Tagged: southeast asia

October 21, 2025 @ 10:26 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Six national payment networks from five Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a common standards body for non-card instant retail payments, aiming to make cross-border transactions faster and safer while preserving national control. The George Town… Read More

October 10, 2025 @ 1:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) demonstrated during Q3 2025 its commitment to upholding the integrity of the financial sector through a series of regulatory and enforcement measures. From July to September, MAS says that it has addressed critical issues ranging from licensing non-compliance and… Read More

September 17, 2025 @ 1:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), which claims to be one of the nation’s largest banks, has made significant strides across physical expansion, financial performance, and technological partnerships. These developments underscore Maybank’s commitment to enhancing accessibility, sustaining growth, and embracing digital transformation amid evolving market demands. These… Read More

September 8, 2025 @ 9:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore continues to solidify its position as a global hub for financial innovation and regional collaboration through recent developments: the Green Investments Partnership (GIP) achieving its first close with US$510 million in committed capital and the reaffirmation of bilateral cooperation between the Brunei Darussalam Central… Read More

August 26, 2025 @ 9:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

OCBC (SGX: O39), one of Singapore’s established banking institutions, has launched a US$1 billion digital US commercial paper (CP) program powered by blockchain technology. This initiative marks a step forward in leveraging distributed ledger technology to enhance efficiency, transparency, and security in short-term financing instruments. The… Read More

August 22, 2025 @ 8:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group and Incore Bank, a Swiss B2B transaction bank with a network of banks, financial intermediaries, fintechs and corporates, announce an extended partnership focused on scaling their B2B banking networks. Since 2019, Incore Bank has been one of Sygnum’s… Read More

August 20, 2025 @ 5:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nium, the infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, announced the expansion of Verify, its account validation service, in Europe, through a strengthened strategic partnership with iPiD, the provider of the Know Your Payee (KYP) solution, iPiD Node. As part of this deepening collaboration, iPiD is also… Read More

August 9, 2025 @ 1:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia is undergoing a significant transformation, as highlighted in PitchBook’s Q3 2025 Analyst Note titled Southeast Asia’s Early-Stage Capital Crunch. The report from PitchBook underscores a tightening of early-stage funding, driven by cautious investor sentiment, macroeconomic uncertainties, and a… Read More

August 7, 2025 @ 12:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Q2 2025 Singapore Market Snapshot, released by PitchBook on August 4, 2025, offers a comprehensive overview of the nation-state’s evolving macroeconomic and microeconomic landscape, spanning both private and public markets. As one of Asia’s financial hubs, Singapore continues to demonstrate resilience amid global economic… Read More

August 5, 2025 @ 9:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Grab Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GRAB), Southeast Asia’s superapp, released its second-quarter 2025 financial results on July 31, 2025, showcasing growth in its financial services and FinTech-related businesses. The company, headquartered in Singapore, continues to leverage its integrated platform to deliver steady performance across its mobility, deliveries,… Read More

August 3, 2025 @ 9:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Telegram’s May 2025 ban on two major illicit cryptocurrency marketplaces, Huione Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee, has disrupted Southeast Asia’s guarantee services ecosystem, though it has not eradicated it. According to a July 29, 2025, report by TRM Labs, these platforms, which facilitated over $35 billion… Read More

July 29, 2025 @ 1:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Airwallex, a global Fintech platform, has made significant progress this year, reinforcing its mission to enable businesses with digital financial services. The company recently announced the launch of its Airwallex Yield product in Singapore, following regulatory approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and… Read More

July 8, 2025 @ 5:04 am By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s financial technology (Fintech) sector raised $776 million in the first half of 2025, up 31% from the $593 million recorded in the second half of 2024, according to Tracxn’s SEA FinTech Semi Annual Funding Report. While overall funding fell 22% compared to $1… Read More

June 10, 2025 @ 9:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Backbase, the global enabler of AI-powered banking technology, announces that Bank Muamalat has officially launched ATLAS by Bank Muamalat (ATLAS), Malaysia’s first Islamic digital-only bank centered on faith and lifestyle alignment. This milestone represents a transformative “leap in Bank Muamalat’s journey to redefine Islamic banking,… Read More

May 21, 2025 @ 11:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

StraitsX, Southeast Asia’s digital payment infrastructure provider, announced the launch of its Singapore dollar-backed stablecoin, XSGD, on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a “decentralized” layer-1 blockchain. The deployment marks the first phase of a broader collaboration with Ripple, a contributor to the XRP Ledger and a… Read More

May 19, 2025 @ 5:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Global insurtech bolttech announced its partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, one of Japan’s largest trading houses. The two companies will enter a joint venture to “deliver technology-enabled embedded solutions to distribution partners” across a number of markets in Asia. The technology-enabled embedded solutions will enable distribution partners… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Thailand’s credit and charge card payments market is projected to reach THB2.3 trillion ($65.6 billion) in 2025, reflecting a growth of “7.1% compared to the previous year,” driven by the adoption of digital payment solutions and a shift in consumer behavior towards cashless transactions, according… Read More

March 25, 2025 @ 8:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Fintech ecosystem in the Philippines is experiencing a surge in 2025, cementing its role as a key player in Southeast Asia’s financial technology ecosystem. Although a relatively smaller economy in terms of GDP growth and GDP per capita when compared to some nearby countries… Read More

March 17, 2025 @ 10:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

World, the human-centered financial and identity network, is now available in Thailand. Thais can get their World ID verified at a number of World Spaces throughout Bangkok, with more locations “slated to open throughout 2025.” With the second-highest GDP in Southeast Asia, Thailand is “one… Read More

March 6, 2025 @ 9:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tonik has crossed 1 million cumulative loans disbursed since inception, cementing its status as the Philippines’ credit-led digital bank and propelling a new era of “credit inclusion.” While traditional banking institutions continue to emphasize corporate credit, Tonik zeroes in on a “$40 billion latent unsecure… Read More