Singapore

Companies that aspire to be the Uber of their industry should take a second look at the ride-sharing market, where Grab has become a lightning rod of payments investment and innovation.

Until the technologies provide significant savings, cryptotokens threaten financial stability, and the risks of open access to central bank balance sheets are worked out, retail CBDCs are a long way off, writes Collin Canright, a fintech consultant.

For the U.S., being late to the real-time payments game has some tactical advantages, namely the ability to learn from other countries' successes and failures.

Adyen is working to expand its point-of-sale presence in its push to become an omnichannel payments provider, this week reaching Singapore.

On-demand transportation and mobile payments provider Grab has launched Grab Financial, which will serve as its fintech platform.

Sentbe, a South Korean international money-transfer company, is expanding its payout options and market reach in a partnership with the mobile cross-border payments network TransferTo.

Ride service and mobile payments provider GrabPay has hired Ooi Huey Tyng, a former Visa executive with more than 25 years of experience in banking and payments, as managing director of Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

While interest from the West has so far been tepid in the region, this is an opportune time for fintech investors to look at participation in the Southeast Asian market, writes Alexander Koles, CEO and founder of Evolve Capital Partners.

TransferTo and Cellum, a leading international mobile wallet provider, have formed a strategic partnership enabling Cellum to expand its services by leveraging TransferTo’s cross-border payments network.

Many companies in the payments realm want to be seen as the next Uber, but Uber's Asian counterpart Grab is working to become something else — the next Octopus.