Five companies are in the running to set up Vietnam’s first licensed crypto exchanges, Reuters reported, citing a Finance Ministry document. Those named include affiliates linked to Techcombank, VPBank and LPBank, alongside VIX Securities and Sun Group. Sun Group and VPBank said they had submitted applications, while the Finance Ministry did not comment on the list. The applications come as Vietnam moves to test a domestic crypto exchange model and considers new restrictions on trading through foreign platforms. The proposed changes would mark a significant shift for a market where many users still trade through offshore exchanges. Vietnam placed fourth in Chainalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index. Reuters also reported that trading tied to Vietnamese users topped US$200 billion in the 12 months to June. Crypto is not accepted as legal payment in Vietnam, but trading activity remains strong. Market participants say overseas platforms such as Binance, OKX and Bybit continue to dominate, while industry representatives argue that local exchanges could help build a more regulated domestic crypto market.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on images by suriyawutsuriya and boggy via Freepik The post Five Firms in the Running to Launch Vietnam’s First Licensed Crypto Exchanges appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

David Hardoon is departing Standard Chartered less than a year after joining the bank as Global Head of AI Enablement, according to Bloomberg. Hardoon, who is based in Singapore, is on gardening leave, the report said. Standard Chartered declined to comment on the departure. He joined the bank in April 2025 to support its broader AI ambitions as lenders step up efforts to embed the technology across core business functions. Hardoon brought experience across banking, regulation, academia and AI startups. His earlier roles included serving as the first Chief Data Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also held senior data and AI positions at UnionBank and UnionDigital in the Philippines before leading Aboitiz Data Innovation, the conglomerate’s data science and AI venture. The departure comes as banks continue investing in AI talent, governance and deployment. In the 2025 Evident AI Index, Standard Chartered ranked 26th globally for AI maturity, based on factors such as talent, innovation, leadership and transparency.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ghiska via Freepik The post David Hardoon Reportedly Departs StanChart After Brief Stint as Global AI Lead appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Singapore businesses are among the latest users to gain access to PayPal USD as PayPal expands the stablecoin to 70 markets. The stablecoin will not be available to retail users in Singapore. PYUSD, PayPal’s US dollar-backed stablecoin, is being made available through PayPal accounts across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. PayPal said users in newly supported markets can buy, hold, send and receive PYUSD directly from their PayPal accounts, subject to local regulations and product availability. Eligible users can also transfer PYUSD to friends and family through PayPal or third-party digital wallets, and convert it into local currency when withdrawing funds. For businesses that accept PYUSD, PayPal said proceeds can be used in minutes rather than days or weeks, helping improve liquidity and support working capital needs. May Zabaneh May Zabaneh, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Crypto at PayPal, said, “Enabling PYUSD in users’ accounts across 70 markets gives people faster access to their funds, lower-cost ways to send money across borders, and a more direct path to participating in the global economy, and that is what drives commerce forward for everyone.” PYUSD was launched in the United States in 2023. PayPal said the expansion is part of its broader push to grow the stablecoin’s use in global commerce. Available markets include Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. PayPal said users in the remaining markets will gain access to PYUSD in the coming weeks. Rewards on PYUSD holdings will not be available to users in Singapore or the United Kingdom.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by jannoon028 via Freepik The post PayPal Offers Stablecoin Access to Singapore Businesses in 70-Market Expansion appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard is building a new generative AI model using anonymised transaction data, with cybersecurity and fraud detection among its first planned uses. The company said the model is designed as an insights engine for payments and commerce rather than a chatbot. It described the system as a large tabular model trained on structured data. Over time, the model could also support services such as loyalty and rewards programmes, personalisation, portfolio optimisation and analytics. Mastercard said it is training the system on billions of anonymised transactions and may later expand it to include other datasets such as merchant location, fraud, authorisation, chargeback and loyalty programme data. The company said the model can learn patterns from data with less manual input than its existing systems, which often rely on data scientists to add features that help flag suspicious activity. In early testing, Mastercard said the model outperformed standard machine learning techniques in some cases, including showing better ability to identify legitimate high-value purchases that might otherwise be flagged as suspicious. Steve Flinter Steve Flinter, Distinguished Engineer at Mastercard, said, “We plan to build hybrid cybersecurity systems that combine the best of both our current AI models and this new LTM. This should help us build up and futureproof our cyber defenses.” Mastercard said the model could eventually help reduce the need to build and maintain thousands of separate AI models across different markets, customers and use cases. The project is being developed with Nvidia and Databricks, and Mastercard plans to share more about the work at Nvidia GTC 2026.       Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik The post Mastercard Builds Generative AI Model for Payment Insights, Fraud Detection appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Finastra has launched a new AI Center of Excellence and named Chris McClellen to lead the effort as it moves to coordinate and scale artificial intelligence initiatives across the company. McClellen has been appointed Senior Vice President, Group Head of AI, and will report to Chief Technology Officer Mike Stawchansky. He brings experience in AI strategy, enterprise software and data platforms, including in regulated environments, and a track record of turning emerging technology platforms into practical, scalable solutions. The company said the new AI Center of Excellence will draw on expertise across engineering, product and other functions to coordinate AI initiatives, share best practices and support wider development of AI capabilities across the business. AI projects in the company are already underway in areas including product development, internal operations and customer-facing work. Chris Walters Chris Walters, Chief Executive Officer of Finastra, said, “We already have a tremendous amount of AI talent and innovation across Finastra. Establishing the AI Center of Excellence allows us to bring that expertise together while continuing to grow it. We’re expanding our teams and hiring in key technology hubs including Atlanta and India, combining the strength of our existing teams with new talent. AI has the potential to deliver significant value to our customers, and this structure helps us move faster and scale the work already underway across the company.” Chris McClellen McClellen added, “AI presents an important opportunity for the financial services industry, and Finastra has already built a strong foundation of work across the company. I’m excited to help bring these efforts together, build on that progress, and support the continued development of AI capabilities across the organisation.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by smartmalik6384 via Freepik The post Finastra Names Chris McClellen to Lead New AI Center of Excellence appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Wise has secured the five licences needed to operate in Thailand, paving the way to roll out its foreign currency wallet and card services locally. The company said it is the first non-bank to receive the approvals. The approvals were granted by the Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Commerce. Wise said the move will allow Thai citizens, businesses and foreign residents to use a digital foreign currency wallet to send, receive and spend money in multiple currencies through a single app. The rollout will take place in stages, with customers now able to join a waitlist for access. The entry into Thailand adds to Wise’s expansion in Asia-Pacific, which the company said accounted for more than 20 percent of its global revenue in FY25. Revenue from the region rose 22 percent to £263.8 million in FY25. Thailand’s regulatory framework requires multiple licences covering payments, electronic money and foreign exchange services, making it a more complex market for international payments companies to enter. SK Saraogi SK Saraogi, APAC Head of Banking and Expansion at Wise, said, “Thailand’s cross-border payments market has long been dominated by traditional banks, and Wise is bringing a faster, more transparent alternative. With these licences, customers will soon be able to manage money seamlessly whether they’re sending it abroad or using it locally. Beyond Thailand, we see strong demand for our products across APAC and will continue to increase our regulatory footprint to bring our products to even more customers.” Wise now holds more than 75 regulatory licences globally and has recently received full approval to launch in the UAE, along with conditional approval in South Africa.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik The post Wise Secures Five Licences to Roll Out Wallet and Card Services in Thailand appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Thunes has enabled banks to send real-time payments to stablecoin wallets through their existing Swift infrastructure. The move gives financial institutions connected to Swift access to more than 500 million stablecoin wallets worldwide with no additional integration, extending Thunes’ Direct Global Network to existing Swift users. Thunes launched its Pay-to-Stablecoin-Wallets solution in October 2025. The service supports USDC and USDT and allows instant, 24/7 cross-border payments to stablecoin wallets in more than 140 countries. The offering is aimed at use cases such as salary payouts, family remittances and business transfers, allowing funds to move directly from a bank account to a stablecoin wallet while giving recipients faster access to funds. It may also offer an alternative for users and businesses seeking more stable access to hard currencies in markets affected by currency volatility. The latest rollout builds on Thunes’ earlier Pay-to-Bank and Pay-to-Wallet services, which also connect financial institutions to its Direct Global Network through Swift. Chloé Mayenobe Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO at Thunes, said, “Banks can now move value instantly across any rail – fiat or stablecoin – within a trusted, compliant network, using their existing Swift connection. Thunes is powering borderless, digital-first payments and advancing our vision to connect the next billion users to the global economy.” The service is supported by Thunes’ SmartX Treasury System, which handles fiat-to-stablecoin liquidity, and its Fortress Compliance Platform, which provides security and transaction traceability. Elie Bertha Elie Bertha, Chief Product Officer at Thunes, said, “Through a single Swift message, any bank can now deliver instant payouts to all key destinations including wallets, banks and stablecoin wallets around the world, without complexity or integration barriers. It’s interoperability at its best, connecting banks, wallets, and digital currencies through one simple connection.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by romansigaev via Freepik   The post Thunes Enables Stablecoin Payouts for Banks With Existing Swift Infrastructure appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

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.