Аsia
Joint Statement of the 29th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting
Amro, Posted May 3, 2026
The 29th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM+3) took place on 3 May 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan under the Co-Chairship of H.E. Joven Z. Balbosa, Undersecretary of the Department of Finance of the Philippines, H.E. Rosalia V. De Leon, Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, H.E. KATAYAMA Satsuki, Minister of Finance of Japan, and H.E. HIMINO Ryozo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan. The Director/CEO of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat, and the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were also present at the meeting.
China, Indonesia launch cross-border QR payments – a boost for the global yuan?
SCMP, Posted May 4, 2026
China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar.
Users can now use domestic mobile apps – such as China’s Alipay and Indonesia’s QRIS – to scan QR codes and make retail payments in either country using their home currencies.
Kredivo Group takes over digital banking platform Timo
Vietnam Investment Review, Posted May 6, 2026
The acquisition represents an important step in Kredivo’s regional expansion strategy, deepening its presence in Vietnam and accelerating the group’s ambition to cement its position as the region’s preeminent digital financial services platform, spanning both digital consumer credit and digital banking.
Founded in 2015, Timo is Vietnam’s first digital banking platform, serving a rapidly expanding base of digitally native customers with a suite of retail banking services.
Phoenix Holdings and Vina Capital, Timo’s strategic shareholders prior to Kredivo’s acquisition, will retain a significant minority stake in the enlarged Kredivo Vietnam business, which now includes Timo.
Europe
Line of Credit Ultra: a ‘game-changer’ for SMEs seeking fast, flexible funding
Bizcap, Posted May 1, 2026
Bizcap has launched its Line of Credit (LOC) Ultra globally, making the product available in every market where we provide funding. Across the UK, SMEs can access a line of credit up to £500,000.
LOC Ultra empowers businesses that need rapid access to funds. Finance is typically approved quickly, with drawdowns available shortly after. The product is particularly suitable if you have fluctuating cash flow or irregular payment cycles, giving you the ability to draw down and repay on your terms.
Versana Raises $43M to Digitize Global Loan Markets
The Top Voices, Posted May 4, 2026
Versana, a fintech platform modernizing loan market data and operations, announced a $43 million funding round led by BNP Paribas, with strategic participation from Fitch Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Motive Partners, and Apollo. Existing investors including Bank of America, Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, U.S. Bancorp, and Wells Fargo also participated.
The new financing brings total capital raised to over $125 million and supports continued expansion of digital infrastructure across the $9 trillion syndicated loan and private credit markets.
Europe’s FinTech scene entering phase of financial discipline and consolidation
Consultancy, Posted 7 May, 2026
Marco Hentschel, Executive Director at TH Global Capital, outlines why after more than a decade driven by venture capital and rapid expansion, Europe’s FinTech scene is moving into a different phase – one defined less by growth at any cost and more by discipline, platform thinking, and consolidation.
The shift in operating mundi for FinTechs in Europe is not a temporary slowdown, but a structural shift in how the market operates. Capital is less abundant, and both investors and founders are adjusting to a world where profitability, durability, and genuine competitive advantage matter more than headline growth.
USA
Global M&A Surges and Hits US$1.6 Trillion Record in Q1 2026
Fintech News, Posted May 8, 2026
This year, global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) dealmakers have powered through geopolitical tensions and trade policy uncertainty.
In Q1 2026, total deal value reached an estimated US$1.6 trillion, setting a new quarterly record and marking a 50.6% year-over-year (YoY) increase, according to new data released by capital markets research platform PitchBook. The number of transactions also climbed 18% YoY to an 13,877, landing at the same record levels observed in Q4 2025 and underscoring the strength of the M&A market.
US fintech Basic Capital hires inaugural GC from Goldman Sachs
Global Legal Post, Posted 7 May, 2026
US fintech Basic Capital has hired Jake Eigner as its first general counsel and head of regulatory affairs.
Eigner joins from Goldman Sachs, where he was a vice president in the bank’s legal department. Eigner brings expertise in ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act), retirement plan regulation and financial services law. At Basic Capital, he will lead all legal and regulatory strategy and work closely with the founding team to support the company’s growth.
New York-based Basic Capital provides a platform for companies to offer a better 401(k) retirement savings plan experience for their employees.
LatAm
Peru, Chile and Argentina Enter a New Phase of Growth Driven by Real-Time Payments, ACI Worldwide Report Finds
ACI Worldwide, Posted May 5, 2026
Peru, Chile and Argentina are entering a decisive stage of their real time payments modernization journeys, with adoption expected to drive economic growth and financial inclusion across the region, according to the Real-Time Payments: Economic Impact and Financial Inclusion report. The study was commissioned by ACI Worldwide, and conducted by the Cebr(Centre for Economics and Business Research), a leading economic think tank.*
By 2028, real-time payments are forecast to support billions of dollars in formal gross domestic product (GDP) across these three markets and expand access to financial services for millions of people historically excluded from the financial system, the study finds.
Gr4vy introduces pix automático in brazil via dlocal integration
Financial IT, Posted May 6, 2026
Gr4vy, the cloud-based payment orchestration platform, today announced the support for Pix Automático in Brazil through their integration with dLocal, the leading cross-border payment platform connecting global merchants to emerging markets, enabling merchants to offer automated Pix billing for subscriptions, memberships, and other recurring services.
Pix has helped bring more than 70 million Brazilians into the financial system and accounted for 42% of e-commerce transactions in the country last year, surpassing credit cards. Despite its widespread adoption, Pix has primarily supported one-time transactions, requiring customers to approve each payment manually. Now, through Gr4vy’s integration with dLocal, merchants can enable Pix Automático within their payment orchestration environment, combining the speed and adoption of Pix with the convenience of subscription billing.
Brazil’s Central Bank Tightens Control Over Digital Payments
Connecting the Dots in Payments, Posted May 5, 2026
Brazil’s regulator is sending a clear message this week: the country wants tighter oversight of its rapidly evolving digital payments ecosystem.
Just as the Central Bank announced new security restrictions on Pix, capping transactions at R$ 200 (≈$35 USD) on unregistered devices with a R$ 1,000 daily limit to combat fraud, it also issued Resolution No. 561, an outright ban on using stablecoins and cryptocurrencies for cross-border payment settlements.
MXNB becomes the first latin american currency-pegged stablecoin issued under el salvador’s cnad regulation
Crowdfund Insider, Posted May 7, 2026
Bitso, Latin America’s leading digital financial services company, today announced it has obtained a license from El Salvador’s National Commission of Digital Assets (CNAD) for Nvio Pagos El Salvador, S.A. de C.V. to act as issuer of the Mexican peso pegged stablecoin MXNB. The entity, authorized and regulated in El Salvador, now becomes responsible for the issuance and management of MXNB, which makes it the first Latin American currency-backed stablecoin to operate under CNAD regulation, in accordance with the highest standards of security and transparency for stablecoin issuance.
