflows across the cash lifecycle, aiming to give CFOs greater visibility and control over cash flow and AI use.
DBS unveils tokenised physical gold offering for retail customers in Singapore
DBS unveiled a tokenised physical gold product for customers in Singapore, saying retail access was expected through its digibank platform in the second half of 2026.
TransUnion offers free credit reports for Hong Kong residents after HKID loss
TransUnion offered a one-time free credit report to eligible Hong Kong residents who lost their HKID, aiming to give immediate visibility into credit profiles during the high-risk period after identity loss.
Japan's MUFG, SMBC and Mizuho agree to set up council for joint yen stablecoin, targeting live transactions by March 2027
Japan's three megabanks will set up a council to prepare the infrastructure, governance and operating rules for a jointly issued yen stablecoin, with live transactions targeted in the fiscal year ending March 2027.
Grab is reportedly in talks to join Atome Financial funding round
Grab was reportedly in discussions to participate in Atome Financial's funding round that DealStreetAsia said could raise more than US$100 million, as Grab sought to deepen its BNPL and lending presence.
Roqqu CEO says tokenization is the future of finance
Benjamin Onomor, CEO of Roqqu, said tokenization was the future of global finance, arguing it could democratize investment access and reshape capital markets, as Roqqu announced a partnership with Ondo Finance.