Tagged: southeast asia

June 29, 2026 @ 8:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Philippines is accelerating its shift toward digital financial inclusion by integrating fintech platforms into government assistance programs. A key example is the recent collaboration between the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Maya, which enables the electronic delivery of fuel subsidies to… Read More

June 29, 2026 @ 1:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore have jointly published the Phase 1 report of the PayNow Generation 2 initiative, charting a clear path to evolve the nation’s flagship instant payments platform. Released on 25 June 2026, the document… Read More

June 15, 2026 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech Stripe is sharply focused on effectively enabling programmable finance by empowering AI agents to independently handle commercial transactions, particularly in procuring cloud infrastructure and related services. This development marks a significant step toward making autonomous AI systems full economic participants in the digital economy…. Read More

May 28, 2026 @ 12:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has restricted public access to Polymarket, a US-based platform that operates as a prediction market using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The decision, announced on May 22, 2026, underscores the government’s firm stance against any form of speculative betting… Read More

May 10, 2026 @ 6:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s food delivery market is becoming a structural part of household spending rather than a pandemic-era habit, BMI Country Risk and Industry Research said, pointing to Grab Holdings’ record first-quarter results as evidence of a broader shift in consumer behavior. Singapore-based Grab reported first-quarter… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 5:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia is emerging as Asia’s most concentrated Fintech market, underscoring both the region’s maturity and the significant growth potential in less-developed ecosystems across the continent, according to a new study. The analysis by Singapore-based UnaFinancial found that Southeast Asia hosts an average of 14… Read More

April 25, 2026 @ 4:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s private equity market remained under pressure in 2025 as deal value declined and exit activity weakened, highlighting ongoing liquidity challenges for private capital investors, according to a new report by Bain & Company. Total deal value in the region fell about 10% year-on-year… Read More

March 12, 2026 @ 12:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast Asia’s economic resilience is gaining ground, yet private capital activity tells a more nuanced story. According to PitchBook’s latest analysis, the Asian Development Bank has lifted regional growth projections to 4.5% for 2025 and 4.4% for 2026, citing robust performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,… Read More

February 26, 2026 @ 4:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based fintech Thunes announced a significant milestone with Banco Cathay of Costa Rica: the activation of seamless pay-to-wallet functionality powered by SWIFT infrastructure. This integration allows the Central American bank to route international disbursements directly into mobile wallets worldwide using its established SWIFT connections, eliminating… Read More

February 22, 2026 @ 1:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent development that has raised fresh concerns about integrity within Malaysia’s law enforcement. Authorities have taken 12 police officers into custody over allegations of orchestrating a brazen extortion scheme targeting Chinese nationals and their cryptocurrency holdings. The case, which unfolded in the affluent state… Read More

February 13, 2026 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has revealed plans to enhance its Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP). On February 12, 2026, the authority disclosed an increase in the program’s funding from S$5 billion to S$6.5 billion. This decision aligns with the recent Budget 2026 announcement… Read More

February 1, 2026 @ 3:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a new development expected to enhance how Asian SMEs handle transactions, global fintech Adyen (AMS: ADYEN) has formed a strategic alliance with Raptor, a point-of-sale (POS) system provider. This collaboration focuses on easing operational hurdles for the city’s service industry, particularly in food and… Read More

January 22, 2026 @ 11:26 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PT Valbury Asia Futures, an Indonesian brokerage, has rolled out trading in U.S. stocks through a strategic alliance with Alpaca, a provider of brokerage technology. This development, announced earlier this week, aims to bridge the gap for local investors seeking exposure to one of the… Read More

December 19, 2025 @ 1:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com announced a strengthening of its fiat payment capabilities with DBS Bank, which is reportedly Southeast Asia’s largest bank by assets.  This highlights Crypto.com’s commitment to working with banks to deliver services under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) framework. Crypto.com users in Singapore may… Read More

December 18, 2025 @ 8:59 am By Michael Wong  |  

SEAX Global, a privately held Southeast Asian wholesale connectivity provider, has acquired a major stake in Thailand’s Interlink Telecom Pcl (ITEL), expanding its footprint in one of the region’s biggest network markets, the companies said. The deal adds ITEL’s domestic fibre network and telecom licences… Read More

December 16, 2025 @ 8:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Proxymity, the digital investor communication platform, announces the expansion of its partnership with Deutsche Bank, one of the global financial institutions, with the rollout of Proxymity Vote Connect Access in Thailand. Deutsche Bank is said to be one of the first adopters of Proxymity’s digital… Read More

December 13, 2025 @ 2:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

GoTyme Bank, which claims to be one of the fastest-growing banks in the Philippines and a JV between the Gokongwei Group and Tyme Group, announced the launch of its cryptocurrency investment feature. This launch was reportedly made possible in partnership with Alpaca, a global player… Read More

December 10, 2025 @ 7:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Airwallex, a global enabler of business banking products, has recently announced that it acquired majority ownership of PT Skye Sab Indonesia, a PJP (Penyedia Jasa Pembayaran) Category 1 license holder. The acquisition allows Indonesian merchants aiming to expand overseas “to tap into Airwallex’s financial infrastructure.”… Read More

December 10, 2025 @ 6:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Aberdeen Investments marks its 20th year of business operations in Malaysia, reportedly completing two decades of steady growth and partnerships in this fast-evolving financial market. Since forming its Kuala Lumpur office back in 2005, Aberdeen has served a key role in contributing to Malaysia’s investment… Read More

December 1, 2025 @ 10:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s card payments market is expected to grow steadily by 6.2% in 2025, reaching appr. SGD158.2 billion (about $119.6 billion), supported by near-universal bank access, “extensive” merchant acceptance, and increasing use of contactless cards, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company. GlobalData’s Payment Cards… Read More