Author: Fintech News Singapore

Airwallex has relaunched its startup program with new features supporting financial management, mentorship, and AI-driven innovation. The refreshed ‘Airwallex for Startups’ program launches in Singapore and will expand to other markets in the coming months. The relaunch comes as many founders struggle to build financial resilience. Globally, 90% of startups fail, and 38% stall because they run out of cash. Airwallex aims to help founders turn financial operations into a driver of growth rather than a back-office function. The program combines Airwallex’s financial infrastructure with guidance from experienced CFOs and an AI sandbox for innovation. It is designed to help…

Western Union plans to launch its own stablecoin on Solana as part of a broader effort to modernise cross-border transfers and expand access to digital assets. The U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT), issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, will be supported by a new Digital Asset Network bridging digital and fiat systems. The initiative aims to give customers, agents, and partners new ways to send, receive, spend, and hold funds while strengthening Western Union’s treasury operations. Built on Solana, USDPT will leverage Anchorage Digital’s regulated issuance and custody services. Western Union said the effort combines its global reach with compliant, low-cost…

ChatGPT users will soon be able to check out with PayPal without leaving the chat. The payments firm is integrating its services into OpenAI’s platform to enable instant payments and merchant discovery. PayPal will adopt the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) to power OpenAI’s Instant Checkout, processing PayPal wallet and card payments through its delegated payments API. Users will have access to multiple funding options, purchase protections, and post-purchase support such as tracking and dispute resolution. The move will connect ChatGPT users to PayPal’s global merchant network, bringing product catalogs from small businesses and major brands into the chat starting in…

AI is changing banking faster than ever, from how banks detect fraud to how customers interact with apps. In this roundtable moderated by Fintech News Network’s Vincent Fong, top leaders from Malaysia’s digital and incumbent banks discuss how they’re applying AI across every layer of operations and what’s next as agentic AI enters finance. Featuring: William Streitberg, Chief Information and Technology Officer, Hong Leong Bank Kaushik Chowdhury, CEO, GXBank Nic Ngoo, CTO, Ryt Bank Chee Mun Foong, Chief Product Officer, Ryt Bank Glen Cha, CTO, AEON Bank Diana Boo, CMO, Boost Gerard Ang, Country Head, Financing & Securities Services, Standard…

Sequoia Capital has unveiled a US$750 million Series A fund and a US$200 million seed fund, its sixth dedicated seed vehicle, to support early-stage innovation in emerging tech sectors. The new funds extend Sequoia’s focus on partnering with founders at the start of their journeys. The firm plans to invest in startups advancing AI, infrastructure, security, and other emerging technologies including healthcare, robotics, and digital commerce. Sequoia said AI is driving a platform shift comparable to the rise of the internet, creating opportunities for founders who can turn new technologies into scalable businesses. Partners at the firm highlighted progress in…

Paris-based Ingenico, a provider of payment acceptance solutions, has appointed Floris de Kort as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 November 2025. He succeeds Laurent Blanchard, who will step down as CEO and from the Supervisory Board to pursue other opportunities. Catherine Guillouard, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, said: “As Ingenico enters its next chapter, the Board welcomes Floris de Kort as Chief Executive Officer, based at Ingenico’s global headquarters in Paris. He brings extensive experience in the payments sector, with a strong record of operational and commercial leadership. We are confident he will accelerate Ingenico’s growth and execution…

Singapore has launched a multi-agency effort to strengthen high-integrity carbon markets, seen as vital to funding global climate action. Led by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the initiatives address weak demand, limited supply, and underdeveloped infrastructure. The measures include new voluntary carbon market (VCM) guidance for companies, plans for an industry-led buyers’ coalition in Asia, and a financial sector grant to encourage market participation. The VCM guidance, released by NCCS, MTI, and EnterpriseSG, helps companies integrate carbon credits into credible decarbonisation plans. Developed…

Bottomline is set to launch an AI assistant that simplifies cash management and forecasting through natural-language interaction and predictive insights. The AI agent, Bea, will be integrated into Bottomline’s Global Cash Management and Payments Hub, with rollout expected in early 2026. Acting as a digital team member in the Office of the CFO, Bea supports treasurers, cash managers, and compliance professionals by providing real-time, data-driven answers to questions about balances, forecasts, and intra-company payments. Powered by large language models and predictive analytics, Bea offers proactive guidance while replacing complex, manual workflows. Its role-based personalisation helps finance teams make faster liquidity…

IBM has launched Digital Asset Haven, a new platform that enables financial institutions, corporations, and governments to manage digital assets securely and at scale. The solution supports the entire asset lifecycle, from custody to transactions and settlement, while meeting sovereignty, security, and compliance requirements. Developed with digital wallet infrastructure provider Dfns, the platform combines IBM’s enterprise security with Dfns’ custody technology. Dfns has created over 15 million wallets for more than 250 clients worldwide. With tokenized assets and stablecoins gaining traction, IBM said the platform helps institutions modernize their offerings and enter the digital asset economy with greater assurance. It…

Alipay+ has partnered with HUMO, Uzbekistan’s national payment system, to enable inbound and outbound QR payments. Octobank’s Octomobile app will be the first Uzbek e-wallet integrated with Alipay+, with more HUMO-connected wallets and banking apps expected to join by the end of the year. HUMO is now the tenth national QR network to partner with Alipay+. In the initial phase, HUMO users travelling from Uzbekistan will be able to make payments in China and more than 50 other markets, including Kazakhstan, Thailand, the UAE, and the US, using their home payment apps in Uzbek som across retail, dining, and transport…

Mastercard and PayPal have expanded their longstanding collaboration, focusing on the emerging field of secure agentic commerce, where transactions are completed by AI agents on behalf of users. The core of this collaboration is the integration of Mastercard Agent Pay, the company’s agentic payments platform, directly into the PayPal wallet. The integration will enable AI agents to make secure purchases on behalf of consumers and businesses. It will reach hundreds of millions of PayPal users and tens of millions of merchants worldwide, including those using Mastercard cards on file and the companies’ co-branded credit and debit cards. “PayPal is committed…

Citi is partnering with Coinbase to develop digital asset payment solutions for its institutional clients and potentially other global clients, starting with fiat pay-ins and pay-outs. The collaboration aims to support Coinbase’s on and off ramps, which connect traditional fiat systems with digital asset networks, while improving payment orchestration. Both firms plan to share further details in the coming months, including the potential introduction of alternative fiat-to-onchain stablecoin payout methods. Citi said the initiative builds on its ongoing efforts to expand payment solutions in an always-on digital finance environment. These include Citi Token Services and 24/7 USD Clearing, which provide…

Thredd has entered the credit space through a partnership with LoanPro to power a new suite of credit products for fintechs and financial institutions across the U.S. and beyond. The partnership marks a step in Thredd’s broader strategy to offer full-stack issuing and processing capabilities that include credit, debit, and prepaid solutions. Under the collaboration, Thredd will integrate LoanPro’s composable credit infrastructure with its real-time card issuance and processing platform, which supports digital wallets and embedded fraud detection. The combined system aims to help clients design and scale differentiated credit products more quickly and with greater personalisation, while ensuring compliance…

Mastercard has launched Mastercard Threat Intelligence, the first threat intelligence solution applied to payments at scale. It combines cybersecurity and fraud insights to help financial institutions detect and prevent payment fraud more effectively. The platform integrates Mastercard’s global fraud data with threat intelligence from Recorded Future to help issuing and acquiring banks, as well as merchant compliance teams, identify and stop cyber-enabled fraud before losses occur. Mastercard said payment fraud often begins as a cyberattack, yet 60% of global fraud leaders report they are notified of breaches only after losses begin. The new tool bridges the gap between fraud and…

The growth of Islamic finance is one of the most transformative shifts in global banking. With assets projected to reach $3.8 trillion by 2025 and nearly two billion Muslims still underserved, the opportunity ahead is undeniable. But while demand accelerates, many Islamic banks remain held back — not by principles or potential, but by technology. Islamic finance is driven by principles At its heart, Islamic finance is guided by values — trust, fairness, transparency, and ethical responsibility. These are more than words on a mission statement; they are the foundation upon which every Shari’ah-compliant product is built. Yet in an…

Thunes has launched a new feature enabling instant stablecoin payouts across more than 130 countries through its single API that integrates fiat and digital assets. The new Pay-to-Stablecoin-Wallets solution supports USDC and USDT, allowing real-time, 24/7 transfers to millions of wallets worldwide. It builds on Thunes’ payments network, which connects banks, financial institutions, fintechs, money transfer operators, payment service providers, freelancers, and gig-economy platforms. Thunes said members of its Direct Global Network can now reach more markets and digital wallets without additional integration, accelerating time to market and simplifying operations. The solution is supported by Thunes’ Fortress Compliance framework, ensuring…

Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) 2025 is returning from November 12 to 14, 2025, bringing together thousands of global leaders in finance, technology, and policy to explore the future of finance. This year’s edition, organized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Global Finance and Technology Network and Constellar, in collaboration with the Association of Banks in Singapore, will mark the festival’s 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of growth and innovation in fintech. Themed “Shaping the Next Decade of Growth,” SFF 2025 will discuss how artificial intelligence (AI), tokenization, and quantum computing can be harnessed to promote a secure and efficient…

Authorities in Thailand have arrested suspects linked to an unlicensed Worldcoin exchange in Bangkok following a joint raid by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) at an iris scanning site. The operation on 24 October 2025 targeted Worldcoin (WLD) exchange services suspected of operating without a license. SEC Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul said, “This collaboration will enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement in prosecuting and suppressing unlicensed digital asset businesses, while protecting users from lack of legal protection and mitigating risks of scams and money laundering.” The SEC earlier warned the public against…

Singapore-based Thunes announced that it has opened a new real-time payments corridor with Colombia. This move connects the country’s instant payment system Bre-B to Thunes’ global network to enable faster, more reliable, and accessible cross-border transfers. The launch marks another step in Thunes’ efforts to link national real-time payment systems and support financial inclusion through faster, interoperable, and affordable transactions. Developed by Banco de la República, Colombia’s central bank, Bre-B was officially launched on 6 October and allows individuals and businesses to send and receive money instantly, 24/7, between banks, cooperatives, digital wallets, and fintechs. The addition of Bre-B also…

Thailand’s SMEs can now manage sales, loyalty, and payments through a single device following a new strategic partnership between NTT DATA Payment Services and Jaidee App by ISARASERI. The partnership introduces the “Super EDC,” a unified platform that combines Jaidee’s point-of-sale (POS) system with NTT DATA’s secure payment infrastructure. The device enables merchants to manage orders, track inventory, run loyalty programmes, and process multiple payment methods through one system. Targeting Thailand’s small business sector, especially food and beverage merchants, the integration allows acceptance of Visa, Mastercard, PromptPay QR, and various local and international e-wallets. Jaidee’s POS system also supports order…