In Focus
Hong Kong wallets surge as card share drops to 31% online
Hong Kong wallets surge as card share drops to 31% online
HKQR and contactless payment acceptance accelerated mobile transaction adoption.
Japan's megabanks eye record earnings as BOJ rate hikes boost margins
Their earnings may further rise over the next two years.
Singapore banks benefit from safe-haven flows amidst Middle East conflict
Investors are shifting assets to the city-state for stability and protection.
Japan fintech market to hit $33b with 13% CAGR
Artificial intelligence blockchain and machine learning are driving sector expansion.
APAC cross-border payments surge as trade drives $24t outlook
The region is projected to account for 36% of global outbound flows by 2033.
Indian banks ready for new loss provisioning framework: Fitch
The banking system’s average CET1 ratio is expected to decline by 30bp by FY2028.
Singapore's big 3 banks pivot to wealth as margins shrink
The banks eye growth in onshore, ASEAN, China and Hong Kong wealth.
Malaysia e-wallet ownership drops to 1.5 wallets per user
Less frequent usage rose with 24% paying through wallets every one to three months.
Chinese megabanks’ assets grow 16% as Japan and India stalls
Singaporean banks’ assets also logged double-digit growth in 2025.
IoT payments to grow 24% in APAC fintech
Southeast Asian markets made up around 25% of regional fintech activity.
Philippine bank lending surges 11.7% to $281b by end-2025
Loan loss coverage ratio coverage is 97.2%.
Asia fintech share stalls at 20%
The US accounted for 47% of global fintech deals in Q1 2026.
Malaysia's Q1 loan growth set to stall as businesses turn cautious
Banks’ loan loss provisioning is also expected to rise between $203.82m to 1b in Q1 2026F.
Only 2 in 5 small businesses use instant payments for refunds
Global Payments says gig pay usage reaches 63% amongst APAC businesses.
Standard Chartered and A*STAR lab to boost wealth, battle fraud.
The $11.7m tie-up with A*STAR brings together 10 A*STAR researchers to explore wealth support and fraud control.
How Thailand card payments market will hit $99b in 2030
GlobalData projects the market to reach about $68.1b in 2026.
How can Thai banks close the gap in wealth fee income?
KBank and SCB are best placed in wealth services with digital tools and segmentation.
Commentary
Asia is leading payments modernisation and banks can't afford to fall behind
Investing in an inefficient market
Platinum cards, paper-thin compliance?
Energy price volatility highlights structural gaps for managing FX risk in APAC
Asia’s electronic markets reach an inflection point of transformation
Tokenisation in the Philippines: The consumer is ready, but is the infrastructure?
Asian firms need to get ready for digital assets and currencies
AI can build your plan, but can it hold you to it?