Tagged: southeast asia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 2, 2025 @ 5:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s fintech sector “recalibrated” in 2024, with investment totaling $1.3 billion, the lowest level seen since 2020 according to a report from KPMG. This strategic pivot reflects a global trend “as fintech investment reached a seven-year low of US$95.6 billion.” Despite reduced funding levels, Singapore’s… Read More

February 27, 2025 @ 11:18 am By Michael Wong  |  

Funding in Southeast Asia’s InsurTech sector slumped sharply in 2024 as investors adopted a more cautious stance amid global economic headwinds, according to a report by data intelligence platform Tracxn. Total investments fell 61 percent to $193 million from $495 million in 2023, reflecting a… Read More

February 23, 2025 @ 7:57 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) will overhaul its settlement fee structure from June, introducing a flat fee of 0.0042% per stock transaction in a bid to balance costs across different trade sizes, the bourse operator said. Under the current system, HKEX charges a minimum… Read More

February 18, 2025 @ 9:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tribe Payments, a digital payment and infrastructure orchestrator focused on specializing in issuer and acquirer processing, joined the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA). This latest milestone that builds on Tribe’s October 2024 expansion into Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Joining the SFA strengthens Tribe’s presence within one of… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payd, a Malaysian fintech specializing in Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions, has reportedly raised a $400,000 seed extension round from A2D Ventures, Orbit Startups, and AngelSpark. This investment will now aim to accelerate Payd’s mission to enhance the financial well-being of employees across Southeast Asia…. Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 5:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PolicyStreet, an insurtech based in Malaysia, is shifting gears with the launch of its customer loyalty program, Drive+ Membership. Designed to put Malaysian drivers in the “fast lane” of savings and convenience, the Drive+ membership features benefits such as “an 80% discount on road tax,… Read More

February 6, 2025 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Thai financial market solutions firm ThaiQuest has agreed a multi-year partnership with SIX, the financial data and market infrastructure provider, to access market data from SIX and enhance its financial information business. As explained in the announcement, ThaiQuest will gain access to the SIX financial… Read More

January 20, 2025 @ 8:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

KuCoin, a global cryptocurrency exchange, is pleased to share the findings from its second edition of the KuCoin Campus Survey, conducted during the Vietnam Technology & Investment Summit (VTIS) 2024. With 926 participants surveyed from Dec 3 to Dec 4, 2024, the results underscore the… Read More

January 8, 2025 @ 8:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank announced that it launched a counter-fraud security feature on the MAE App called Money Lock, which allows customers to lock funds in the savings or current accounts of their choice from “being digitally accessed, keeping the funds safe from online scammers.” With this added… Read More

January 2, 2025 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

WeLab noted that in 2024, their regional expansion strategy has achieved considerable success, with the group now serving nearly 70 million users across Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Indonesia. According to the update from WeLab, this momentum propels them closer to their ambitious goal of… Read More

December 29, 2024 @ 5:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast Asia faced a challenging year in 2024, marked by a “significant contraction” in funding, amid a weak global economy, a new report revealed. According to Tracxn‘s report, prepared by industry analysts, the region’s tech ecosystem experienced a sharp decline in financial inflows and major… Read More

December 22, 2024 @ 12:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

XTransfer, the B2B cross-border trade payments platform, and OCBC, the financial services group in SE Asia, have announced their latest partnership. OCBC China will now aim to leverage the OCBC Group’s regional network and resources in its major markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia as… Read More

November 6, 2024 @ 8:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Banque de France and Monetary Authority of Singapore conducted post-quantum cryptography experiment to enhance communication security. The Banque de France (BdF) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today announced the completion of a joint experiment in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) conducted across “continents over conventional… Read More