FintechNews.sg – Weekly Newsletter
Period: January 3 – January 10, 2026
📝 Executive Summary
This week’s FintechNews.sg coverage reflects ongoing expansion and strategic shifts across digital assets, payments and regional fintech leadership roles. A major theme is infrastructure growth and interoperability, illustrated by stablecoin‑powered payouts expanding into new currencies and broader adoption of mobile payments in tourism markets. (Fintech Singapore)
In crypto and digital assets, institutional building blocks continue to be fortified: Fireblocks has moved deeper into financial controls with a strategic acquisition, while stablecoin‑based payout platforms are diversifying services that underpin global settlement infrastructure. (Fintech Singapore)
On the payments front, countries beyond Singapore are driving adoption, especially in Southeast Asia. Thailand’s focus on cashless options for tourists highlights evolving payment behaviors and cross‑border use cases. (Fintech Singapore)
Regionally, leadership movement and sector enablement are prominent. Salesforce’s appointment of a new ASEAN head underlines enterprise fintech growth priorities, particularly around AI‑led transformation. (Fintech Singapore)
Lastly, risk and compliance awareness is gaining prominence with the announcement of a regional webinar addressing the Asia Pacific fraud crisis — signaling the sector’s need to reinforce safeguards amid rapid digitisation. (Fintech Singapore)
📈 Key Trends
- Stablecoin infrastructure expansion: Platforms are broadening payout capabilities across currencies, signaling maturity in crypto‑linked settlement rails. (Fintech Singapore)
- Cross‑border payments in tourism growing: QR and card‑based cashless options are gaining traction among tourists in Southeast Asia. (Fintech Singapore)
- Leadership moves spotlight regional strategy: Enterprise tech firms are prioritising ASEAN growth with senior fintech leadership hires. (Fintech Singapore)
- Risk and compliance resurgence: Fraud mitigation and regulatory response are rising to prominence as fintech activity scales. (Fintech Singapore)
- Events and educational formats proliferate: Webinars and forums address core challenges like fraud and risk across APAC.
🇸🇬 Singapore
Crypto / Digital Assets
- Fireblocks Acquires TRES to Support Digital Asset Accounting (8 Jan 2026) Fireblocks announced its acquisition of TRES Finance, a specialist in crypto accounting, reconciliation and financial controls, aiming to integrate enhanced financial intelligence into digital asset operations. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/124535/digitalassets/fireblocks-acquires-tres/ (Fintech Singapore)
Payments
- StraitsX Completes Apple Pay Certification for Pionex Cards (8 Jan 2026) StraitsX has completed Apple Pay in‑app provisioning certification for Pionex Cards, enabling seamless use of cards within the Apple ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/124491/fintech/straitsx-apple-pay-pionex/ (Fintech Singapore)
Leadership / Enterprise
- Salesforce Appoints Paul Carvouni as ASEAN Regional Head (7 Jan 2026) Salesforce named Paul Carvouni as Senior Vice President and General Manager for ASEAN, a role focused on regional growth, AI adoption, and scaling operations across Southeast Asia. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/124491/fintech/salesforce-paul-carvouni-asean-appointment/ (Fintech Singapore)
Events / Risk
- Webinar: Inside Asia Pacific’s Fraud Crisis and the Battle to Stop It (5 Jan 2026) A regional webinar announced to explore surging fraud threats in Asia Pacific, the evolving fraud landscape, and tech/regulatory responses to risk. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/fintech-events-singapore/event/webinar-inside-asia-pacifics-fraud-crisis-and-the-battle-to-stop-it/ (Fintech Singapore)
🌏 Southeast Asia
Payments
- Top Payment Trends Among Tourists Visiting Thailand (9 Jan 2026) New research highlights rising adoption of cashless options such as card and QR payments among international tourists in Thailand, even as cash remains widely used. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/124222/thailand/top-payment-trends-among-tourists-visiting-thailand/ (Fintech Singapore)
🌏 Asia
Digital Assets / Payments (Thailand & APAC)
- KAST Expands Global Payouts to 11 New Currencies (6 Jan 2026) Stablecoin‑based global payouts by KAST now support 11 additional currencies, enhancing cross‑border spending and remittance use cases for users worldwide. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/124386/digitalassets/kast-global-payouts-expansion/ (Fintech Singapore)