Blog

Lending

A Look at the Global BNPL Industry

Though “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) still accounts for just a small portion of the industry, the pandemic-fueled e-commerce boom could see this alternative model grow 10-15x its current volume and reach as much as US$1 trillion in gross merchandise

Indonesia Open Banking

Brankas Surpassed 10 Million Monthly API Calls With Over 80 Network Partners

Brankas, an Indonesian open banking solution provider, announced that it has recently surpassed 10 million monthly API calls with over 80 network partners. The platform now operates in more than six countries and has partnered with more than 30 financial

Blockchain

UOB Issues Digital Asset Offering of S$600 Million on Marketnode’s Platform

UOB has tapped Marketnode’s digital asset issuance, depository and servicing platform to issue its latest bond offering of S$600 million, with a final orderbook of more than S$1 billion from a total of 73 accounts. Marketnode, a joint venture between

Funding Indonesia Open Banking

Open Finance Startup Finantier Raises Undisclosed 7-Figure Seed Funding

Finantier, an Indonesian open finance API platform, has raised an undisclosed 7-figure sum in a seed funding round led by Global Founders Capital and East Ventures. The round was oversubscribed, and funds were raised at a post-money valuation of more

Blockchain Open Banking

AFIN and R3 to Launch New Digital Currency Sandbox to Test CBDC Apps

The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) has partnered with R3, an enterprise blockchain software provider, to enable banks and fintechs to build and test Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) applications and drive its innovation and adoption globally. AFIN is a

Payments

3 Ways Singapore Is Trailblazing the Cross-Borders Payments Scene

As digitalization blurs the physical borders between countries, it is estimated that the total global cross-border payment flow can surpass USD156 trillion by 2022. In the European Union (EU), the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) is a timely solution that

Cloud Security

Thales Enables Organisations to Enhance Their Google Workspace’s Privacy Capabilities

Google announced that it has selected Thales to support enhanced privacy and confidentiality capabilities for Google Workspace. Thales said that its CipherTrust Cloud Key Manager and SafeNet Trusted Access have been integrated with Google Workspace Client-side encryption with a new

Wealthtech

Wealthtech Firm Endowus Hires Veteran Banker as Its Chief Advisory Officer

Singapore-based digital wealth advisor Endowus has announced the appointment of Wei Mei Tan as Chief Advisory Officer. In her new role, Wei Mei will drive strategic initiatives to accelerate Endowus’ growth trajectory and provide leadership in curating the advisory and

Digital Banking

Southeast Asia Enters Digital Banking Era

The transformation of consumer expectations and incumbent banks’ slowness to meet evolving consumer needs are creating significant opportunities for Southeast Asia’s new and upcoming digital banks, a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found. A survey of 3,250 consumers and 1,350

Thailand Wealthtech

A Look Into the Thai Wealthtech Industry

Tiktok. The short-form video platform has taken the world by storm since its launch in 2017, with more than 18 per cent of global internet users currently on TikTok. While the platform first gained its popularity for its 15-second videos,