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Hello fintech friends,
Welcome to this week's roundup! We are diving into the latest moves across global finance and cross-border commerce, covering everything from new US state licensing wins to high-stakes payment partnerships and fresh AI rollouts across Greater China.
Here are the top stories you need to know:
- Ning
The Rundown
🚀 Product Launches
Ant International and the Saudi Central Bank agreed to link mada with Alipay+ to enable cross-border QR code payments in Saudi Arabia during 2026.
Ant International launched a full stack of AI-native solutions for payment, account, foreign exchange, treasury, and growth operations targeting global businesses.
OCBC extended its strategic partnership with Bank of Ningbo for another 10 years as a 20 percent shareholder to deepen cross-border banking cooperation.
DBS Hong Kong updated its UnionPay Diamond Debit Card to offer enhanced cross-border spending rebates and travel benefits across Greater China.
Moonshot launched its Kimi AI model specifically tailored for financial services in China, with early adopters including CICC and HSG (formerly Sequoia China).
Visa collaborated with Reap to roll out stablecoin-enabled card capabilities across 100 global markets.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced plans to launch a wholesale central bank digital currency by late 2026 to facilitate continuous interbank settlement under Project EnsembleTX.
Solidgate partnered with Airwallex to provide its merchants with direct access to local payment acquiring in new international markets.
Tencent launched TenPayGo Payment App for overseas travellers to China.
💸 Fundraises
Binance invested $100 million in Circle through a private placement of common stock under a new five-year partnership agreement to promote USDC.
🏛️ Policy & Regulation
RedotPay secured state lending licenses in Idaho and Nebraska through its subsidiary Red Dot Lending (US) to support its planned US expansion.
Who moved the needle in fintech this year?
We’re recognizing the top leaders across Startups, Big Companies, Founders, VCs, and Social Good at our year-end Fintech Formal on Dec. 11 in New York. Judging is 100% independent—TWIF doesn't vote.
Upcoming Events
Join us in October for two exclusive gatherings connecting the global fintech community.
First up in Singapore, we’re co-hosting the Stablecon Salon Happy Hour on Wednesday, October 7, an invite-only gathering powered by OpenFX and Faction spotlighting the future of stablecoins, FX, and global payout rails.
The following day in New York City, drop by NYC Fintech Coffee on Thursday, October 8 at HSBC's Hudson Yards office for an informal breakfast meetup with local founders, investors, and operators.
Both events require registration and host approval, so be sure to request your spot early!
Fun Stuff
Looking for a fun finance term to drop at your next coffee break? Meet the Dim Sum bond—a bond issued outside of mainland China (most famously in Hong Kong) and settled in offshore Renminbi. While it sounds like something you’d order off a rolling cart on a Sunday morning, it sits in a classic family of deliciously named global debt instruments, right alongside Japan’s Samurai bonds, the US’s Yankee bonds, and mainland China’s Panda bonds. They’re still making big headlines, too, this week Bank of China and Korea Development Bank just teamed up on a massive RMB 3 billion issuance. Who says fixed income can't have a little flavor?
See you next week!
