Аsia
The Asian Banker Hong Kong Awards 2026 highlight the future direction of banking in Hong Kong
The Asian Banker, Posted June 18, 2026
The banks and initiatives recognised at The Asian Banker Hong Kong Awards 2026 reflect a banking sector increasingly focused on enterprise AI, regional connectivity and customer-centric transformation. Across retail banking, transaction banking and wealth management, this year’s winners demonstrate how innovation is being translated into measurable business outcomes.
Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) emerged as the standout performer in AI this year, claiming multiple awards for a body of work that spans architecture, governance and compliance. Its proprietary “MASTER” LLM architecture, built on Multi-agent, Accurate, Secure, Trustworthy, Expert and Resilient principles, was recognised as Best Large Language Model Implementation in Hong Kong for its secure, well-governed delivery of personalised advisory services.
Revolut obtains approval for Stored Value Facilities and Retail Payment Services licences from the Central Bank of the UAE
Revolut, Posted June 17, 2026
Revolut has received its Stored Value Facilities and Retail Payment Services (Category II) licences from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), following in-principle approval last year.
Revolut, the global fintech with over 75 million customers worldwide, today announced that it has received its Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence and Retail Payment Services (Category II) licence from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE).
The approval follows the in-principle approval granted to Revolut by the CBUAE in September 2025 and marks the successful completion of the company’s regulatory licensing process in the UAE. The licences represent a significant milestone in Revolut’s expansion in the country and reflect its commitment to meeting the highest standards of governance and compliance.
APAC Credit Outlooks Weakening Further at Mid-Year 2026
Fitch Ratings, Posted June 16, 2026
Fitch Ratings-Hong Kong/Taipei/Singapore/Sydney-16 June 2026: Overall credit conditions are softening in APAC with more ‘deteriorating’ 2026 sector outlooks at the mid-year update, led by sovereigns and corporates, says Fitch Ratings. Uncertainties surrounding the implementation of the US-Iran peace deal, higher energy costs, weaker growth prospects and delayed rate cuts are widening credit risks across the region, although the pace and transmission of stress vary by sector and market.
Europe
Visa scales Click to Pay for Revolut cardholders, bringing frictionless checkout to millions – and signalling a new default for online payments
Visa, Posted June 16, 2026
Visa has today announced the launch of Click to Pay for eligible Revolut Visa cardholders, giving millions of consumers access to a faster, simpler and more secure way to pay online — and marking a significant scale moment for Visa Click to Pay in Europe.
Click to Pay is a global standard and capability for online checkouts that removes the need to manually enter card numbers, passwords or one time codes. Designed to work across devices, browsers and participating merchants, it allows Revolut customers to pay seamlessly at checkout with any merchants participating in Click to Pay — both domestically and when shopping online internationally.
Red-letter week for fintechs as $1bn raised across 17 deals
FinTech Global, Posted June 19, 2026
This week was a powerful funding week for FinTech firms, with $1.07bn raised across a healthy 17 deals.
This marks a second consecutive week of funding that tipped over the $1bn mark, after $1.2bn was raised across all deals last week.
The leading raise this week came from Dream, a CyberTech firm that has former Austria Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as its president. The company raised a powerful $260m as the AI race continues to heat up.
European fintech investments fell in Q1 2026 as deals over $100m halved YoY
FinTech Global, Posted June 1, 2026
European FinTech raised $3.7bn across 192 deals in Q1 2026, a 22% decline in funding compared to the $4.8bn recorded in Q4 2025, though deal volume was 10% higher over the same period.
Against the same quarter a year earlier, the contrast is even bigger, with funding down 31% from the $5.4bn raised across 184 deals in Q1 2025, despite deal volume edging up 4% year on year.
The divergence between rising deal counts and falling funding levels is a theme that runs through the period, and average deal size captures it clearly, declining from $29.6m in Q1 2025 to $27.5m in Q4 2025 and further to $19.5m in Q1 2026, pointing to a market in which transactions are becoming more numerous but considerably smaller in scale.
HSBC Innovation Banking at Money20/20 Europe 2026 – The evolving fintech funding landscape
FinTech Futures, Posted June 1, 2026
In this video interview recorded at Money20/20 Europe 2026, David McHenry, Head of Treasury and Trade Solutions at HSBC Innovation Banking, examines the evolution of the UK fintech funding landscape and the bank’s strategic approach to supporting innovation-driven companies through various growth stages.
USA
US fintech investment grew 16% YoY in Q1 driven by increase in deals over $100m
FinTech Global, Posted June 15, 2026
US FinTech companies raised $11.1bn across 466 deals in Q1 2026, up 16% in funding and 33% in deal volume from Q1 2025.
Against Q4 2025, funding fell 31%, though deal volume was 17% higher.
The Q4 2025 figures were heavily influenced by a concentration of large transactions, and Q1 2026 represents a return to more familiar territory.
Average deal size reflects that shift, dropping from $40.6m in Q4 2025 to $23.8m in Q1 2026, broadly in line with the $27.4m recorded in Q1 2025.
Private credit boom cools as lending, flows slow sharply
Reuters, Posted June 5, 2026
Private credit’s rapid expansion is losing momentum, with U.S.-focused direct lending issuance slowing in recent months and fundraising still below its recent peak, industry data shows.
PitchBook data indicates new loan issuance by private credit lenders fell to $44.76 billion in the three months ended May 2026, down about 40% from $74.56 billion in the first quarter.
LatAm
RedotPay secures Mexico Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration, reinforcing compliance-first expansion
RedotPay, Posted June 11, 2026
RedotPay, a global stablecoin-based payment fintech company announced the successful completion of its Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration in Mexico, reinforcing its compliance-first approach as it expands across Latin America. The milestone enables RedotPay to conduct virtual asset operations under its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration within Mexico’s regulatory framework, reflecting its broader strategy of prioritizing regulatory alignment as the foundation for sustainable growth. By securing local authorization, RedotPay strengthens trust with users, partners, and regulators while ensuring its services meet the highest standards of security and transparency.
Brazil reinforced its position as the main LatAm fintech hub with 55% of all deals in Q1
FinTech Global, Posted June 12, 2026
LatAm FinTech companies raised $575.3m across 33 deals in Q1 2026, up 64% from $351.6m capital invested in Q1 2025 and 43% from $400.8m in Q4 2025.
Deal volume, however, fell 31% from 48 transactions in Q1 2025 and 20% from 41 in Q4 2025.
The combination of sharply higher funding and a contracting number of deals points to a meaningful increase in average deal size, suggesting that while fewer transactions were completed in Q1 2026, the capital committed to each was considerably larger than in prior periods.
Latin America: companies are tightening credit in the face of rising late payments
CoFace, Posted June 16, 2026
In an uncertain economic climate, companies in Latin America are tightening their credit terms to protect themselves, but without managing to stem the rise in payments delays. Nearly 8 in 10 companies are now facing payments delay, a rising figure, despite shorter payment terms. This dual trend illustrates the mounting cash flow pressures in the region, against a backdrop of high financing costs and fierce competition.
