In Focus
SEA fintech funding dips 4% in H1 despite Airwallex raise
SEA fintech funding dips 4% in H1 despite Airwallex raise
Payments firm Airwallex raised $320m in its Series H funding round.
Asia-Pacific banking fees fall 3% as Singapore gains 3.1%
Singapore captured 48.9% of Southeast Asia fee pool despite the regional slowdown.
Hong Kong banks face private credit scrutiny as HKMA sounds alarm
Reported net asset values of funds can lag actual conditions by several months, KPMG said.
Singapore banks face rising fraud as 90% report more attacks
Most institutions say financial harm now outweighs reputational concerns in fraud planning.
Indonesian banks' strong profits hide widening lending gap
There is also a gulf in banks’ high loan growth and low interest income growth.
APAC wealth grows 5.9% but trails global pace as EMEA surges
Global wealth hit its fastest growth since 2017 at 10.8% as APAC lagged at half that rate.
HK bank scam complaints climb as AI tools weaponised
Deepfakes and generative AI use in scams are expected to increase.
Philippine banks brace for more bad loans and less profit
Fitch also flagged the rapid expansion in unsecured credit card receivables.
Financial firms face $23.1m insider risk bill as AI governance lags
Only 18% have fully integrated AI governance into insider risk programmes.
Banks must ditch one-size-fits-all as HNW and affluent clients diverge
HNWIs prefer in-person changes, whilst affluent clients favor self-service channels.
Hong Kong banks urged to build digital asset capability before chasing revenue
They risk losing ground in a growing trillion-dollar market if they wait too long, said KPMG.
Filipino borrowers halve since 2021 as debt aversion grows
Formal credit overtakes informal lending as seven in 10 Filipinos call loans a bad idea.
What can Asian wealth managers learn from Europe's affluent shift?
Advisors must be life planners and not just portfolio managers, McKinsey’s survey found.
External shocks prompt risk control call for Hong Kong banks
Banks should capitalise on emerging sector-led controls like the Commercial Data Interchange, says KPMG.
APAC tops inbound C2B flows with $2t
FXC Intelligence puts Europe ahead with $2.1t in 2025 activity.
LatAm banks beat Asia on wholesale returns by weaponising economic chaos
Latin American banks treat "recovery" not as a defense but as a profit driver.
Which Asian banks made it to the world's top public companies?
Three Chinese lenders made the Top 10 whilst Bank of America is the only 2003 top 10 survivor
Commentary
The financing challenge behind Asia’s wealth transfer
Banks need to rethink identity governance for AI agents
From stablecoins to sovereignty: The rise of trust-based digital dollar systems
Indonesia’s banks need faster fraud decisions as digital payments grow
China’s leasing giants are growing up — and Asia’s banks can’t look away
Adapting to change with confidence
Asia plays part in $129t global credit market pool