OCBC customers can now make payments at Weixin Pay merchants in mainland China directly through the bank’s app. The new feature allows users to scan Weixin Pay QR codes in China without using a separate payment app, expanding the bank’s overseas QR payment coverage. Customers can also use the app to pay Alipay+ and UnionPay merchants through the same interface. Alipay+ and Weixin Pay account for more than 90 percent of mobile payment transactions in China. The app displays exchange rates in real time before confirmation, and the bank said there are no additional fees for these transactions. OCBC said it is the only bank in Singapore that enables customers to scan and pay across all major merchant QR codes in mainland China. The capability is supported through its collaboration with UnionPay International. Its Scan and Pay function is available in 57 destinations, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. China is the top overseas market for the feature. Last year, one in five overseas Scan and Pay transactions made through the app took place in China. The average transaction value in China is nearly double that of other overseas markets. Regina Lim Regina Lim, Head of Card Payments and Personal Loans at OCBC, said, “Our customers have a strong appetite for travel. With the Lunar New Year looming, this service will especially benefit customers travelling to China for the festivities. In China, where cashless payments are the default and not the exception, our customers do not even need to download another payment app.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by OCBC The post OCBC Only Singapore Bank to Cover All Major China QR Payment Networks appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Asia is no longer simply following global payment trends. Across India, Southeast Asia, and other fast-growing digital economies, local payment rails, instalment models, stablecoins, and AI-driven commerce are increasingly shaping how online transactions work, and they are often ahead of mature markets. That is one of the central conclusions of EBANX’s Beyond Borders 2026 study, which analyses how payment behaviour in high-growth digital markets is redefining global commerce models. According to Sean Yu, Vice President of Commercial APAC at EBANX, Asia has moved beyond adoption to innovation, becoming an early testing ground for future global payment architectures. Sean Yu “The core takeaway is that emerging markets are no longer catching up, but actually leading in payment innovations,” Sean Yu said. For companies across Asia-Pacific, the findings offer a preview of how global commerce infrastructure is evolving, and what they must adapt to remain competitive. Local Payment Rails Are Becoming Asia’s Commerce Backbone One of the clearest structural shifts is how payments scale in Asia’s digital economies. Rather than global card networks driving adoption, domestic schemes and mobile-first payment rails are increasingly becoming the default layer of commerce. “What we are seeing is that local rails are becoming the default layer of commerce in these markets, not an alternative,” Sean mentioned. In India, UPI now processes more than 21.7 billion transactions per month, accounting for the majority of e-commerce payment volume. Domestic card schemes and instant-payment-linked credit products are expanding faster than international networks, with local credit cards tied to instant rails expected to grow at a 23% compound annual growth rate through 2028. Southeast Asia is following a similar trajectory. Wallets and account-to-account rails now account for over half of e-commerce transaction volume in markets such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, as consumers bypass traditional card infrastructure. Global digital companies expanding into Asia face a structural shift in how payments must be approached. It seems like cards alone are no longer enough, and success increasingly hinges on integrating the local payment rails consumers use at scale. Instalments Are Reshaping Asia’s Digital Commerce Economics But that is not to say that cards don’t have a role in Asia’s digital markets. It does still, just not enough. The study highlights however, that there’s a different shift toward debit-led and instalment-based consumption models. Instalments, once concentrated in retail and travel, are spreading into digital services such as SaaS, streaming platforms, and online education. EBANX data shows that enabling instalments can materially increase conversion and order value, and more than 60% of digital consumers in high-growth markets prefer to split payments for higher-ticket online purchases. Subscription businesses are also rethinking billing models. Failed recurring card transactions can account for up to 26% of subscription volume, while securing longer-term commitments upfront through instalments can significantly reduce involuntary churn. These dynamics are particularly relevant in Asia, where price sensitivity and cash flow management strongly influence purchasing decisions. As a result, global digital companies are redesigning pricing, billing cycles, and checkout flows to align with instalment-driven behaviour in Asia-Pacific. Stablecoins Are Moving Into Asia’s Financial Infrastructure Crypto adoption in Asia is also evolving beyond speculation. Stablecoins are increasingly used to preserve value and move money across fragmented financial systems. Data analysed in the EBANX study shows that more than 15% of the population in Thailand and Vietnam owns digital currencies, with adoption expanding across India and Southeast Asia. Between 2023 and 2025, regulatory frameworks across multiple Asian markets matured, allowing enterprises to explore stablecoins as treasury and payments tools. For multinational companies operating across Asia’s fragmented regulatory and currency environments, stablecoins offer a potential way to move funds instantly with lower operational friction, particularly in markets with currency volatility and capital controls. Asian SMEs Are Becoming Global Digital Buyers Small and medium-sized enterprises remain the backbone of Asia’s digital economies, but their role in global commerce is expanding beyond selling online. Increasingly, Asian SMEs are purchasing global digital services such as cloud infrastructure, SaaS tools, digital advertising, and online education platforms. In India, a global SaaS provider that enabled UPI Autopay via EBANX attracted more than 4,000 new customers per day in its first three months, highlighting how local payment methods can accelerate enterprise adoption at scale. Across Southeast Asia, wallets such as GCash, ShopeePay, and GrabPay are expanding their ecosystems, accelerating digital adoption among micro and small businesses. “SMEs are not just selling globally anymore. They are buying globally, and they want to pay the same way they do locally,” said Sean. This shift positions Asian SMEs as a growing driver of cross-border B2B digital commerce, often preferring local payment methods over traditional corporate cards. AI-Driven Commerce Is Changing How Transactions Happen in Asia Beyond Borders 2026 also points to AI as a structural shift in commerce. Research from McKinsey shows that around 10% of consumers already start their shopping journey with AI tools, and one in five would be comfortable letting an AI agent complete a purchase. Deloitte estimates that agentic AI could influence 30% of global e-commerce transaction value, or roughly US$17.5 trillion, by 2030. As AI agents become more autonomous, merchants will compete less on interface design and more on pricing logic, data quality, and system accessibility. “AI will change how transactions are discovered and executed. Companies will compete less on user interfaces and more on pricing logic, data, and connectivity,” Sean pointed out. EBANX is working with partners, including Google Cloud, on the Agent Payments Protocol, an open standard designed to allow AI agents to securely initiate and complete payments across multiple methods. Rethinking Risk in Asia’s High-Growth Payment Markets High-growth Asian markets have traditionally been viewed as higher-risk environments for online payments, but AI-driven models are reshaping fraud management and approval strategies. EBANX data shows that combining signals across multiple payment rails can increase approval rates by around four percentage points while keeping chargebacks flat, while closer collaboration with local issuing banks can lift performance by another five percentage points. These models allow merchants to distinguish genuine risk from unfamiliar customer behaviour, enabling global brands to scale across Asia without sacrificing security or conversion. Asia as a Blueprint for the Future of Global Commerce Beyond Borders 2026 positions Asia as an early blueprint for the future of global digital commerce. Local payment rails, instalment-driven commerce, stablecoins, AI-driven purchasing, and SME-led B2B growth are converging across the region, testing models that could become global standards. For Asia-Pacific companies, these developments offer a preview of how cross-border commerce will evolve. Success will depend less on front-end experience and more on pricing logic, data capabilities, local payment connectivity, regulatory alignment, and AI-ready infrastructure. As an infrastructure partner operating across Asia and other emerging markets, EBANX aims to help global merchants navigate these shifts. “Our role is to help global companies plug into these local realities at scale, without having to rebuild their payments stack market by market,” said the Vice President of Commercial APAC at EBANX. The Beyond Borders 2026 study is available online, offering deeper insights into how Asia and other high-growth markets are shaping the next phase of global digital commerce. Click the photo below to download the report. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by musmanofficial00 via Freepik. The post Asia Is No Longer a Follower in Payments Innovation appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Nium is expanding its C-suite with new technology, marketing and risk leaders to support its next phase of global payments growth. The cross-border payments infrastructure provider has appointed Amaresh Mohan as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Sekhar Cidambi as Chief Technology Officer and Danielle Gotkis as Chief Marketing Officer. The appointments come as the company positions its platform for greater use of digital assets, stablecoins and AI-driven payment flows. Amaresh Mohan Mohan, who will be based in Singapore, will oversee enterprise risk management, regulatory strategy and governance across Nium’s markets. He brings more than 25 years of experience in fintech and financial services, including senior roles at Stripe, PayPal and GoTo. He will work alongside Chief Revenue Officer Anupam Pahuja in Singapore, which serves as a hub for the company’s revenue and compliance functions. Sekhar Cidambi Cidambi, based in San Francisco, will lead the company’s global technology organisation, including platform engineering, network resilience and payments innovation. He has previously held roles at Coinbase, Visa, FIS, Amazon and Symantec, where he worked on large-scale financial and technology systems. Danielle Gotkis Gotkis, also based in San Francisco, will oversee global marketing strategy and go-to-market execution. She has held senior leadership roles at dLocal, Recurly, Feedzai, PayNearMe and Pecan AI. Nium operates a payout network that spans more than 190 countries and holds over 40 regulatory licences. The company supports more than US$50 billion in annual transaction volume for banks, financial institutions, travel companies, payroll providers and digital platforms.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mkmult via Freepik   The post Nium Appoints New Tech, Marketing and Risk Chiefs appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Malaysia and India will introduce two-stage QR interoperability under a new agreement between Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) and NPCI International Payments Limited. The partnership links Malaysia’s DuitNow QR system with India’s Unified Payments Interface. The initiative builds on earlier payment connectivity discussions between the two countries during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia. In the first phase, Indian travellers will be required to use UPI-enabled applications to pay at participating DuitNow QR merchants across Malaysia. The DuitNow QR network covers more than 2.9 million merchant touchpoints nationwide, including retail outlets, restaurants and tourist locations. The second phase will allow Malaysians visiting India to scan UPI QR codes and pay using their local banking apps or e-wallets at millions of UPI QR-enabled merchant outlets. Beyond merchant payments, the linkage is also expected to support low-cost cross-border remittances, benefiting students, small businesses and individuals who transact frequently between the two countries. Praveen Rajan Praveen Rajan, CEO of PayNet said, “Once enabled, the linkage between Malaysia’s DuitNow QR and India’s UPI will strengthen payment connectivity for travellers, merchants, banks and the wider financial services ecosystem. In the context of Visit Malaysia 2026 and growing two-way travel, this collaboration contributes to broader trade and economic activity between Malaysia and India.” Ritesh Shukla Ritesh Shukla, MD and CEO of NPCI International, said, “Under the guidance of the Government of India and Reserve Bank of India, we aim to expand the global footprint of UPI by building interoperable, real-time payment ecosystems with leading payment networks worldwide. Our partnership with PayNet marks an important step in enabling seamless QR-based merchant payments between India and Malaysia, offering travellers a familiar, secure, and convenient payment experience.” Malaysia is targeting more than two million Indian tourist arrivals under Visit Malaysia 2026.   The post Malaysians and Indians Will Soon Have Access to Cross-Border QR Payments appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Grab has agreed to acquire U.S. investing platform Stash at an enterprise value of US$425 million at closing. The deal gives Grab a 50.1 percent stake initially, with the remaining shares to be acquired over three years at fair market value, marking its entry into the U.S. mass-market investing segment. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026. Payment at closing will be made in cash and stock, with subsequent payments in cash and or stock at Grab’s discretion. Stash manages more than US$5 billion in assets and serves over one million subscribers through a subscription-based app offering investing, banking and financial education tools. Grab said Stash is adjusted EBITDA and cash flow positive and has been profitable on that basis since its Series H fundraising round in 2025. Based on current performance, the company expects it to generate more than US$60 million in adjusted EBITDA in the 2028 calendar year. Anthony Tan Anthony Tan, Group CEO and Co-Founder of Grab, said, “This acquisition brings more than just recurring, high-margin subscription revenue; we will strengthen Grab’s fintech knowhow with Stash’s AI-powered investing app, designed with existing U.S. regulatory requirements at its core. While we remain operationally focused on Southeast Asia and scaling our regional loanbook, this move reinforces our mission of democratizing financial services for everyone.” A central feature of Stash’s platform is AI Money Coach, which provides personalised financial guidance. The company said interactions are auditable and governed by defined policies and controls. Since launching in late 2024, about one in two users have taken a financial action on the same day, with that figure up nearly 40 percent in 2025. After closing, Stash will continue operating as an independent brand in the United States under its existing leadership, including Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson. Grab said it will support Stash’s U.S. growth while exploring whether to introduce its investing capabilities in Southeast Asia over time. Brandon Krieg Brandon Krieg said, “Grab has a track record of ecosystem-building through harnessing user data and a culture of entrepreneurship that will serve our growth ambitions. This acquisition gives us the best of both worlds: the capabilities to double down on growth in the U.S., and the resources of a technology powerhouse to accelerate our vision of personalised, AI-driven financial guidance for millions of people across all parts of their financial lives.” Grab reported its first full year of net profit in 2025, posting positive net income after previous years of losses, alongside continued growth in revenue and user engagement.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by yrmahim11 via Freepik   The post Grab Breaks Into U.S. Investing Segment With Stash Acquisition appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Standard Chartered appointed Peter Burrill as interim Group CFO as Diego De Giorgi steps down with immediate effect. De Giorgi had been viewed by some as a potential successor to Group Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters, according to Reuters. That perception heightened market sensitivity around his exit, with shares in Standard Chartered falling following the announcement. The lender’s London-listed stock dropped 4.1 percent at the open, while its Hong Kong-listed shares slid as much as 6.4 percent before paring losses to trade about 1.7 percent lower. The move underperformed the broader Hang Seng Index, which was up nearly 0.6 percent. De Giorgi is leaving after around two years in the role to join Apollo Global Management as Head of EMEA. The bank said Burrill will be based in London and report directly to Winters, with an update on a permanent appointment to be made in due course. Burrill currently serves as Group Head of Central Finance and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, a role he has held since joining Standard Chartered in 2017. His previous experience includes senior finance roles at Deutsche Bank, and earlier in his career, nearly two decades at KPMG working across the United States and Germany. He is also Chair of the SCB AG Supervisory Board, a position he has held since March 2025. Bill Winters Bill Winters, Group CEO said, “As deputy CFO, Pete has extensive sectoral experience. He likewise provides valuable continuity to the leadership of our finance function and takes on the position as a well-regarded member of our global leadership team. Under his interim stewardship we remain well-positioned to capitalise on the strategic focus and momentum of our business. I thank Diego for his contribution as GCFO, including his valuable support in executing on our strategy. We wish him well for the future.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by user16639364 via Freepik   The post StanChart Names Peter Burrill Interim CFO After De Giorgi Exit appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

HSBC Singapore has named its Group Chief Operating Officer Suzy White as a new board director, effective 30 January 2026. White joined HSBC’s senior management team in October 2024 and sits on the Group Operating Committee. She has spent more than 25 years with the bank, holding senior roles across global banking, markets, risk and operations. Her previous positions include Chief Operating Officer for Global Banking and Markets, Regional Chief Operating Officer for Global Markets in the Americas, and Chief Risk Officer for Global Banking and Markets and Commercial Banking in the United States. She has also served on several boards, including HSBC Securities Inc. and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Market Risk Advisory Committee. Singapore remains a key market for the HSBC Group, serving as a regional base for wealth management and treasury activities.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik   The post HSBC Singapore Appoints Group COO Suzy White to Board appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Google has announced new investments to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts in Singapore, covering research and development, enterprise collaboration, workforce training and online safety. The announcement was made at the Google for Singapore event, 19 years after the company opened its first local office. Google will scale its local research and development teams across software engineering, research science and user experience design. This follows the recent opening of its DeepMind research lab in Singapore. The company will also set up a Google Cloud Singapore Engineering Center to work directly with Singapore-based enterprises on complex technology projects, including in areas such as robotics and clean energy. To support startup innovation, Google will launch Startup School: Prompt to Prototype. The programme is designed to help founders turn ideas into working AI prototypes using its Gemini models. Workforce initiatives will be consolidated under a renewed effort called Majulah AI. Google said its training programmes have reached nearly 350,000 Singaporeans since 2020. It aims to equip 50,000 students and educators with AI skills by 2027 through physical AI Living Labs across education institutions. Google is working with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to train 500 graduates and professionals through the Skills Ignition SG AI Challenge. It is also collaborating with the Ministry of Education to support wider AI skills adoption across schools and tertiary institutions. Separately, Google.org will provide an additional US$1 million in funding to AI Singapore’s Project Aquarium to improve Southeast Asian datasets and make them open source for developers in the region. Google will also establish an AI Center of Excellence for security in Singapore. The centre will study emerging risks linked to new AI technologies. The company has begun rolling out age assurance tools locally to apply safer default settings for users under 18 across Search, YouTube and Google Play.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Google   The post Google Expands AI Investments in Singapore appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

If you’re looking at your bitcoin portfolio and seeing red, chances are you’re witnessing one of the fastest unravellings in crypto history. Bitcoin’s slide has been brutal. After peaking at a euphoric US$126,000 in October 2025, Bitcoin has entered a relentless free fall, touching lows of US$59,000 to US$60,000 in February 2026. But why is Bitcoin falling? Investors are panic-searching for answers, seeking far and wide. Is this a buy-the-dip moment or the start of a multi-year crypto winter? In this breakdown of the great Bitcoin Freefall from 2025 to 2026, we cover key events leading to Bitcoin’s latest fall and critical insights from Zhong Yang Chan, Head of Research at CoinGecko, to find out if the worst is over. A US$19 Billion Washout and the Warsh Paradox While the recent volatility has captured headlines, the roots of the current dislocation began months earlier. Back in early October 2025, Bitcoin was trading at an euphoric all-time high of approximately US$126,000. However, when President Trump announced threats of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports in October 2025, it triggered a massive “liquidity shock” across global markets, hitting risk assets simultaneously. Over a few days, the market witnessed an US$18+ billion crypto sellout through liquidations, which the market has yet to recover from.  “Since then, BTC has slipped from its all-time high of US$126,000 on 6 October 2025 to US$87,000 by 1 Jan 2026,” Zhong shares. The next leg of the decline came in late February 2026, when President Trump announced the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chairman. This move signalled a potential regime shift in how Bitcoin is traded, and acted as a second hammer blow. Analysts have shared with Reuters that having Warsh at the helm could lead to a smaller Fed balance sheet, which poses a risk for assets like cryptocurrencies that thrive on liquidity. Warsh reportedly has a tendency to favour higher interest rates and inflation concerns. Zhong shares further, saying, “His (Warsh’s) nomination triggered a simultaneous decline across Gold, Silver, US equities and crypto. BTC’s drastic dip reflects a loss in conviction from sellers, as most of the selling has come from the spot market. But the current rebound could indicate that a floor has been found, and traders are cautiously rebuilding confidence and support for BTC.” As of 10 February 2026, the bitcoin market is now near US$70,000. Source: Coingecko, figures are subject to change The recent bitcoin rebound has been fuelled by a stabilisation in tech stocks and short covering from traders who had bet on a further collapse, among other factors. However, the structural damage remains. The question on every investor’s mind is whether this is a genuine recovery or a “dead cat bounce” before the next leg down. Michael Burry, an investor who’s renowned for betting against America’s housing market during the 2008 financial crisis, has issued a stark warning for miners should it fall below US$50,000.  Burry said that miners will go bankrupt and be forced to sell, and added that tokenised metal futures could collapse into a black hole with no buyers. While his remarks reflect broader market anxiety, they also underscore how tightly Bitcoin has become linked to liquidity conditions across risk assets. Digital Asset Treasury Companies Enter a Stress Test By late January and early February 2026, the damage spread to the equity markets, creating a correlation crisis. The “software-mageddon” saw major AI and software stocks plummet as investors began to question the return on investment for massive capital expenditures in artificial intelligence. The S&P 500 software and services index shed roughly US$1 trillion in market value, dragging NASDAQ down with it. Now, as institutional investors hold significant amounts of tech equities and crypto via ETFs, the two asset classes have become glued together. So when hedge funds faced margin calls on their tech portfolios, they sold their most liquid assets to raise cash, and often that asset was Bitcoin. This correlation meant that as AI stocks crashed, they dragged Bitcoin down in tandem, shattering the narrative that crypto would act as a haven during an equity market correction. In his commentary, Zhong shares that Digital Asset Treasury Companies (DATCos) are facing an unprecedented test of conviction right now. Based on CoinGecko’s Crypto Treasuries tracker, most DATCos are currently facing significant paper losses on their crypto holdings, and their share prices now trade below the 1.0 mNAV level, which Zhong explains means that their enterprise value is now below the value of their crypto holdings. Source: CoinGecko Crypto Treasuries Tracker as of 10 February 2026, subject to change Notably, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy® Incorporated) is the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, and it reported a staggering US$12.4 billion Q4 loss, driven by impairment charges on its Bitcoin holdings. If Strategy’s stock price continued to plummet, would the company be forced to liquidate its treasury to satisfy shareholders or debt covenants? According to Yahoo Finance, the company’s management has “framed this as an accounting effect from fair value marks rather than a cash drain.” When posed on whether corporate treasury “diamond hands” are being tested in a way that could create risk for BTC, Zhong had more to share. The good news, he says, is that most of these companies were funded by equity issuances, with only a relatively small debt element. Therefore, there should not be any instances of force-selling to pay down debt. “However, we are already seeing consolidation happen within the DATCo space (Strive acquiring Semler Scientific), and certain DATCos are already pivoting to other businesses to survive (ETHZilla selling ETH to pivot into aeronautics and tokenization). In the meantime, the two largest DATCos, Strategy and BitMine Immersion, are still regularly acquiring crypto through equity issuances, demonstrating their continued commitment to accumulate more crypto, Zhong shares. Stablecoins as the Market’s Waiting Room While Bitcoin has struggled, stablecoins have quietly emerged as one of crypto’s strongest growth stories, with market capitalisations reaching all-time highs and signalling a clear shift in investor behaviour. Source: CoinGecko 2025 Annual Crypto Industry Report Rather than exiting the ecosystem entirely, capital appears to be pausing on-chain, reflecting a deliberate wait-and-see approach amid heightened volatility. Zhong shares that stablecoins have been a major bright spot for crypto in 2025, especially with the passing of the US GENIUS Act, which created a pathway for the legal issuance of USD stablecoins. “Since then, we have seen numerous announcements from TradFi players in the US indicating their interest in jumping into the fray to either issue their own stablecoin or integrate stablecoins into their respective businesses. At the same time, crypto has gone multi-asset, with plentiful avenues to trade stocks and commodities on-chain, meaning that investors need not withdraw their capital to switch asset classes.” He continues, saying that the strong sustained growth in stablecoins reflects not just continued investor interest in the crypto industry, but also the crypto industry’s enlarged scope to keep capital on-chain, as well as the increased and impending adoption of blockchains as payment rails. While there has been a slight dip of about US$4 billion in total stablecoin market cap in recent days, Zhong shares that they only expect this segment of the market to continue to grow as more issuers jump into the fray and more use cases get built out. While volatility is likely to persist, the continued conviction of large treasury holders and the steady rise of stablecoins suggest that capital is repositioning. Whether this marks the end of the downturn or merely an intermission will depend less on sentiment, and more on how global liquidity conditions evolve in the months ahead. Featured image edited by Fintech New Singapore based on images by tohamina and Dmitry Akreev on Freepik The post Is the Worst Over Yet For Bitcoin’s Freefall in 2026? appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Fireblocks, an enterprise platform, announced an expanded collaboration with Thales, a cybersecurity provider of Luna Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), on 10 February 2026 to deliver institutional-grade digital asset security architecture for financial institutions. The collaboration integrates Fireblocks’ digital asset platform with Thales’ Luna HSMs, enabling institutions to extend their existing certified hardware infrastructure into digital asset operations without having to re-architect security models. Adam Levine, SVP, Head of Corporate Development and Partnerships at Fireblocks, shared, Adam Levine “By expanding our partnership with Thales, we’re enabling the deployment of digital asset services using customer-owned, certified hardware they already trust – without compromising on control, compliance, or operational integrity.” Todd Moore, Vice President, Data Security Product at Thales, added, Todd Moore “Combined with Fireblocks, we help institutions reduce key-exposure risk, strengthen governance, and move digital value with confidence across high-value digital ecosystems at scale.” The architecture supports a range of institutional use cases, including custody, trading, tokenization, and on-chain settlement, while integrating with existing security, governance, and audit processes. This control is operationalised through Fireblocks KeyLink, which ensures private keys or key shares are generated, stored, and operated entirely within customer-owned Luna HSMs. All cryptographic operations are performed inside institution-controlled infrastructure. Fireblocks cannot unilaterally sign transactions or move assets. Instead, the platform provides policy enforcement, orchestration, and enterprise-grade governance across hot, warm, and cold operating models. Featured image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on image by Frolopiaton Palm on Freepik The post Fireblocks and Thales Expand Partnership to Deliver Bank-Grade Digital Asset Security appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Asia-Pacific’s fintech market is the most dynamic and fragmented in the world. While legacy banks struggle to keep up with shifting regulations and local payment rails, one European powerhouse is making a massive bet on the region. Gabriel, Stefanak, Business Development Head, Decta, breaks down why the current “fragmented” vendor stack is a ticking time bomb for financial institutions and how DECTA’s “Full-Stack” model, owning everything from issuing to acquiring, is their ultimate moat for entering APAC. The post Why This European Payments Challenger is Betting Big on APAC ft. Gabriel Stefanak, Decta appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

The Asia Fintech Alliance (AFA) has announced the results of its latest leadership election. The election was conducted in accordance with the AFA Bylaws adopted by all members in 2025. All elected members of the Executive Committee received affirmative written consent from more than two-thirds of AFA member associations. These members represent at least ten Asian economies. AFA members re-elected Jaclyn Tsai (Taiwan) as Chairwoman for a second term and confirmed Dongpyo Hong (Korea) and Wilson Beh (Malaysia) as Vice Chairpersons, continuing their roles since November 2025. They also elected Takafumi Ochiai (Japan) as Treasurer, a newly established position to strengthen AFA’s financial oversight, and re-elected Winston Hsiao (Taiwan) as Secretary. Under the renewed leadership, the two Vice Chairpersons will jointly oversee eight Working Groups. These include Bylaws, Anti-Fraud, Academy, Affiliate Members, Women in Fintech, Website, and Webinars. The groups will manage policy, industry development, inclusion, and knowledge exchange initiatives. Jaclyn Tsai “I am deeply honoured by the trust our members have placed in this leadership team,” said Jaclyn Tsai. “AFA is not just a platform, it is a network of trust. The more trust we build across borders, the more collective power we have to shape Asia’s fintech future.” Wilson Beh added: “AFA’s strength lies in its diversity, across markets, regulatory environments, and stages of development. This allows us to co-create solutions that truly work for Asia.” AFA currently comprises 15 member associations. These represent Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. With its renewed mandate, the Alliance will continue to promote cross-border trust, regulatory dialogue, and industry collaboration. It aims to turn diversity into collective strength and governance into regional impact.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by vefimov via Freepik The post Jaclyn Tsai Re-elected Chairwoman as Asia Fintech Alliance Updates Leadership appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Entrust, a global provider of identity-centric security solutions, has announced a collaboration with Google to advance identity verification (IDV) and AI-driven security. The combined solution aims to support organisations in addressing rising fraud threats while improving onboarding efficiency through reporting and actionable insights. Heavily regulated sectors such as financial services and insurance find these measures particularly relevant. Injection attacks during onboarding have risen 40% year-on-year, with the growing sophistication of deepfakes increasing the risk of identity fraud. Businesses require multi-layered fraud prevention to safeguard customers and operations. Under the partnership, Entrust’s IDV solutions will integrate with Google Cloud’s infrastructure and security services, including threat intelligence, incident-response systems, and Gemini AI models. The collaboration will give organisations enhanced visibility into fraud trends and identity verification performance through real-time analytics. David Engelbrecht “Our partnership with Entrust reflects Google’s commitment to helping businesses innovate securely and at scale,” said David Engelbrecht, Head of Go-to-Market, Google Cloud. “By combining Entrust identity verification solutions and their deep fraud intelligence with Google Cloud’s AI and infrastructure, we’re enabling organisations to deliver frictionless, trusted experiences for their customers.” Tony Ball “Partnering with Google allows us to push the boundaries of what is possible in identity-centric security solutions and help the world’s largest organisations stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated fraud while creating seamless digital experiences for their customers,” said Tony Ball, President of Payments & Identity and incoming CEO at Entrust. “With more than 1 billion identity verifications worldwide, Entrust has unparalleled insight into identity fraud and how to combat it.” Further information and resources will be made available during the 2026 rollout.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Tanu via Freepik The post Entrust Partners with Google to Improve Fraud Detection and ID Verification appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

XPENG has appointed Antom as the first global payment partner for its electric vehicle (EV) charging platform to support international growth. Ant International’s Antom provides a unified infrastructure designed to simplify the complex payment landscape encountered during global expansion. The partnership debuted in Hong Kong on 9 February 2026. Initial implementation allows drivers to use the XPENG app to manage the end-to-end “Search, Locate, Charge, Pay” process. Users in the region can currently settle payments via AlipayHK at over 1,600 public chargers. Credit card options are expected to be available for these customers shortly. Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are expected to see the expansion of this collaboration later in 2026. Future rollouts will support local e-wallets such as Touch ‘n Go and TrueMoney to enhance user convenience. Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, noted: Gary Liu “Payment becomes a strategic capability for automakers’ charging platforms to deliver better user service, improve efficiency and achieve sustainable growth”. Overseas deliveries for the carmaker reached 45,008 units in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 96.0%. Lawrence Li, General Manager of XPENG Overseas Charging, explained that the collaboration leverages complementary ecosystems to foster wider cross-industry alliances and deliver a more comprehensive experience for global users. The collaboration aims to build a more scalable global charging infrastructure through such integrations supports the electric vehicle sector as it moves into a more interconnected era. Featured image by Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik. This article first appeared on Fintech News Hong Kong. The post XPENG and Antom Partner to Digitise EV Charging Payments in Hong Kong appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Gemini is centralising its global operations in Singapore and the US, even as the cryptocurrency exchange implements a 25% reduction in its total workforce. While the job cuts will affect employees in the Singapore office, the city-state remains a primary hub for the company as it scales back its international footprint elsewhere. This strategic focus on Singapore follows significant regulatory and leadership developments for the firm in the region. In early 2024, Gemini appointed former Grab leader Saad Ahmed as Head of APAC to “spearhead” its regional expansion. More recently, the exchange received In-Principle Approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a Major Payment Institution license, allowing it to provide digital payment token services. According to Finextra, the current restructuring will result in the loss of approximately 200 jobs across Singapore, the US, and Europe. The overhaul involves the total closure of Gemini’s operations in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia, a decision driven by the ongoing downturn in global digital asset markets. For customers in the affected European and Australian regions, accounts will transition to a withdrawal-only mode starting 5 March 2026, with full operational closures scheduled for 6 April 2026. In a blog post announcing the restructuring, Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss stated: “We expect this will help reduce our total expenses in line with our headcount reduction and meaningfully accelerate our path to profitability even in the backdrop of the current crypto market.” Moving forward, Gemini intends to focus heavily on prediction markets, a segment the founders believe “will be as big or bigger than today’s capital markets.” Following a mid-December launch, the new product has reportedly attracted more than 10,000 users and over US$24 million in trading volume. The founders described the service as a “truth machine” that will become central to the exchange’s future product offering.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by siegostuan via Freepik The post Singapore Becomes Primary Hub as Gemini Lays Off 25% of Global Workforce appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

DBS has announced it will provide a special one-time bonus of S$1,000 to its junior-ranked employees. The initiative will benefit more than 23,000 staff members across the bank’s global operations, including approximately 6,800 employees in Singapore. This year’s allocation of S$18 million for junior staff follows a trend of performance-related payouts at the bank. In 2025, following a record-breaking financial year in 2024 where net profit rose 11% to S$11.4 billion, DBS had set aside a larger pool of S$32 million for a similar S$1,000 bonus that extended to all employees except senior management. The current S$18 million initiative is also significantly higher than a previous supplement provided in 2024, which amounted to S$5 million for junior-ranked staff. DBS Chief Executive Officer Tan Su Shan stated, Tan Su Shan “In spite of a difficult environment, DBS delivered a resilient set of results and we wanted to specially recognise the contributions of our junior staff.” In its latest financial reporting for the fourth quarter of 2025, DBS recorded a 10% year-on-year decline in net profit to S$2.26 billion. For the full year, net profit fell by 3% to S$10.93 billion, largely due to interest rate headwinds and a higher tax burden following the implementation of the 15% global minimum tax. While Tan anticipates that 2026 earnings may sit slightly below 2025 levels due to further rate cuts and currency fluctuations, the bank remains focused on its digital transformation and wealth management growth. The one-off bonus serves as a bridge, acknowledging staff contributions even as the “record-breaking” pace of previous years transitions into a more “resilient” and stabilised performance.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Borin via Freepik The post DBS to Pay S$18 Million in Junior Staff Bonuses Despite Slight Annual Profit Dip appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Zycus has been recognised as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay (S2P) Suites. The acknowledgement follows the company’s recent focus on Agentic AI and the development of its comprehensive S2P suite. The company has invested in its Merlin Intake platform to simplify user experiences. Additionally, it developed Merlin Agentic AI to support autonomous negotiation for tail-spend management. These developments align with the organisation’s Intake to Outcomes (I2O) framework, which seeks to streamline how work enters procurement while maintaining governance. Founder and CEO Aatish Dedhia stated that the recognition reflects a commitment to innovation and responsible AI. Aatish Dedhia “Merlin Agentic AI is designed to move beyond task automation towards end-to-end outcome-based autonomous workflows,” Dedhia noted, adding that it helps teams operate with greater intelligence and confidence. Long-term partners have also shared their perspectives on the milestone. Khairul Azman, Group Chief Procurement Officer at DRB-HICOM Berhad, noted that his organisation has worked with the technology for over five years, describing it as the new standard. Similarly, procurement leads from Belden and Tate & Lyle highlighted their eight-year partnerships, citing reliable delivery and execution. The unified platform used by Zycus combines native Intake and Agentic AI within a single architecture. By focusing on autonomous negotiation and outcome-based execution, the system aims to unlock savings and guide procurement requests more efficiently than traditional workflows. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on images by thanyakij-12 via Freepik and Zycus. The post Zycus Named a Leader in 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Source to Pay appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Embedded credit startup Seedflex is preparing to raise a Series A round of US$6 to US$8 million later this year, as its Malaysia operations turn profitable and the company looks to scale beyond its core market. Founder and CEO Ritwik Ghosh told DealStreetAsia that Seedflex became profitable in Malaysia in the third quarter of 2025, roughly 18 months after launch, and has remained so since. The company provides cashflow-based credit to MSMEs through payment and commerce partners. Ghosh said the upcoming Series A is driven by growth opportunities rather than financial pressure. Ritwik Ghosh “This is not about the runway or survival. It’s about whether we can accelerate growth in Malaysia and in other markets,” he said. Seedflex last raised US$3.2 million in a seed extension round in May 2025, co-led by Z Venture Capital (ZVC) and Iterative, with participation from 500 Global and strategic angel investors. According to Ghosh, existing backers have shown strong interest in following on, including one investor that increased its stake after the seed extension. The fundraising plans come amid what Ghosh described as a clearer investment environment for fintechs compared with late 2024. He said investors are now favouring “proven platforms, scale, positive unit economics, [and a] clear path to profitability”. Seedflex has disbursed about RM100 million in Malaysia to date and is currently originating around RM20 million per month, with average tenures of 1.5 to two months. The firm serves over 10,000 MSMEs, double the number six months ago, and reports a non-performing loan ratio of 1-1.5%, supported by automated repayments deducted from future sales. The company employs 25 full-time staff and expects to reach group-level profitability by the end of the second quarter of 2026. In Indonesia, where it received regulatory approval last year, Seedflex is taking a pilot-first, partner-led approach, while exploring entry into a third market as a pure technology and risk platform.     Featured image credit: Fintech News Singapore The post Seedflex Eyes US$6-8M Series A as Malaysia Operations Turn Profitable appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

DBS’ years-long investment in AI and machine learning drove record deposit inflows, wealth growth and fee income in 2025, Chief Executive Tan Su Shan said. Speaking at the bank’s results briefing on February 9, Tan said AI-powered tools such as contextual nudges and automated customer engagement were key to attracting new-to-bank customers and driving volume growth. The Business Times reported that DBS has increasingly embedded AI across its operations to improve customer acquisition and productivity. Tan Su Shan “This I can attribute to the hard work we’ve done over the years in using AI, using machine learning and contextual nudges to gather new-to-bank customers, to be customer-centric, to have our nudges automated and to use AI smartly,” Tan said. As AI becomes more deeply integrated into daily workflows, Tan said it will be harder to isolate its precise economic value. However, its main benefit lies in freeing up staff for growth-focused work. “We might still try to capture the economic value… based on what we’ve been doing in the past, which is A/B testing, but I suspect there will be a lot more in terms of capacity building,” she said. Tan noted that AI has compressed work that once took months or years into weeks, particularly in addressing technical debt. The time saved can then be redeployed towards business expansion. More than 60% of DBS staff are now actively using the bank’s in-house generative AI tool, DBS GPT. While the tool was “not so good” when it first rolled out last July, DBS has since improved it and now uses it for tasks ranging from translation to policy queries. DBS said in January that the economic value generated from its AI initiatives rose to S$1 billion in 2025, up from S$750 million in 2024, based on comparisons between AI-enabled customers and control groups.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by tapati2528 via Freepik The post DBS Credits Years of AI Investment for Record Deposits and Fee Income in 2025 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Four of Singapore’s primary telco operators: M1, Starhub, Singtel and Simba were targeted in a cyberattack carried out by UNC3886, described as a “China-nexus espionage group”, according to CNA. On 9 February 2026, the Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, confirmed that while the attackers breached a few critical systems in one occurrence, the attack was contained before it could disrupt services. There is currently no evidence of sensitive customer data being stolen. Operation Cyber Guardian Mobilised 100+ Specialists The discovery of the breach triggered Operation Cyber Guardian, the largest coordinated cybersecurity operation in Singapore’s history. The response involved 100+ specialists from six government agencies, including the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT), the Singapore Armed Forces Digital and Intelligence Service, the Internal Security Department and GovTech. Josephine Teo “We have been working on this and practising our plans for several years, but this is the first time that we have implemented the plan in an actual operation.” The response began after the telcos reported suspicious activities from their networks to the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). The coordinated response managed to subdue the attackers’ activities, Minister Teo shared during an event thanking the defenders. What is UNC3886? UNC3886 is described as a China-linked cyber-espionage group, first identified in 2022 by Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm. According to the Straits Times, UNC is the short-term for “uncategorised” or “unclassified”. It was first disclosed in July 2025, when the Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam shared that Singapore was dealing with a threat actor that was attacking its critical infrastructure. UNC3886 poses a critical danger to Singapore as it functions as an advanced persistent threat actor. It deployed various techniques. In one event, UNC3996 used a zero-day exploit that is known to make use of previously unknown software vulnerabilities that has no available security patch. In another occurrence, it deployed rootkits, which are stealthy software that hides its presence and also conceals other malware like key-loggers and viruses. In doing so, it also enables admin-level accesses while disabling security features like anti-virus software. It has also employed technical data exfiltration. In this method, the group “managed to exfiltrate network-related tech data to help map out its operational objectives”. Minister Teo divulged that the implications of the attack extended beyond telcos. She warned that the country must be prepared in the event other essential services like banking, transport and water systems are targeted. Telcos Work With Government on Defence In a joint statement, all four telcos emphasised their “defence-in-depth” strategy, noting that the are collaborating closely with the government to safeguard their networks and enable prompt remediation where vulnerabilities were identified. Despite the successful containment of the UNC3886 cyberattack in Singapore, authorities cautioned that the threat landscape is evolving rapidly, with Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) activity in Singapore rising by four folds between 2021 and 2024. Feature image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on image by mohammadhridoy_11 on Freepik The post UNC3886 Cyberattack in Singapore Triggers Largest Ever National Cybersecurity Response appeared first on Fintech Singapore.