EBANX has appointed Eduardo de Abreu as its new Chief Product Officer (CPO) to lead its global product roadmap from Singapore. Abreu, who previously served as the Vice President of Product in Brazil, will relocate to the city-state to strengthen the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Abreu joined EBANX in 2015 and has held leadership roles across various departments, including Operations, Treasury, and Sales Engineering. He was also a key figure in the company’s recent expansions into Africa, India, and the Philippines. In his new capacity, he will also serve as the CEO of EBANX Singapore, focusing on…

Singapore’s reputation as one of Asia’s most vibrant business hubs continues to attract entrepreneurs from around the world. Its strategic location, transparent regulatory framework, and investor-friendly environment make it an appealing choice for startups and established firms alike. But while the region’s advantages are well known, many founders still have questions about the cost and value of company incorporation packages, bundled services that simplify the complex process of starting a business in Singapore. Why Singapore Stands Out for Business Formation Before diving into costs and services, it’s important to understand why so many companies choose Singapore. The city-state consistently ranks…

Grab Finance has deployed the FICO Platform across six countries as it expands credit eligibility across its ecosystem. The financial services arm of Grab has implemented more than 22 credit decision workflows covering drivers, merchants and consumers. The rollout has increased credit offer eligibility rates by nearly 50 percent and supports lending across its ecosystem of more than 46 million consumers as well as millions of merchants and drivers. Grab Finance said the platform assesses borrowers using behavioural data generated within the Grab app, including ride activity, merchant revenues and payment history. These signals support automated pre-approved credit offers while…

South African digital lender TymeBank has officially rebranded as GoTyme Bank, aligning its local operations with the branding used across the wider Tyme Group. The transition includes the launch of a new GoTyme Bank mobile app, which went live on 22 January and is being rolled out in phases. The bank said the migration is designed to prioritise system stability, security and customer experience. Existing customers are not required to open new accounts. Account details, balances and transaction histories have already been migrated, and customers can access their accounts by downloading the new app and logging in with their current…

TRM Labs raised US$70 million in Series C funding, valuing the company at US$1 billion as demand grows for blockchain analytics used in financial crime detection. The round was led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from returning investors including Goldman Sachs, Bessemer Venture Partners, Citi Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, Alumni Ventures, Brevan Howard Digital, and CMT Digital. Galaxy Ventures joined as a new strategic investor. TRM said the funding follows average annual revenue growth of more than 150 percent over the past five years. Its tools are used by law enforcement and national security agencies in…

The Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) and PwC Singapore have launched the Payments’ State of Play 2026 report. This study reaffirms the city-state’s position as a premier hub for digital and cross-border payments in the region. It details how a decade of innovation and regulatory development has transformed the landscape, creating one of the most advanced payment markets in the world. High digital adoption underpins this success, as over 98% of Singapore’s adult population currently holds a bank account. Consequently, digital wallets and real-time platforms like PayNow now dominate everyday transactions. Projections suggest digital wallet transactions will reach S$89 billion by 2027.…

Finmo has appointed Holly Fang as Chief Business Officer (CBO). She will lead the company’s global financial and strategic partnerships as it expands into international markets. In her role, Fang will focus on growing Finmo’s partner ecosystem and supporting regulatory expansion while the company develops its global treasury and payments infrastructure. Fang has more than a decade of experience in financial partnerships. Most recently at Aspire, she led the expansion of its global partner network, working with financial institutions to support cross-border businesses. She previously contributed to Airwallex’s financial partnerships and regional operations. Fang is also President of the Singapore…

Checkout.com has signed a global payments partnership with Spotify to manage subscription transactions across more than 180 countries. Under the agreement, Checkout.com will provide global acquiring services for Spotify’s subscription business, supporting payments for more than 700 million monthly active users and over 280 million paying subscribers worldwide. Spotify will use Checkout.com’s Intelligent Acceptance system, which applies real-time data and machine learning to route transactions and reduce payment failures. The integration also includes Network Tokens, which allow recurring payments to continue even when a customer’s physical card is replaced, as well as authentication services to support secure subscription transactions. ‍“Our…

Revolut Business has rolled out a new set of merchant payment tools in Singapore, allowing businesses to accept online and in-person payments from a single platform. The launch brings merchant acquiring into the Revolut Business account, combining account-to-account, online and in-store payments. The suite includes Revolut Terminal for in-person payments, alongside Revolut Pay, payment links and a payment gateway for online transactions. Revolut said processing fees start from 0.5 percent plus S$0.02 per transaction, with 99.99 percent uptime for the processing service. Merchants receive 24-hour settlements, including on weekends, and can hold and settle funds in more than 30 currencies.…

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing regulatory changes that would let ESG funds invest in JUMP+ companies with strong governance scores. The SEC is drafting new rules to allow Thai ESG Funds to invest in listed companies participating in the JUMP+ Program run by the Stock Exchange of Thailand, provided they achieve a Corporate Governance Report score of at least 90. The amendments were approved in principle by the Capital Market Supervisory Board in December 2025 and are expected to take effect in March 2026, once the SEC finalises the relevant rules and notifications. If implemented, shares of…

SAP SE has announced two leadership appointments to support its operations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Sianto Wongjoyo has been appointed Managing Director for Indonesia. He has more than 25 years of experience in enterprise technology and business leadership, with a focus on cloud transformation and partner-led growth. In his new role, Sianto will oversee strategy, operations and customer engagement for SAP Indonesia, and will lead the company’s data and AI agenda in the market, working closely with its partner ecosystem. “Indonesia’s digital economy is one of the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, and I am excited to lead SAP Indonesia…

Gaming isn’t just a hobby; it’s a global infrastructure challenge. In this episode Vincent Fong (Chief Editor, Fintech News Network) explores the intersection of gaming and fintech with Livia Ang (Global Business Director, NetEase Games) and Juan Pablo Ortega (CEO & Co-Founder, Yuno). We discuss how NetEase Games, the powerhouse behind global hits like Marvel Rivals, Eggy Party, and LifeAfter navigates the complexities of international expansion where “standard” payment stacks are no longer enough. Key Discussion Points: The Fragmentation Crisis: Managing 450+ providers through a single API. The D2C Economic Trap: Why saving 30% on app store fees is a…

AI spending in banking is accelerating, but many institutions still struggle to move from pilots to scaled revenue. Research by Dyna.Ai with GXS Partners and Smartkarma shows that while banks are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, most continue to face difficulties translating AI initiatives into sustained financial impact. The report finds that across Southeast Asia, many AI deployments remain confined to pilot projects that have yet to scale into revenue-generating operations, with operational and organisational challenges slowing adoption. Global spending on AI in the banking, financial services and insurance sector is projected to rise from US$35 billion in 2023 to…

Snowflake has signed a US$200 million, multi-year partnership with OpenAI to integrate AI models into its enterprise data platform. Under the agreement, OpenAI’s models will be made natively available within Snowflake Cortex AI, enabling enterprises to build and deploy AI applications and agents directly on their data. The partnership is structured as a first-party integration, positioning OpenAI as one of the primary model providers within Snowflake’s AI services. The integration will be available to Snowflake’s more than 12,600 global customers. Snowflake said models including GPT-5.2 will be accessible within Snowflake Intelligence, its enterprise AI agent platform, allowing employees to analyse…

The global rate of identity fraud decreased in 2025 from the previous year’s high, but the threats have become more severe. Fraud isn’t retreating, it’s maturing. The sloppy, low-effort attacks that thrived in 2024’s era of widely available tools are being replaced by fewer but sharper operations: multi-step, coordinated, and built to bypass basic verification. Sumsub, a global verification and fraud prevention firm, have identified this Sophistication Shift, signalling that the next stage of identity fraud won’t be measured by volume alone. Why attackers are leveling up Behind the numbers is a change in criminal behavior. When simple tactics stop…

Finastra has launched LaserPro Evaluate, a cloud-native solution aimed at streamlining commercial loan workflows for banks and credit unions. The new platform is targeted at institutions that still rely on manual tools such as spreadsheets or non-banking systems, as lenders face increasing pressure to meet digital-first expectations around speed, transparency and efficiency in commercial lending. “LaserPro Evaluate is a major step forward for institutions looking to modernise their lending operations. It’s designed to meet customers where they are, offering flexibility, efficiency, and future-ready capabilities,” said Mitch Lucas, Vice President of Product Management for Retail Lending at Finastra. LaserPro Evaluate is…

Indian travellers may soon be able to use UPI at foreign merchants as authorities study a possible tie-up with the Alipay+ network, according to a Reuters report. The move is part of India’s efforts to expand the global reach of its real-time payments system, which dominates retail transactions at home. The discussions involve the Indian government, the central bank and Singapore-based Ant International, which operates Alipay+ independently from Ant Group. If approved, the arrangement would allow UPI users to make payments at overseas merchants already connected to the Alipay+ network. Any decision will depend on security reviews and regulatory clearance,…

Sumsub has entered a partnership with Fireblocks to offer built-in Travel Rule compliance for digital asset transactions. Under the partnership, Sumsub’s Travel Rule solution is embedded directly into the Fireblocks platform. This enables financial institutions and virtual asset service providers to manage regulatory requirements within existing workflows. The integration supports real-time and encrypted data exchange between counterparties in virtual asset transfers. It also enables automated and dynamic verification, while allowing users to tailor compliance workflows based on their risk profiles. Through the integration, Fireblocks serves as the hub for transaction processing. Sumsub provides secure Travel Rule data exchange across a…

FICO has been recognised in the 2026 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Decision Intelligence Platforms report, which assesses vendors across key use cases in the decision intelligence market. The report evaluated FICO across four use cases: Decision Analysis, Decision Engineering, Decision Science and Decision Stewardship. FICO ranked second overall across all use cases. According to Gartner, decision intelligence platforms are designed to support and automate decision-making by combining data, analytics, knowledge and AI. The firm said these platforms help organisations build and manage decision services across the full decision lifecycle. “We believe this recognition validates our vision for FICO Platform as…

Singapore banks are moving to phase out the use of NRIC numbers for authentication, following advisories from the Personal Data Protection Commission and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Ong-Ang Ai Boon, Director of the Association of Banks in Singapore, said NRIC numbers cannot be used on their own to carry out financial transactions such as payments and fund transfers, as these activities already require multi-factor authentication. She added that most banks no longer rely on NRIC numbers for non-transactional purposes, including accessing encrypted email attachments. Banks that still use NRIC numbers in such cases will shift to alternative authentication methods…