Singapore-based fintech Aspire has officially launched in the United States, expanding its cross-border financial platform to businesses operating across multiple markets. The company serves more than 50,000 businesses and offers multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, yield, payroll infrastructure, spend management and real-time financial controls through a single platform. Its platform also integrates cards, credit, accounting and payroll tools across 16 currencies. As part of the rollout, Aspire is entering the market with technology and financial infrastructure partners including Stripe. Paul Harapin “We’ve seen Aspire’s incredible velocity in Asia, and bringing that same innovation to the U.S. is a massive win for founders everywhere. Stripe is here to fuel the global ambitions of Asia’s tech leaders and to give these global champions the infrastructure they need to scale and win on the world stage,” said Paul Harapin, Chief Revenue Officer, Asia Pacific & Japan at Stripe. Aspire has also deepened its integration with Deel to support payroll and hiring across markets. The launch follows recent U.S. regulatory milestones for Aspire, including its registration as a Money Services Business and as a Registered Investment Adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has also appointed former Revolut executive David Harris as its U.S. Country Head. Aspire’s platform is supported by more than 10 international licenses across Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Europe, the United States and Canada. Andrea Baronchelli “As the world’s largest startup ecosystem and a hub for venture-backed innovation, the United States has become a launchpad for global innovation and expansion. Founders can’t afford to have multiple local banks on one side and their CFO suite on the other. They need a financial platform that understands how they operate and scales with them. Our ambition isn’t incremental improvement — we want to define a new $3 trillion category by bringing regulated financial operations together with intelligent software and automation for global startups.” said Andrea Baronchelli, Co-Founder and CEO of Aspire.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ismode via Freepik The post Aspire Expands Global Footprint with USA Launch appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Vietnam’s MoMo is considering whether to bring in new investors, with Reuters reporting that preliminary discussions could value the company at more than US$2 billion. The talks are still at an early stage and there is no certainty that they will lead to a deal. The fintech has hired Jefferies and Morgan Stanley to help manage the process after attracting interest from strategic and financial investors. MoMo and Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Jefferies declined to comment. Launched in 2010, MoMo has expanded from mobile payments into a broader financial services platform that includes consumer lending, insurance, savings, investment products and merchant services. The company has been profitable since 2024 and says it serves more than 30 million users in Vietnam. An initial public offering is not currently on the near-term agenda, even though earlier reports said MoMo was targeting a listing by 2025. The company last raised major funding in 2021, when it said it secured US$200 million from investors led by Mizuho Bank.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik The post MoMo’s Early Investor Interest Points to Valuation Above US$2 Billion appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Thai travellers can now use KASIKORNBANK’s Q Wallet to pay merchants in Singapore by scanning GrabPay QR codes. The service allows users to make payments through the Q Wallet by KBank app without exchanging cash or opening a bank account overseas. KBank is rolling out the service in collaboration with StraitsX and Grab. Payments are accepted through Grab’s merchant network in Singapore. Under the arrangement, Q-money, KBank’s blockchain-based e-money, is used as the settlement medium. The system runs on Quarix, a blockchain platform developed by Orbix Technology & Innovation, a company under KASIKORNBANK FINANCIAL CONGLOMORATE. The project is operating under the Regulatory Sandbox of the Bank of Thailand and builds on Q Wallet’s earlier rollout for international tourists in Thailand. StraitsX and Grab hold Major Payment Institution licences issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the Payment Services Act 2019. Dr. Karin Boonlertvanich Dr. Karin Boonlertvanich, Executive Vice President of KBank, said, “By applying blockchain technology alongside real-world financial systems, we aim to provide greater convenience for Thai travellers, enabling secure mobile payments abroad without reliance on cash. Singapore has been selected as our first overseas pilot market, allowing us to further develop cross-border payment models through digital financial systems while supporting the advancement of next-generation financial infrastructure that connects the regional digital economy.” Tianwei Liu “Travellers shouldn’t have to think about currencies when they cross borders. By connecting Q-money with XSGD, we’re enabling instant blockchain settlement between Thailand and Singapore, demonstrating how stablecoins can power the next generation of cross-border payments in Southeast Asia.” said Tianwei Liu, CEO and Founder of StraitsX. StraitsX and KBank are also participating members of the MAS’ BLOOM initiative.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by fahroni via Freepik The post KBank Enables Thai Travellers to Pay in Singapore Using Grab QR appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Vietnam’s NAPAS has expanded QR payment connectivity with China, giving Chinese tourists a new way to pay at local merchants. The move was made possible through a partnership between NAPAS, Ant International and Vietcombank. Under the rollout, Chinese visitors can use Alipay to scan VIETQRGlobal codes and pay at participating merchants in the NAPAS network across Vietnam. The payment option is available at shopping malls, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions. The transactions run through the linked infrastructure of NAPAS and Ant International, with Vietcombank serving as the settlement bank and supporting payment processing between the Chinese yuan and the Vietnamese dong. Nguyen Quang Minh Nguyen Quang Minh, General Director of NAPAS, said, “Cooperation with Ant International is an important milestone in NAPAS’s journey to expand cross-border connectivity, as Vietnam’s national retail payment infrastructure will directly connect with China’s leading payment ecosystem with over 1 billion users. This connection will allow Chinese tourists to experience familiar, convenient, and secure QR code payment methods as in their own country, while also creating more growth opportunities for Vietnamese businesses.” Vietcombank described cross-border QR payments as an increasingly common option for international transactions and noted that it had committed resources to the project in its role as settlement bank. Douglas Feagin Douglas Feagin, Chairman of Ant International, said, “Ant International helps partners apply international payment methods, including Alipay, to be accepted by retailers worldwide, promoting international payment interoperability and cross-border trade.” NAPAS and Ant International also plan to complete deployment of the next phase of the service soon. This will allow Vietnamese travellers in China to use their domestic banking apps to scan Alipay QR codes and make payments there. NAPAS is continuing to expand the VIETQRGlobal acceptance network through partnerships with banks, payment intermediaries and businesses. It has so far completed bilateral QR payment connectivity with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and China, and plans to expand to more markets in the region.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Vietnam Banking Association  The post Vietnam and China Expand Cross-Border QR Payment Connectivity appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Mastercard has gone live with authenticated agentic transactions in Singapore and Malaysia and plans to open a regional AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore later this year. The rollout marks the first wave of Mastercard’s AI-initiated payments effort in the region, with more ASEAN markets set to follow. Later this year, Mastercard’s Singapore AI Centre of Excellence will bring together its innovation, cybersecurity and AI capabilities and serve as its largest innovation space in APAC. The centre will support broader work in payments, fraud detection, cybersecurity and real-time risk management. Mastercard worked with UOB on the initial region-wide testing and with local banks in each market to support local deployments. The pilots are meant to support wider expansion on trusted rails as more stakeholders come on board. Jacquelyn Tan “Our multi-market collaboration with Mastercard shows how trusted, AI‑driven payments can enhance everyday banking and commerce, tailored to diverse lifestyle needs across markets. As adoption grows, we continue to combine innovation and strong governance to scale these capabilities across borders and sectors, unlocking greater value for consumers and businesses across ASEAN,” said Jacquelyn Tan, Head of Group Personal Financial Services, UOB. The rollout is built around Mastercard Agent Pay, which supports AI-powered commerce through tokenised credentials, verifiable intent and end-to-end auditability, using Mastercard Agentic Tokens and Payment Passkeys. The framework is designed to keep AI-initiated transactions aligned with what users have authorised. Mastercard said verifiable intent, which it co-developed with Google, creates a tamper-resistant record of what a consumer approved when an AI agent acts on their behalf, giving issuers, merchants and consumers a shared reference point for the transaction. Safdar Khan “The first wave of authenticated agentic transactions across ASEAN shows how quickly the region is embracing secure, AI‑enabled commerce. With early pilots now live across multiple markets, Mastercard is proving that AI agents can operate responsibly and transparently, giving consumers confidence that every transaction is authenticated and anchored in verifiable intent,” said Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mkmult via Freepik The post Mastercard Goes Live with Agentic Payment Pilots in ASEAN, Plans Singapore AI Centre appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

FOXAI and Axe Finance announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating digital transformation across the banking and lending sectors in Vietnam and Laos. This collaboration combines advanced AI-driven innovation with globally recognised end-to-end lending technology to empower banks and credit institutions with scalable, cost-efficient digital solutions. The primary objective of the partnership is to deliver professional digital transformation solutions that minimise costs and maximise operational efficiency for banks and financial institutions. By integrating FOXAI’s digital transformation and technology transfer expertise with Axe Finance’s modular lending platform, Axe Credit Portal, the two organisations will provide practical, implementation-ready solutions tailored specifically for lending institutions in emerging markets. Driving Practical and Scalable AI Adoption As financial institutions across Southeast Asia modernise their operations, the demand for intelligent automation, enhanced risk management, and streamlined credit processes continues to grow. The FOXAI and Axe Finance partnership directly addresses these needs by enabling banks and lenders to: Optimise credit workflows and reduce manual intervention Minimise operational and infrastructure costs Enhance credit risk assessment and underwriting accuracy Strengthen regulatory compliance and reporting Accelerate time-to-market for new lending products FOXAI brings strong expertise in digital transformation consulting, AI deployment, and technology transfer, ensuring that solutions are innovative, scalable, and aligned with local regulatory and operational requirements. Axe Finance contributes to its globally trusted digital lending platform, covering the full credit lifecycle from origination and underwriting to loan servicing, portfolio monitoring, compliance, and reporting. Trusted by leading financial institutions worldwide, Axe Credit Portal enables banks and lenders to automate and optimise their credit operations with flexibility, modularity, and compliance at the core. From left to right: Anh Do Tuan, Business Development Manager for Vietnam at Axe Finance; Le Viet Truong, CEO of FOXAI; and Joe Udomdejwatana, Business Development Director for APAC at Axe Finance, during the contract signing ceremony. Initial Focus on Vietnam and Laos The initial implementation scope of the partnership will focus on Vietnam and Laos, two rapidly evolving markets with increasing demand for modern, digital lending infrastructure. Positioned as a strategic collaboration, the partnership aims to accelerate digital transformation adoption, supporting banks and credit institutions in strengthening operational efficiency, risk management, and long-term competitiveness. Anh Do Tuan Anh Do Tuan, Business Development Manager for Vietnam at Axe Finance, stated: “Vietnam’s banking sector is undergoing a critical phase of digital acceleration. Through our partnership with Fox AI, we are combining global lending technology expertise with strong local digital transformation capabilities to deliver tangible impacts for banks and credit institutions. At Axe Finance, we believe digital transformation in lending must be practical, scalable, and results driven. By integrating our modular lending platform with Fox AI’s AI-powered capabilities, we are enabling financial institutions in Vietnam and Laos to modernise credit operations, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making with confidence. We’re proud to work with FOXAI; this AI‑powered partnership reaffirms our long‑term commitment to local institutions and represents a significant move toward building intelligent, cost‑efficient lending ecosystems across emerging markets.” FOXAİ CEO, Lê Viết Trường, provides strategic solution advisory to Axe Finance. Lê Viết Trường, Chief Executive Officer of FOXAI, added: “At Fox AI, our mission is to deliver professional digital transformation solutions that minimise costs and maximise operational efficiency for banks and financial institutions. Partnering with Axe Finance strengthens our ability to bring advanced, AI-driven innovation directly into the lending ecosystem in Vietnam and Laos. Axe Finance’s comprehensive lending platform, combined with our expertise in AI implementation and technology transfer, creates strong synergies. Together, we are helping banks and credit institutions adopt scalable solutions that are technologically advanced and practically implementable within local market conditions. We see this partnership as a strategic milestone in accelerating digital transformation across the financial sector in emerging markets.” The partnership between FOXAI and Axe Finance brings together strong technological expertise and innovation. A Shared Vision for Emerging Market Growth Both organisations share a long-term vision of empowering banks and credit institutions with intelligent automation, scalable infrastructure, and data-driven lending capabilities. This strategic partnership reflects a strong commitment to supporting financial innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth across Vietnam, Laos, and the broader Southeast Asian region. Watch Joe Udomdejwatana unpack the limitations of basic digitisation and explore what true Lending 3.0 strategies could mean for banks across Asia Pacific. The post FOXAI and Axe Finance to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Vietnam, Laos appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Binance is facing fresh turnover in its compliance ranks, with Bloomberg reporting departures from teams covering sanctions, investigations and financial crime monitoring. According to the report, Chief Compliance Officer Noah Perlman has discussed leaving the company sometime this year or next. Binance said no departure date has been set, no successor has been named and Perlman remains in the role. Peter Van Logtenstein, Inga Petrauskaitė, Erin Fracolli, Jarek Jakubcek and Alex Côté were also listed among the recent exits, which Binance described as routine turnover and performance-related departures. Perlman joined Binance in 2023 to run sanctions enforcement, financial crime monitoring and investigations. Later that year, Binance pleaded guilty in a resolution worth more than US$4 billion with US authorities over anti-money-laundering, unlicensed money-transmitting and sanctions violations. Co-founder Changpeng Zhao separately pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering programme. The personnel changes come as Binance remains under scrutiny in Washington over Iran-linked activity involving its platform. Senator Richard Blumenthal opened an inquiry in February and, in a 1 April follow-up, said Binance had still not produced all of the records requested by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In a 10 March post, Binance put the value of funds that moved through a multi-hop network before ultimately reaching wallets with links to Iranian wallets at about US$126.1 million. The company added that US$24.1 million of that amount reached wallets related to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that the accounts involved were offboarded and reported to law enforcement. Separately, in a 6 March response, Binance reported that it employs more than 1,500 compliance specialists and processed more than 71,000 law-enforcement requests in 2025.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by spacestudios via Freepik The post Binance’s Compliance Team Sees Senior Exits, Bloomberg Reports appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

MyRepublic, a telecoms service provider, has introduced a managed email security offering aimed at helping Singapore SMEs guard against phishing, malware and business email compromise. The MyRepublic Email Guard service was developed for smaller businesses that may lack the cybersecurity resources and dedicated IT teams of larger firms. In Singapore, SMEs account for 99 percent of enterprises and employ nearly 70 percent of the workforce. Powered by Check Point’s email threat protection technology, MyRepublic Email Guard is designed to detect and block malicious emails before they reach users’ inboxes. It supports platforms including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. The service includes deployment, ongoing management and local support to help businesses strengthen email security without adding to the burden on internal teams. Lawrence Chan Lawrence Chan, Managing Director and Chief AI Officer of MyRepublic, said, “Far too many local businesses remain exposed simply because they cannot access or afford the cybersecurity tools available to larger enterprises. With MyRepublic Email Guard, we are changing that. We bring enterprise-grade protection to businesses that have long been underserved, backed by the local expertise and support they deserve.” Imran Nazi Imran Nazi, Head of ICT at MyRepublic, said, “MyRepublic Email Guard is built specifically for Singapore’s SMEs, where it is designed to be affordable, easy to adopt, and supported by a team that understands the local business environment. We want every SME in Singapore to have access to the same level of protection that large enterprises take for granted, because a safer SME ecosystem means a stronger Singapore.” MyRepublic Email Guard is now available to businesses in Singapore.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by vart_dant via Freepik The post MyRepublic Launches Email Security Service for Singapore SMEs appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Microsoft is on track to spend US$5.5 billion in Singapore from 2025 to the end of 2029 on cloud and AI infrastructure and ongoing operations. Alongside the investment, every tertiary student in Singapore can access 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium with Copilot at no cost. The offer covers more than 200,000 students across universities and vocational institutions and includes tools such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Eligible students can sign up using a valid tertiary email address. Microsoft is also expanding Microsoft Elevate for Educators to Singapore to provide free training for teachers on using AI responsibly in classrooms, from primary and secondary schools to institutes of higher learning. It has also introduced Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers in Singapore to help nonprofit and social impact leaders build practical AI skills and strengthen internal capacity for responsible use. The broader effort will also include AI skills development, cybersecurity, resilience and trusted governance. Dr Janil Puthucheary Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary said, “Baseline AI skills are increasingly becoming as fundamental as digital literacy. By equipping students with a hands on experience using AI tools, and supporting our educators to adopt them confidently, we are strengthening the foundations for Singapore’s future workforce, and training them to use AI with confidence, discernment and trust.” The new programmes are intended to address uneven AI readiness across institutions and communities, particularly where organisations may lack the skills or capacity to adopt the technology responsibly. The initiatives build on Microsoft’s earlier skills programmes in Singapore, including efforts carried out with government agencies and other organisations. LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, said demand for AI literacy skills in Singapore rose by more than 70 percent year on year, based on its latest Economic Graph data. Wee Luen Chia “The significant commitment Microsoft is making to Singapore reinforces its pivotal role as an AI innovation hub in Asia. We’re all-in on Singapore’s AI future, and access and skills will be fundamental to fully realising this nation’s ambitions. By embedding AI literacy into everyday learning and in how every sector from enterprise to nonprofits operate, we’re building on the National AI Strategy 2.0 to drive inclusive, trusted AI adoption for genuine impact,” said Wee Luen Chia, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore.   The post Microsoft to Invest US$5.5 Billion in Singapore’s Cloud, AI Infrastructure appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

We often group the Southeast Asian region under one label when talking about the countries casually: SEAblings. But each country has its own unique identity, which transcends to how each market uses its respective payment methods, shaped by factors like dominant payment methods, relationship with cash, homegrown champions, and regulatory philosophy. Understanding those differences across markets is the best way to see how payments work in Southeast Asia. Right now, Asia Pacific, and by that extension, Southeast Asia, is where the most interesting payment method developments are taking place. Source: Global Payments Report 2026 From the warungs in Indonesia to street vendors in Bangkok and the hawker centres in Singapore, many of us have already made the switch from cash and cards, opting to pull out our phones to scan a QR code to pay via a bank account, digital wallet, or any other mode. It feels like second nature. Some of us still use cards and yes, cash too. The newly released Global Payments Report 2026 puts SEA payment methods into a clearer context with a comprehensive breakdown, comprising digital wallets, BNPL services, A2A transfers and more over e-commerce and point-of-sale systems. One global statistic stands out: By 2030, payment apps like digital wallets, BNPL services, account-to-account transfers, and banking apps will account for 46% of all Point-of-Sale (POS) spending worldwide, estimated at US$15.6 trillion. Now, how is Southeast Asia moving in its payments scene? Singapore: Digital Wallets Have Overtaken Cards at POS Source: Global Payments Report 2026 For the first time in history, Singapore’s digital wallets overtook debit cards as the leading payment method at the point of sale in 2025. Digital wallets captured 36% of POS value and 40% of e-commerce value in 2025. In Singapore’s digital wallet ecosystem, Apple Pay and Google Pay are increasingly available online and in stores, while local wallets like GrabPay, ShopeePay and PayPal are more prevalent and competing online. It’s interesting to note that stored credit cards are the leader in payments made from within wallets themselves. Credit cards remain preferred over debit at a 3-to-1 ratio by transaction value. Overall, cards still account for 44% of e-commerce and 40% of POS transaction value in 2025. A2A payments are also growing thanks to PayNow and SGQR, and the latter enables transactions to be completed through wallets or banking apps. Popular payment methods in Singapore: GrabPay, ShopeePay, PayNow, Apple Pay Malaysia: DuitNow and DuitNow QR Drive Digital Wallet Growth Source: Global Payments Report 2026 Global Payments forecasts A2A payments to reach 40% of online and 16% of point-of-sale value for Malaysia by 2030. DuitNow and DuitNow QR have been central to the growth across digital wallet and A2A channels, with Malaysia’s central bank reporting 2.6 million DuitNow QR acceptance points as of the end of 2024. PayNet’s FPX system adds another layer, allowing consumers to pay online merchants directly from their bank accounts. Meanwhile, cash is retreating, dropping from 64% in POS value in 2019 to 22% in 2025, though this still remains above the APAC average. The Malaysian government has made reducing cash use a policy goal in its Financial Sector Blueprint, and is motivated partly by the need to curb persistent tax evasion. Digital wallets captured 26% of e-commerce and 32% of point-of-sale value for 2025, led by local providers like Touch’ n Go and Boost, alongside GrabPay and ShopeePay. Global brands such as Apple Pay and Google Pay trail behind among the Malaysian consumers surveyed. The adoption of digital wallets is driven on two fronts: speed, security, and convenience draw consumers in, while merchants pull them closer with in-app discounts, loyalty rewards, and targeted incentives. Popular payment methods in Malaysia: DuitNow, FPX, Boost, Touch ‘n Go Philippines: 94 million on GCash, but Cash Still Reigns Supreme Source: Global Payments Report 2026 The Philippines has an interesting mix of the use of cash and digital wallets. On the one hand, digital wallets accounted for 41% of e-commerce and 29% of POS value in 2025. GCash, which is one of the country’s dominant digital wallets, now connects more than 94 million users to 6+ million merchants. Maya, Lazada Wallet, and ShopeePay are also highly rated according to the consumers Worldpay surveyed. On the other hand, the Philippines also records the highest rate of cash use across the entire global report, with 42% of in-store transaction value. Cash on delivery itself still represents a huge chunk of e-commerce value at 23%. This is possibly an important enabler still for Filipinos, given that 50% of the population remained unbanked as per the World Bank’s 2024 data. That said, the use of InstaPay and QR Ph is both picking up, with A2A-based payments accounting for 13% of e-commerce and 7% of POS transaction value. The central bank of the Philippines, BSP, is pursuing interoperable payment arrangements across SEA. Popular payment methods in the Philippines: GCash, Instapay, Maya, ShopeePay Indonesia: The Fastest Cash-to-Digital Shift in the Region Source: Global Payments Report 2026 Indonesia’s cash share of its POS value more than halved from 77% in 2019 to 36% in 2025, driven almost entirely by two factors: BI-FAST, its instant payment system, and QRIS, the national QR code standard. Both are initiatives by Bank Indonesia to reduce cash dependency under its Indonesia Payment System Blueprint 2030. As of August 2025, with 40 million merchants and 57 million users, BI-FAST and QRIS connect merchants and consumers to digital wallets, making it the leading payment method online and one that’s growing fast at POS too. Popular payment methods in Indonesia: BI-FAST, Gopay, DANA, Ovo Thailand: A2A Payment Leads The Way Source: Global Payments Report 2026 A2A is the top payment method across e-commerce and point-of-sale channels. This is pushed by the widespread merchant acceptance of PromptPay, the instant payment system from the Bank of Thailand, which aims to improve financial inclusion by reducing cash dependency. A2A payments accounted for 44% of e-commerce and 43% of POS value in 2025, the report shares. Digital wallets trail behind, with TrueMoney and ShopeePay cited as the preferred wallets by survey respondents. Next, cash use remains high in rural and suburban areas, but is falling in cities like Bangkok. Cash on delivery tells a similar story, as its share of e-commerce in Thailand ranks among the highest globally. Popular payment methods in Thailand: Prompt Pay, ShopeePay, TrueMoney, LINE Pay Vietnam: A Maturing Digital Payments Market Built on QR Source: Global Payments Report 2026 QR codes have been growing steadily in Vietnam. VietQR, in particular, allows users to pay from different wallets and banks by scanning a single code. Possibly due to this, adoption has scaled quickly. QR code payments grew 62% in volume and 151% in value year-on-year in 2025, becoming the fastest-growing segment in the digital payment ecosystem according to the State Bank of Vietnam. Vietnam’s digital wallet market is broad and competitive, with 49 licensed operators as of 2025. MoMo, ZaloPay and ShopeePay rank highest among consumers surveyed. Global players are also expanding their presence: in April 2025, NAPAS, the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam, brought Apple Pay’s Tap to Pay to over 80 million contactless cardholders, following up in September with an expansion to Android devices. By 2030, digital wallets are forecast to account for 38% of e-commerce and 33% of POS spending. Cash still accounts for one-third of POS value in Vietnam in 2025, with cash on delivery representing 16% of e-commerce spending. Popular payment methods in Vietnam: MoMo, VietQR, ZaloPay, ShopeePay Southeast Asia’s Payment Landscape is Vibrant and Now, Digital Taking in the bigger picture across these six markets and their respective Southeast Asia payment methods, each country arrived at their current payment landscape through a mix of similar pushes and very different starting points. Some, for instance, treated cash like a problem to solve, whilst others took it as a reality to accommodate. Phil Pomford, General Manager, Global eCommerce, APAC, Global Payments, shares on Asia’s payment landscape, Phil Pomford “Wallet adoption continues to surge, A2A rails are gaining scale across multiple markets, and interoperable QR standards are stitching the region into a unified, low‑cost real‑time payments corridor. Merchants that enable these preferred methods will be the ones who benefit most from the region’s accelerating digital economy.” Digital adoption by consumers is seemingly driven by a cocktail mix of incentive structures by merchants, regulatory mandates by governments and in some cases, public-private infrastructure, but all moving towards the same goal of digital payments as the default. For merchants operating across the region, understanding where each market sits on that curve is quickly becoming critical. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) What are the most popular payment methods in Southeast Asia? This depends on which market you’re looking at under the Southeast Asia digital payments market. In Singapore, digital wallets like GrabPay and Apple Pay lead at the point of sale. In the Philippines, GCash dominates with 94 million users, though cash still accounts for 42% of in-store value. Indonesia’s consumers increasingly pay via QRIS QR codes and wallets like GoPay and DANA. Malaysia’s DuitNow QR has reached 2.6 million merchant acceptance points as of 2024. There is no single dominant payment method across the region, as each country has its own preference. Is cash still widely used in Southeast Asia? Yes, but the trajectory varies sharply by country. The Philippines has the highest cash usage in the Global Payments Report 2026, while Indonesia’s cash share had the fastest decline in the region. How do QR code payments work in Southeast Asia? Most Southeast Asian countries have developed national QR code standards. Examples include QRIS in Indonesia, VietQR in Vietnam, QR Ph in the Philippines, DuitNow QR in Malaysia, and SGQR in Singapore. These systems allow a consumer to scan a merchant’s QR code using any participating bank app or digital wallet, complete the payment instantly via account-to-account transfer or wallet balance, and receive real-time confirmation. For merchants, the cost is minimal, like a printed QR code, which is why adoption has grown rapidly among small businesses and street vendors across the region. Featured image edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by Global Payments The post Everything You Need to Know About Southeast Asia Payment Methods in 2026 appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Vessels seeking passage through the Strait of Hormuz are reportedly being asked to pay tolls in yuan or stablecoins before being escorted through the waterway, according to Bloomberg. Access is also said to depend on whether Iran considers the vessel’s country to be friendly. According to the report, ship operators must provide details including ownership, flag, cargo, destination, crew information and AIS tracking data to an intermediary linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. If a vessel clears those checks, toll negotiations begin, with oil tankers facing a reported starting rate of around US$1 per barrel. Bloomberg said the fees can be paid in yuan or stablecoins. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, typically pegged 1:1 to a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Some vessels may also be required to sail under the flag of the country that secured the passage arrangement, and in some cases change their registration. Once cleared, ships receive a permit code and route instructions before being escorted through the strait by patrol boat. The report also noted that negotiating such access could raise sanctions and anti-money laundering concerns because of the parties involved.      Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by chhayalex9999 via Freepik The post Ships Crossing Strait of Hormuz Reportedly Asked to Pay in Yuan or Stablecoins appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Ripple has launched new treasury tools that let finance teams manage fiat and digital asset liquidity in one system. The company has added Digital Asset Accounts and Unified Treasury to Ripple Treasury, which it said is the first treasury management system with native digital asset capabilities. The tools allow treasury teams to view, hold, receive and manage fiat and digital assets across bank and custody providers through a single platform. Digital Asset Accounts allow users to create and manage a regulated Ripple-native digital asset account within the platform. Balances including XRP and Ripple USD, or RLUSD, can sit alongside cash balances with real-time valuation and automated transaction records. Renaat Ver Eecke “Digital assets have arrived at the CFO’s desk, and the question has shifted from whether to engage to how to do so advantageously without disrupting existing operations. Ripple Treasury gives the office of the CFO a trusted place to hold and manage digital and fiat assets – with no separate interface, no new workflows, and no need to navigate custody, wallets, or exchanges on their own. Corporate treasury has never had a digital solution like this before.” said Renaat Ver Eecke, SVP, Ripple Treasury. Unified Treasury gives users a single dashboard to track cash and digital asset positions across multiple providers through API connections. The launch follows its 2025 acquisition of GTreasury. Ripple Treasury facilitated US$13 trillion in payments volume in 2025, while multiple customers had already been using the new features in beta ahead of the global rollout. The new tools are part of a broader digital asset framework that will later expand into cross-border and intercompany settlement, as well as 24/7 yield on idle cash through overnight repo. Availability will vary by geography and regulatory requirements.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Freepik The post Ripple Adds Digital Asset Capabilities to Treasury Platform appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Transformation programs across the payments industry rarely fail in the boardroom. More often, they fail in delivery. Platform selection is usually treated as a technology decision. Buyers compare functionality, architecture, deployment models and roadmaps. Yet in practice, ROI is often determined by how well the platform is implemented, configured and evolved over time. For OpenWay, the company behind the Way4 platform, years of delivering transformations for banks, processors and fintechs across regions and business models have led to one clear conclusion: long-term platform value is shaped as much by delivery discipline as by product capability. Dmitry Yatskaer, OpenWay As Chief Technology Officer Dmitry Yatskaer puts it: “You can have a powerful platform, but without disciplined execution, the results will always fall short.” Its delivery experience makes the point clearly. In one large-scale acquiring transformation, the platform was delivered in 9 months for a processor whose acquiring base later grew to 2 million customers. In another case, a digital multi-bank processing platform went live on AWS in just 4 months. In a third, a wallet platform launched in 9 months and scaled to 40 million consumers and 700,000 SMEs in 3 years. Payment businesses run in real time, support multiple products and channels, depend on complex integrations, and must preserve continuity while adapting to new commercial and regulatory demands. In that environment, poor implementation does not merely cause delays. It can slow time to market, inflate the cost of future change, limit scalability and constrain the business models an institution can support later. By contrast, disciplined delivery creates compounding value: faster launches, more efficient scaling, less disruption and stronger platform economics over time. Implementation, therefore, should be seen not as a downstream project phase, but as a strategic capability. Where ROI is really won or lost 1. Discovery discipline sets the foundation for success The discovery phase is where ROI is either protected or put at risk. It is not just about gathering requirements. It is about aligning business goals, technical realities, and ways of working, while establishing a shared vocabulary across stakeholders. Clients are experts in their own business. Vendors are experts in their platforms and in how to deliver them effectively, holding different assumptions about priorities, dependencies or the degree of adaptation required. Those gaps usually emerge later, when they are more expensive to correct. Denis Kvitka, OpenWay As Head of Delivery Denis Kvitka notes: “The deeper issue is misinterpretation: delivery teams and clients may think they agree while actually meaning different things.” 2. Smart configuration protects future economics In payments, early technical decisions have long-term financial consequences. Shortcuts during implementation, especially excessive customisation, can significantly increase the total cost of ownership. “If a vendor does some kind of custom coding, later all changes become too expensive, because the configuration was not done in a smart enough way.” Dmitry explains.  Poor choices at this stage can complicate upgrades, limits scalability, and slows innovation. By contrast, well-structured configuration enables flexibility, faster changes, and smoother expansion. A disciplined approach may require more effort upfront, but it protects ROI over the platform lifecycle. 3. Continuity after go-live accelerates value creation Implementation does not end at go-live. In most payment businesses, value is created over time through refinements, extensions, new launches and expansion. The efficiency of that next phase depends on whether delivery continuity is preserved. Many organisations lose momentum here. Knowledge is fragmented, ownership shifts, and new teams must relearn decisions already made. Here, the model is different. The same delivery group remains responsible throughout the client lifecycle. “At OpenWay, the same team who did the initial delivery remains in charge of customer success,” Dmitry says. “When a client has a variation, it doesn’t get allocated to a random team.” Why this matters in platform selection For banks, delivery quality shapes more than a project timeline. It affects how well the institution can modernise legacy environments, manage risk and launch new propositions. For processors and payment infrastructure players, it underpins scale, resilience and more efficient evolution. For fintechs, it enables speed without creating avoidable technical and operational debt. For executives selecting a payment platform, the practical conclusion is straightforward: assess delivery capability with the same rigor as product capability. Buyers should examine how a vendor runs discovery, balances standardisation with flexibility, approaches configuration versus custom development, preserves continuity after go-live, and supports future change at scale. Selecting a payment platform is not just choosing a technology: it is also choosing a delivery organisation. At OpenWay, implementation is treated as a core capability and one of the strongest predictors of long-term success.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Payments Platform ROI Depends on More Than Technology Selection appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Franklin Templeton plans to acquire 250 Digital and launch a new unit called Franklin Crypto. The deal would bring in the 250 Digital investment team and all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously run by CoinFund. Franklin Templeton will also invest in those strategies as part of the agreement. After the acquisition closes, Christopher Perkins will head Franklin Crypto and Seth Ginns will serve as Chief Investment Officer, working alongside Franklin Templeton Digital Assets investment veteran Tony Pecore. The unit will report to Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton. Jenny Johnson “This is an exciting addition for Franklin Templeton, and we’re pleased to welcome Chris, Seth and the 250 Digital team to our firm. Together, their investment talent and differentiated strategies strengthen our capabilities in digital assets and position us among a small group of global asset managers with a dedicated, institutional-grade crypto investment management team, enhancing our ability to serve clients worldwide.” said Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton. The new unit will expand its existing crypto and blockchain venture capital offerings and broaden its digital assets investment management platform. Franklin Templeton Digital Assets managed about US$1.8 billion in global assets as of 31 December 2025. The transaction is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2026, subject to definitive transaction agreements, client consents and other customary closing conditions. BENJI tokens will be used as part of the payment consideration, in what it described as a step toward conducting M&A transactions on chain. It is linked to the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund, or FOBXX, which launched in 2021 and uses blockchain-integrated technology to process transactions and record share ownership. The firm said the fund was the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to do so. Franklin Templeton has been investing in digital assets and blockchain innovation since 2018.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mkmult via Freepik The post Franklin Templeton Plans to Acquire 250 Digital, Launch New Crypto Unit appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Entrust has officially announced on LinkedIn the transition of Tony Ball from incoming Chief Executive Officer to the official CEO role. Ball brings decades of tech and smart card industry experience to his new leadership position at Entrust. His extensive background includes several senior roles at Gemalto between 2004 and 2007, where he served as Managing Director for the UK and Scandinavia, Vice President for Western Europe, and eventually Senior Vice President for Northern Europe. Prior to that, he spent several years in leadership at Schlumberger Technologies. During that time, he held positions such as Director of Manufacturing and Vice President and General Manager for the EMEA region. In his new role, Ball plans to focus on fortifying digital trust across all platforms. Tony Ball “In a world without a clear perimeter, identity is the common thread behind every trusted interaction,” Ball stated. He emphasised that his upcoming chapter at Entrust will centre on helping organisations secure the entire identity lifecycle to better protect their people, devices, and data. Concluding his announcement, Ball expressed his gratitude to the company’s teams, customers, and partners, reaffirming that Entrust’s primary mission remains focused on securing a world in motion. Read more about Tony Ball’s approach to securing the identity lifecycle and zero trust strategies here. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore based on an image by noob via Freepik. The post Entrust Appoints Tony Ball as The Chief Executive Officer appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Western Union has completed its acquisition of Singapore-based digital wallet Dash from Singtel after receiving all required regulatory approvals. The deal gives Western Union its first wallet in Asia Pacific and adds Dash’s Singapore platform to its global network, which spans more than 200 countries and territories. Dash, operated by Singcash, was launched in 2014 and has grown to more than 1.4 million users. The wallet allows users to pay bills, send money overseas, and access services such as savings, investments and insurance. It is available to users regardless of their telco or banking provider. Vince Tallent, Vince Tallent, Head of Asia Pacific at Western Union, said, “By combining Dash’s local innovation and trusted customer relationships with Western Union’s global network and digital platform, we are expanding how, where, and when we serve our customers. Together, we will be better positioned to meet them in the moments that matter — whether they are sending money across borders, managing everyday payments, or accessing financial services digitally — and to deliver more seamless, convenient, and reliable experiences that truly support their needs.” Gilbert Chuah Gilbert Chuah, Head, Financial & lifestyle Services, International Digital Services, Singtel, said, “Dash has been an important part of Singtel’s digital journey, and we are proud to have built a trusted and inclusive mobile wallet in Singapore. As it enters its next phase with Western Union, we are confident that its strong local foundation, combined with Western Union’s global scale, will unlock greater value for customers.”     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Western Union The post Western Union Completes Dash Acquisition, Marking First Wallet Deal in APAC appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Visa has introduced six new and enhanced dispute resolution tools as issuers, acquirers and merchants contend with rising case volumes and outdated manual processes. Inefficient dispute handling continues to drive administrative costs and fraud-related losses across the payments ecosystem. Visa processed 106 million disputes globally in 2025, up 35 percent from 2019. Andrew Torre “Disputes put strain on every part of the payments ecosystem, frustrating consumers, while driving cost and complexity for merchants and financial institutions. When outdated technology cannot keep pace, fraud goes undetected. Our expanded suite of dispute services gives clients the visibility they need to focus on what matters most: serving customers, launching new products and growing their businesses.” said Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services, Visa. For merchants, Visa is rolling out tools aimed at resolving disputes earlier, improving recovery and preventing unnecessary claims. Its Visa Dispute Resolution Network is designed to handle potential disputes before they escalate, with a pilot now available and general availability planned for late 2026. Visa Dispute Recovery Manager, which automates representment using Gen AI-generated responses and win prediction scoring, is also set for pilot expansion in late 2026. The payments company has also updated Order Insight, which surfaces transaction details to help clear up confusion over legitimate charges. From April 2026, merchants will be able to use Compelling Evidence 3.0 within the service to share evidence with banks in suspicious transaction cases, a move Visa said could help reduce friendly fraud. For issuers and acquirers, Visa is expanding AI-based dispute tools. Dispute Intelligence, which uses predictive AI models and Visa’s global transaction and dispute data to support case reviews, is now generally available. Dispute Doc Analyzer will be available to issuers in late April 2026, summarising merchant documents and extracting key details in a structured format to support dispute decisions. For acquirers, the tool is already generally available and can auto-populate response questionnaires for merchants. Visa is also preparing to launch Visa Dispute Case Manager in North America in 2026. The platform uses AI to centralise dispute workflows across multiple card networks, from intake to resolution.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Visa Rolls Out Generative AI Tools as Global Dispute Volume Rises appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Sumsub has introduced an automated Satoshi Test to help virtual asset service providers verify unhosted wallet ownership as regulatory scrutiny increases. The feature has been added to its Unhosted Wallet Verification solution, allowing users to prove control of a self-hosted wallet by sending a small preset amount within a set timeframe. Sumsub then verifies the transaction on-chain and confirms the originating wallet before allowing the deposit or withdrawal to proceed. With the addition, Sumsub now supports four commonly accepted methods for proving ownership of unhosted wallets. The others are digital signature, self-declaration and screenshots. The company said this gives firms more flexibility to apply risk-based checks across markets. The move comes as the Financial Action Task Force has warned that unhosted wallets and stablecoins can increase exposure to money laundering, sanctions evasion and other illicit activity because transfers often take place peer-to-peer without the oversight of intermediaries such as exchanges. The Satoshi Test can also be integrated into Travel Rule workflows. Sumsub said the solution supports any wallet and more than 100 blockchain networks. Andrew Novoselsky “Crypto has entered an era of regulated maturity. Firms now need to demonstrate that their control frameworks stand up to real scrutiny, without sacrificing conversion or scalability. That’s why we support all four commonly accepted unhosted wallet verification methods for VASPs—fully automated and embedded into transaction flows keeping the user journey fast and intuitive.” said Andrew Novoselsky, Chief Product Officer at Sumsub.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Sumsub The post Sumsub Adds Automated Satoshi Test for Unhosted Wallet Verification appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Alteryx, an AI-ready data and analytics company, has promoted Sabya Sen to a wider regional role covering India, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Sen will serve as Vice President, IMEA & APAC, where he will focus on expanding adoption of the Alteryx One platform and helping organisations move beyond AI pilots to enterprise-scale use. He was most recently Vice President and Head of UKI and Emerging Markets Europe at Alteryx. Prior to joining the company, Sen spent 11 years at Salesforce in leadership roles supporting customers in the insurance, financial services and healthcare sectors. Sabya Sen “Across the Middle East, India, and Asia-Pacific, we are seeing unprecedented momentum driven by ambitious national transformation agendas. These efforts are accelerating economic diversification, advancing digital innovation, and firmly positioning these regions as global hubs for data and AI-led growth.” said Sabya Sen, Vice President, IMEA & APAC. Jason Janicke “Over the past few years, Sabya has had a tremendous impact on Alteryx and has demonstrated a remarkable level of focus, discipline, and strong commercial execution. He has delivered results, built a strong team culture, and consistently raised the bar. We can’t wait to see the impact that Sabya has in this next role.” said Jason Janicke, Senior Vice President for EMEA and APJ at Alteryx.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Pixelid via Freepik   The post Alteryx Promotes Sabya Sen to Wider Regional Role appeared first on Fintech Singapore.

Vietnam has introduced a 0.1 percent tax on crypto transactions as it seeks to move more trading onto licensed local platforms under a new market pilot, The Business Times reported. Circular 32 applies a 0.1 percent personal income tax on each crypto transaction by individuals, regardless of residency from 27 March. Foreign organisations trading through licensed service providers in Vietnam will face a similar 0.1 percent corporate tax on transaction value. Domestic companies earning income from crypto transfers, as well as local firms providing crypto-related services, will be taxed at 20 percent on profits after deducting costs and related expenses. Crypto transfers and trading will be exempt from value-added tax, though related activities outside direct transfers will remain taxable under existing VAT rules. The tax changes come as Vietnam moves ahead with a five-year pilot for its digital assets market. A 12 March Ministry of Finance document showed that five companies had cleared a preliminary evaluation round for licences. The list includes entities linked to Techcombank, VPBank and LPBank, alongside VIX Securities and Sun Group. Applicants must meet strict licensing requirements, including minimum capital of 10 trillion dong, with at least 65 percent contributed by institutional investors. Foreign ownership is capped at 49 percent. Domestic investors trading crypto outside licensed platforms could face administrative penalties or criminal prosecution, depending on the violation. Vietnam received about US$220 billion worth of crypto between July 2024 and June 2025, up 55 percent from a year earlier, The Business Times reported, citing Chainalysis.     Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, images by Frolopiaton Palm and huythoai via Freepik The post Vietnam Introduces 0.1% Crypto Tax as It Prepares to License Local Platforms appeared first on Fintech Singapore.