Stay up-to-date on all the latest FinTech news and information from around the world in the BFC FinTech Monitor.
Around the World#Insights & Benchmarks
- FinTech Magazine released its Top 100 FinTech Companies of 2025. »»»
- The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has published its MSME Banking in the Digital Era handbook. »»»
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG) issued its 23rd Annual Global Payments Report, detailing the forces redefining the industry and critical actions necessary to remain competitive. »»»
- The Global Innovation Index (GII) revealed that Central and South Asia have surpassed Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time, driven by strong innovation gains by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan andIndia. »»»
#Payments
- Visa has developed a next-generation protocol designed to enable artificial intelligence (AI) agents to conduct payments autonomously on behalf of users and merchants. »»»
- Wise has opened the waitlist for its new Travel Card in India, expanding its global product suite. »»»
- Checkout.com has partnered with Microsoft to strengthen enterprise payments infrastructure and enhance digital economy securi. »»»
- Mastercard launched a new digital media network that leverages permissioned transaction data to power personalized advertising. »»»
- Revolut has announced plans to launch its payments platform in India later this year, targeting up to 20 million new customers by 2030. »»»
- Venmo and PayPal users will soon be able to send funds directly between platforms. »»»
#AI
- A McKinsey report warned that banks failing to adopt AI risk losing up to USD 170 billion in potential value. »»»
- Ajay Kumar Choudhary, Chairman of India’s National Payments Corporation (NPCI), has cautioned that the growing concentration of global AI infrastructure among a few large providers poses systemic risks to financial stability. »»»
- OpenAI has recruited over 100 former investment bankers to train its AI models to automate manual, high-volume tasks typically handled by junior analysts. »»»
- UK-based Bud Financial will deploy a multi-core processing (MCP) server to significantly increase the processing power and responsiveness of AI agents performing real-time financial analytics. »»»
- Visa unveiled its Trusted Agent Protocol, an AI-driven security framework designed to ensure authenticated communications between autonomous agents and merchants. »»»
- The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) introduced an AI-powered predictive analytics tool capable of identifying potential market dysfunction up to 60 business days in advance. »»»
- Mastercard launched a payment optimization platform (POP), which uses proprietary AI to boost merchant approval rates »»» alongside its new Merchant Cloud gateway, which unifies internal and partner services for streamlined digital payment processing. »»»
- AMD and OpenAI have announced a large-scale infrastructure partnership to deploy hundreds of thousands of AMD AI accelerators, targeting 6 gigawatts of total computing capacity. »»»
- PayPal Honey has introduced new AI-powered shopping features that bridge product discovery and checkout gaps, reducing friction and improving conversion. »»»
#Neobanking
- The UK’s financial regulator has reportedly paused Revolut’s full banking license application, citing elevated operational and compliance risks linked to the company’s rapid international expansion. »»» In parallel, Revolut is exploring strategic options to establish a U.S. presence, including acquiring a domestic bank or obtaining an independent national banking license. »»»
#Digital Assets & Blockchain
- Sony’s financial arm has applied for a national license in the U.S., which will enable its subsidiary Connectia Trust to offer crypto-fiat services, including stablecoin issuance, reserve management and digital asset custody services. »»»
- U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had been serving a four-month sentence for money laundering violations. »»»
- A consortium of major global banks, including Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and UBS, has initiated discussions on issuing blockchain-native tokens pegged toG7 currencies. »»»
- Leading Chinese tech giants Ant Group (Alibaba) and JD.com have halted their planned stablecoin launches in Hong Kong. »»»
- Anchorage Digital is preparing to launch the first stablecoin to operate under full U.S. federal regulation. »»»
- Telegram’s native crypto wallet, Wallet, will soon enable ETF and tokenized stock trading via its affiliated xStocks platform. »»»
- Binance has launched Meme Rush, a feature that grants users early access to new meme coin listings through the Binance Wallet. »»»
- The Fnality consortium has raised USD 136 million in a new funding round led by WisdomTree, Bank of America, Citi, KBC Group, Temasek and Tradeweb. »»»
- Revolut achieved a major regulatory milestone by obtaining its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). »»»
- SWIFT has announced the integration of a blockchain-based common ledger into its core messaging infrastructure. »»»
- Coinbase has formalized a strategic partnership with Samsung, enhancing the security and accessibility of crypto transactions through Samsung devices. »»»
- Visa has launched a stablecoin pilot to allow banks and corporations to pre-fund international disbursement accounts. »»»
- Telegram-based crypto ecosystem Blum has introduced Perpetual Futures (Perps), giving users access to leveraged crypto derivatives. »»»
#CBDCs
- The European Central Bank (ECB) has selected Portuguese fintech Feedzai to provide fraud detection and prevention systems for the Digital Euro Project. »»» Italian firms Almaviva and Fabrick have been awarded contracts to develop the official mobile app and core infrastructure. »»»
- Japan’s largest banks are moving forward with plans to launch a yen-backed stablecoin. »»»
- China’s Digital Yuan International Operations Center has officially commenced operations in Shanghai. »»»
- ECB Executive Board Member Piero Cipollone stated that mid-2029 represents a “realistic benchmark” for the full-scale launch of the digital euro. »»»
MENA Region
- Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has signed a strategic partnership with India’s HCLTech to embed advanced AI capabilities across its banking ecosystem. »»»
- Alibaba Cloud has launched its second data center in Dubai (UAE). »»»
- Wise has secured a retail payment services license from the Central Bank of the UAE, authorizing it to offer fund-holding and money transfer services. »»»
- Benefit, in collaboration with Bahraini banks and Fintech Bay, completed a successful trial of instant payments using a DCBM system hosted on Google’s Universal Ledger Cloud. »»»
- Amazon, Emirates Islamic and Mastercard have jointly launched the Amazon credit card in the UAE. »»»
- Fintech News Africa has identified mobile money expansion, digital wallets, instant payments and crypto adoption as the four leading payment trends shaping financial innovation across Africa. »»»
- PayPal has announced a USD 100 million investment initiative to expand its operations across the Middle East and Africa. »»»
Ukraine
- The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) continues to advance preparations for the digital hryvnia (e-hryvnia), though a full pilot launch remains delayed due to high implementation costs. »»»
- Fintech-IT Group, which includes monobank, achieved a valuation exceeding USD 1 billion following an investment from the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF), officially becoming Ukraine’s first fintech unicorn. »»»
- The Ukrainian Startup Fund announced a EUR 1 million grant program to stimulate local innovation and fintech entrepreneurship. »»»
- Ukrainian academic researchers unveiled Lapa LLM, the first large language model fully developed in Ukraine. »»»
Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan continues to pursue a dual-track strategy, maintaining active CBDC testing while simultaneously supporting the development of a national stablecoin initiative. »»»
- Kazakhstan-based fintech Investbanq was recognized among the Startup Battlefield 200 and selected to participate at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco. »»»
- The Alem.AI International Artificial Intelligence Center has officially launched operations in Astana. »»»
- Authorities have confirmed plans to establish Kazakhstan’s first national crypto reserve. »»»
- Former MP Amanzhan Zhamalov cautioned that proposed clauses in the draft Law on Banks could stifle fintech growth. »»»
- Law enforcement agencies have shut down 130 unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges suspected of facilitating money laundering and illicit transactions. »»»
- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced plans to launch an AI technology lab in Kazakhstan. »»»
- Nazarbayev University has inaugurated the Blockchain & Fintech Lab, supported by Jasaim Blockchain and Astana Business Campus. »»»
- Bank CenterCredit, Home Credit Bank and Freedom Bank have been integrated into the National Bank of Kazakhstan’s interbank QR payment system. »»»
- The National Bank of Kazakhstan has introduced the first tenge-backed stablecoin within its regulatory sandbox. »»»
Kyrgyzstan
- The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan (NBKR) has unveiled a demo version of the digital som platform, operating on a proprietary closed blockchain. »»»
- NBKR Chairman Melis Turgunbaev has presented the central bank’s digital strategy to the IMF and the World Bank, emphasizing a measured, regulated approach to adopting digital infrastructure (including a potential CBDC). »»»
- Global payments firm Paysend has selected Kyrgyzstan as the launch market for its new instant international transfer service. »»»
- Kyrgyzstan ranked 19th globally in the Crypto Adoption Index. »»»
- Binance has partnered with local universities to launch a national crypto and blockchain education program. »»»
- O!Bank (Kyrgyzstan) and Kaspi.kz (Kazakhstan) have introduced a joint cross-border payment service, enabling seamless fund transfers between the two countries. »»»
Tajikistan
- Service and Technology, a resident of IT Park Dushanbe, unveiled ST-Exchange, the country’s first digital asset trading and investment platform, during the PLUS-Forum Digital Tajikistan event. »»»
- Fintech holding Oson announced a USD 5 million investment program (2025–2026) to expand its operations into Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. »»»
- government of Tajikistan has finalized an agreement with Starlink to integrate the country into the global satellite internet network. »»»
Uzbekistan
- The UZCARD payment system has launched UZCARD Academy, an education and training initiative aimed at developing specialized fintech and payments talent. »»»
- Plans are underway to establish the national Artificial Intelligence Center in Tashkent’s IT Park, with an ambitious goal to train one million young people in AI skills and applied technologies. »»»
- Uzum, Uzbekistan’s first digital unicorn, has confirmed plans for an international stock listing in 2027. »»»
- The FINNEXT Asia 2025 conference is scheduled for November 20 in Tashkent. »»»
- Uzbekistan is forming the Alliance for AI Development. »»»
- Central Bank of Uzbekistan Deputy Chairman Sanzhar Valiev has confirmed that the regulator cannot yet hold cryptocurrencies within official reserves. »»»
Azerbaijan
- The Central Bank of Azerbaijan is finalizing draft legislation to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for virtual assets. »»»
- At the INMerge Innovation Summit, Bakcell CEO Klaus Müller highlighted both the potential and challenges of telco-fintech collaborations. »»»
Armenia
- The international PLUS-Forum FinnoWay Armenia will take place November 11–12 in Yerevan. »»»
- The Central Depository of Armenia is assessing its potential role as a licensed custodian of crypto assets, according to statements from the Armenia Securities Exchange (AMX). »»»
- Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan has confirmed that the government will maintain its existing ban on cash-to-crypto exchanges until at least 2026. »»»
- Ameriabank has become the first Armenian bank to join the FinTech Armenia Association. »»»
Georgia
- David Kikvidze, head of the Georgian Fintech Association, estimated the country’s total volume of crypto assets at approximately USD 5 billion. »»»
Moldova
- Moldovan fintech startup Finergy Tech delivered a successful investor pitch at the London headquarters of Romanian unicorn UiPath. »»»
