Anthony Thomas

Digital Banking Licences are reshaping the future of finance—and regulators in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines are leading the charge by issuing dedicated digital and virtual bank licences. It’s a clear signal: the future of banking is digital—and regulators aren’t just watching from the sidelines, they’re enabling it. Dedicated digital banking licences mean: - Lower barriers to entry – making it easier for tech-driven players to enter the market. - Acceleration of digital-first banking – speeding up the shift away from branch-heavy models. - A shift in regulatory philosophy – from reactive oversight to proactive innovation enablement. - Targeted financial inclusion – allowing banks to serve niche segments like SMEs, gig workers, and the unbanked more effectively. In Africa, there are whispers that proactive regulators like the Bank of Ghana may soon follow the Asian market’s example in issuing digital banking licences. This raises the question: - If you were starting a digital bank from scratch, where would you begin? - What key considerations and steps would guide your journey? That’s exactly the topic of my latest video—perfect for curious minds eyeing the opportunity to build a digital or virtual bank when regulation makes it possible. #DigitalBanking #Fintech #FinancialInclusion #VirtualBank #BankingInnovation #BankingTheUnbanked #BankingTransformation #FutureOfBanking #FintechAfrica https://lnkd.in/eeKua4p2

54

6 Comments

OSL is partnering with MetaComp to build compliant cross-border digital asset and RWA infrastructure — strengthening payments, trading, and risk management between Hong Kong and Singapore. Eugene Cheung, CCO of OSL, noted that the two markets complement each other in shaping Asia’s digital finance. This partnership lays the foundation for real-world applications that meet institutional needs with the highest compliance standards.

41

3 Comments

Breaking news: CMB International brings their HK–Singapore Mutual Recognition Fund to Solana with DigiFT and OnChain 🇭🇰🇸🇬🪙 CMB International — one of Asia’s leading asset managers and part of the China Merchants Bank Group — has partnered with DigiFT and OnChain to tokenize the CMB International USD Money Market Fund via the CMBMINT token. The fund is licensed in both Hong Kong and Singapore and represents one of the first dual-licensed, cross-border mutual recognition funds to be tokenized on Solana. CMBMINT is deployed on Solana, alongside three other public blockchain networks, and offers: — Institutional-grade yield backed by a licensed money market fund — Access with fiat and stablecoin subscriptions/redemptions This launch demonstrates how regulated, large-scale financial products can integrate with public blockchain infrastructure, bridging traditional finance with 24/7, globally accessible Internet Capital Markets. More on the news from DigiFT here: https://lnkd.in/gm3vAvAn

188

13 Comments

Singapore’s journey to becoming a global FinTech hub wasn’t accidental. We were a well-placed trading port with global ambitions, and one of the first countries to dedicate a national-level focus to fintech. When I co-founded the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) Association in 2016, it was alongside the launch of the inaugural Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF). It wasn’t just another event. It was a global signal of intent. I remember Sopnendu Mohanty Roy T. Ai Boon Ong-Ang putting together foundations of what created history. But what made it work wasn’t just early action. It was the whole ecosystem moving together: startups, regulators, and financial institutions, powered by a philosophy I call RFFL: Right First, Fast Later. It’s about building the right foundations first, then scaling with speed and confidence we advanced through purpose based corporation Fintech Nation From national digital identity and payments rails to startup-friendly regulation, together we’ve built systems that other countries now cite as a playbook. But I’ve always said, “FinTech is not a sprint. It’s a relay.” Each generation passes the baton. Ours now faces new challenges: capital recycling, API interoperability, and the real cost of scaling from a small domestic market. Over the past decade, I’ve witnessed a vibrant community where regulators become collaborators, students become founders - sending a signal from Singapore to the world that innovation can be inclusive and sustainable. As we mark SG60 and SFF's 10th anniversary, this celebration is also a checkpoint. The next decade won’t be about funding rounds or hackathons alone. It’ll be about scale, liquidity, and leadership, with a new playbook to take companies from 10x to 100x. We'll need to reskill our workforce for an AI-first world and back founders who can build global champions from a small domestic base. So, here’s the real question: Who will build the next billion-user fintech? And how do we stay bold, not just safe? Pat Patel Aisyah Begum Vanessa Ho Tawishi Singh Kai Zen Theng Chris Lim Holly Fang Shadab Taiyabi Umang Moondra Navin SuriSagari Aparna Jhajharia Nitin Mathur James Boey Yana Nasib Jael Tan Xue Fen Koh Preeti Dawra Rahul Banerjee Lakshmi Rajagopalan

261

11 Comments

Two days well spent at the Jalin CX Summit 2025 in Yogyakarta. Our team had many engaging conversations with industry peers, fintech and financial institutions at the BPC booth and during networking, discussing digitalisation strategies, modern technologies and how next-gen platforms can help transform and secure the Indonesian financial landscape. During the event, Djoni Tany joined a panel session where he shared how Indonesian institutions can combat the growing complexity of digital fraud. From social engineering to instant payments fraud, Djoni highlighted the importance of taking a risk-based approach, applying AI/ML tools for real-time detection, and ensuring compliance with BI and OJK regulations, all without replacing existing core systems. From AI/ML-driven fraud prevention to modern card programme management, we were pleased to show how BPC's SmartVista helps banks of any size and payment providers in Indonesia deliver secure, scalable and modern digital payment experiences. #wearebpc #jalincxsummit2025 #digitalpayments #fraudprevention #cardmanagement #indonesia #smartvista

32