Franklin Templeton has launched a tokenised USD money market fund, the Franklin OnChain US Government Money Fund, for professional investors in Hong Kong. The fund uses Franklin Templeton’s proprietary blockchain-recordkeeping system, aiming to provide transparency, security, and efficiency. Its objective is to generate income through high-quality, short-term US government securities while preserving capital and maintaining liquidity. This is the first Luxembourg-registered tokenised UCITS money market fund issued natively on blockchain and represents the first end-to-end tokenised solution from an asset manager in the market, integrating issuance, distribution, and servicing. Tariq Ahmad, Head of APAC at Franklin Templeton, said: “We are…

XTransfer and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Hong Kong Branch (SPD Bank) have announced a collaboration on cross-border financial services, formalising a strategic cooperation agreement. The partnership will focus on payment and collection solutions, transaction processing, and cash management for SMEs engaged in foreign trade. Following a previous agreement with SPD Bank’s Shanghai Branch in September, this collaboration extends to the Hong Kong Branch. The memorandum of cooperation was signed at the XTransfer booth during Hong Kong Fintech Week. Under the partnership, XTransfer clients will have access to services including “Global Accounts,” “Local Currency Accounts,” transaction processing, and cash management through…

ZA Bank has launched the StockBack x ZA Card, a Visa card to offer stock rebates on eligible purchases. The card allows users to earn stocks as a rebate on every eligible transaction, credited directly to their investment account. Users can activate the StockBack x ZA Card via the ZA Bank App with a single tap. Eligible transactions start from HKD 10, and users may select preferred stocks, including AAPL, TSLA, and NVDA, as their rebate. Rebated stocks are automatically redeemed each Monday and credited to the user’s investment account, with no fees for redemption or subsequent transactions. During the…

BridgeWise announced the launch of BondWise, a solution that would deliver granular, AI-driven bond insights at scale, during Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025. The solution aims to address gaps in the bond market, where analysis has traditionally been confined to high-level ratings from major agencies with limited coverage and insufficient insights for precise portfolio decisions. BondWise would change this by providing in-depth analysis at the individual bond level for every investor, from retail to institutional. Dor Eligula, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of BridgeWise, shared, “Our focus has always been to make complex financial data accessible and meaningful. With BondWise,…

Aspire, a Singapore-based all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses, has announced a partnership with global programmable financial services provider Stripe to offer faster and more flexible payment solutions for businesses in Hong Kong. Through the new integration, Aspire users can collect payments from clients in Hong Kong, mainland China, and overseas via credit cards, digital wallets such as Alipay, Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay), Apple Pay, and Google Pay, as well as SEPA Direct Debit. Customers can pay in multiple global and Asian currencies, including USD, EUR, and TWD, supporting businesses with international clients and cross-border transactions. Cash flow remains a…

Hang Seng Bank has introduced the “Money Safe” Account to enhance fraud prevention and safeguard customer assets. Developed under the guidance of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the new feature allows personal banking customers to lock some or all of their deposits in a dedicated account, protecting funds from unauthorised access or scams. Money placed in a “Money Safe” Account cannot be withdrawn or transferred via online, phone, or ATM channels. Customers must visit a Hang Seng branch in person for identity verification and additional authentication to unlock funds, close the account, or adjust the locked amount. Hang Seng…

Thunes has partnered with WeChat Pay HK, the Hong Kong dollar–denominated e-wallet, to enable faster, more affordable, and dependable cross-border money transfers for Hong Kong users. The collaboration supports real-time outbound transfers to billions of endpoints worldwide through Thunes’ extensive global network. The partnership builds on Thunes’ ongoing relationship with Tencent, WeChat Pay HK’s parent company. In 2022, Thunes became the first payment network partner to connect with Tencent Financial Technology, enabling international transfers to users in mainland China. WeChat Pay HK users can now send money to markets including Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia, benefiting individuals such as expatriates…

ZA Bank CEO Calvin Ng joined the opening day of Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025, speaking at a thematic forum hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on “HK Open Banking Behind the Scenes: How IADS Transforms the Banking Industry by Innovation and Collaboration.” Joined by leaders from the banking and technology sectors, Ng discussed how ZA Bank is leveraging Interbank Account Data Sharing (IADS) to deliver practical, user-focused applications and emphasised the importance of industry collaboration in advancing open banking. Guided by its vision of being “Your Future Bank for Now,” ZA Bank continues to apply technology to…

The Insurance Authority (IA) announced the publication of the Whitepaper on Federated Learning: Unlocking Innovation in the Insurance Sector on 3 November during Hong Kong Fintech Week. Clement Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of the IA, remarked that “Given the rapidly evolving market landscape, financial regulators must navigate in a balanced and enlightened manner to promote inclusive and responsible innovation. Seen in this context, Federated Learning plays a useful role in enabling cross-sector data collaboration without compromising personal privacy.” In his keynote address, Cheung outlined several initiatives led by the IA to enhance operational resilience and support the adoption of advanced…

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced its “Fintech 2030” strategy at the Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025. The plan aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a resilient and future-ready fintech hub. Marking the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong’s flagship fintech event, co-organised by the HKMA and InvestHK, the launch brought together global participants to share insights, explore partnerships, and discuss the next phase of digital finance. In his keynote address, HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue outlined four pillars under the “DART” framework: data and payment infrastructure, artificial intelligence, resilience, and tokenisation. The strategy includes more than 40 initiatives…

Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to collaborating on regulated AI and blockchain innovation in Hong Kong, and to expanding cross-border payment and trade financing services to support the city’s efforts to help Chinese businesses operate internationally. Speaking on a panel with Christopher Hui, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, and Fred Hu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Primavera Capital Group, at the 10th annual Hong Kong Fintech Week on 3 November, Jing highlighted Hong Kong’s combination of policy innovation, commercial use cases, and cross-sector collaboration as a foundation for its global leadership.…

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued two circulars outlining its expectations for SFC-licensed virtual asset trading platform operators (Platform Operators) to enhance liquidity and broaden product offerings. One circular allows Platform Operators to combine their orders with those of affiliated overseas virtual asset trading platforms in a shared order book, marking the first step under Pillar A (Access) of the ASPIRe roadmap to attract global platforms, order flows and liquidity providers. Cross-platform order matching and execution is expected to improve market liquidity and pricing for Hong Kong investors, with safeguards in place to mitigate associated risks. The SFC will…

A business delegation jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), led by Financial Secretary Paul Chan, visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 27 to 31 October. The delegation attended the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit and held meetings with senior government officials and business leaders to explore collaboration between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia in areas such as innovation and technology (I&T), smart cities, AI, fintech, and biotechnology. The visit supported Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and attract private sector investment. Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s…

Shanghai Commercial Bank has announced a partnership with HashKey Exchange to explore ways of integrating traditional finance with digital assets. The collaboration aims to advance Hong Kong’s fintech infrastructure and accelerate the city’s transition from digital finance concepts to practical implementation. The partnership will establish a framework for cooperation between banks and virtual asset institutions within a regulated environment. It is also expected to serve as a model for broader industry collaboration. In the initial phase, the two parties plan to introduce one of Asia’s first co-branded Visa credit cards between a bank and a licensed digital asset exchange. The…

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with Cyberport, hosted the GenAI Symposium on 31 October. The event provided a platform for GenA.I. Sandbox participants to share insights and showcase their innovations through interactive exhibition booths. Over 500 practitioners from banking, insurance and technology sectors attended, taking part in panel discussions with representatives from regulatory bodies, the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, banks, consultancy firms and technology companies. Discussions focused on developments in genAI and their implications for the financial sector. chats with virtual avatars explored potential future collaboration between banking professionals and AI. The event also featured AI-powered live…

Japan’s NEC Corporation and CSG Systems International, based in the US have entered into a definitive agreement under which NEC will acquire CSG for US$80.70 per share in cash. The deal represents a total enterprise value of approximately US$2.9 billion (JPY438.5 billion), including debt. The transaction price reflects a 17.38% premium over CSG’s closing share price of US$68.75 on 28 October, and a 23.07% premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of CSG common stock for the period ending on the same date. According to both firms, the acquisition aims to strengthen NEC’s position in next-generation digital solutions and…

The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) has appointed Jean-Louis Tse as its new CEO. Jean-Louis brings over 20 years of experience across fintech, wealth, and asset management. He joins from iCapital, where he was Senior Vice President, and has held senior roles at Pictet & Cie and Edmond de Rothschild, advising institutional clients and family offices on complex wealth structuring. As CEO, he will lead FTAHK in strengthening its role as a connector between Asia’s fintech ecosystems and promoting Hong Kong’s position as a global fintech hub. He will work alongside Lareina Wang, Chair of the Association, the new…

XTransfer will participate in Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 as the event’s Official Fintech Partner. This marks the second consecutive year that the company has taken part in the conference. Throughout the event, Founder and CEO Bill Deng, alongside XTransfer’s management team, will join discussions and private sessions covering compliance and risk control, inclusive finance, and local currency settlement in emerging markets. XTransfer will also host several cooperation signing ceremonies with international financial institutions to broaden its global clearing network and strengthen its multi-currency settlement capabilities. The company will release the X-NET White Paper, detailing its B2B trade settlement network…

Hang Seng Bank has completed two use cases in Phase 2 of the e-HKD Pilot Programme under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) Project e-HKD+, making it the only bank to conduct two pilots under the themes of programmability and tokenised asset settlement. The pilots examined how an e-HKD and tokenised deposits could be applied in reward programmes and investment transactions, offering insights into programmability, privacy, and interoperability to support Hong Kong’s digital money development. The first pilot, conducted with FORMS HK, explored the use of programmable digital money to enhance customer engagement through digital vouchers backed by hypothetical e-HKD…

FundPark, a Hong Kong-based technology company providing financing solutions for eCommerce businesses, has raised US$71 million to further develop its “Scale-Up as a Service” platform. Founded to address the funding challenges faced by cross-border eCommerce sellers, FundPark leverages AI to offer faster access to working capital compared to traditional lenders. The company has previously secured a US$750 million funding facility backed by Goldman Sachs and HSBC, supporting more than 32,000 online shops. As of October 2025, FundPark has provided over US$6 billion in advances, representing a combined Gross Merchandise Value exceeding US$12.5 billion. In this latest round, financing was provided…