FintechNews.sg – Weekly Newsletter
Period: February 21 – February 28, 2026
📝 Executive Summary
- This week’s fintech news highlights continued payments infrastructure expansion and strategic leadership moves across Singapore and the APAC region. Key market participants including Mastercard and Mambu are enhancing regional footprints, while new research underscores evolving investment patterns.
- Regulatory and risk management developments are visible with DBS tweaking fee structures and implementing anti-fraud protections for digital banking users. These changes reflect broader industry focus on balancing growth with security.
- On the funding and capital front, Luxembourg launched an ASEAN-focused inclusion fintech fund, and KPMG reports suggest Asia Pacific fintech funding may be stabilising with a stronger emphasis on AI and scalable infrastructure.
- APAC consumer sentiment around AI reveals strong engagement with AI tools during the shopping journey, though security concerns temper adoption of autonomous payment features.
📈 Key Trends
- Payments infrastructure continues regional rollout, with platforms and incumbents expanding capabilities across SEA markets.
- Leadership and talent moves signal strategic prioritisation of digital payments and financial services transformation in Singapore.
- Fintech funding is becoming more disciplined, with capital flowing into AI-enabled and infrastructure play rather than broad-based consumer fintech.
- Security and risk management remain priorities, as reflected in core banking product changes and consumer attitudes toward AI.
🇸🇬 Singapore
Payments
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Mastercard Names Minsook Cho as Singapore Country Manager (27 Feb 2026) Mastercard appoints Minsook Cho to lead Singapore operations and support digital payments initiatives amid national efforts to advance payment innovation. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126982/payments/mastercard-minsook-cho-singapore-country-manager/ (Fintech Singapore)
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DBS Fee Overhaul May Lift Custodian Costs for High-Volume Payment Firms (24 Feb 2026) DBS will shift to a per-account pricing model for virtual account custodian services, potentially increasing costs for fintech payment platforms with large customer bases. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126760/payments/dbs-custodian-fees/ (Fintech Singapore)
Digital Banking & Security
- DBS to Impose 12-Hour Cooling Period for High-Risk Account Changes from 7 March (23 Feb 2026) DBS will introduce a 12-hour delay on select high-risk digital banking activities to help customers detect and stop unauthorised changes as part of anti-scam measures. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126691/security/dbs-cooling-period/ (Fintech Singapore)
🌏 Southeast Asia
Payments / Infrastructure
- Mambu Expands Payments Hub Footprint to Southeast Asia (25 Feb 2026) Cloud-native payments platform Mambu has launched its Payments Hub across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore to help institutions connect to local schemes and onboard partners faster. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126809/payments/mambu-payments-hub/ (Fintech Singapore)
🌏 Asia
Payments / Cross-Border
- TerraPay and Raenest to Scale Payouts for Freelancers in India, Philippines (27 Feb 2026) TerraPay partners with Raenest to enable faster local currency payouts for freelancers in India and the Philippines, enhancing cross-border settlement efficiency for gig workers. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126944/payments/terrapay-raenest/ (Fintech Singapore)
🌍 Global & Regional Trends
Funding & Investment
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Luxembourg Expands ASEAN Fintech Push With New Inclusion-Focused Fund (23 Feb 2026) Luxembourg launches the NextFin Asia Fund to invest directly in Southeast Asian fintechs focused on financial inclusion, combining capital and mentorship support. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126702/funding/luxembourg-fintech-fund-nextfin-asia/ (Fintech Singapore)
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KPMG Finds That AI Is Still the Talk of the Town in Asia Pacific Fintech Funding (26 Feb 2026) KPMG reports Asia Pacific fintech funding reached US$9.3B in 2025, with a more disciplined investor focus on AI-driven infrastructure and business models. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126770/funding/kpmg-finds-ai-still-the-darling-of-asia-pacific-fintech-funding-h2/ (Fintech Singapore)
WealthTech / Investment Products
- StanChart Taps Seviora for New Hedge Fund Vehicle (24 Feb 2026) Standard Chartered partners with Seviora Capital to launch a new variable capital company hedge fund vehicle targeting diversified strategies for accredited wealth clients across Singapore, Hong Kong and Jersey. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126746/wealthtech/standard-chartered-vcc/ (Fintech Singapore)
Consumer & AI Insights
- APAC Consumers Embrace AI Though Security Concerns Slow Agentic Payment Adoption (27 Feb 2026) A Visa survey finds strong uptake of AI in product discovery and shopping among APAC consumers, but security and data transparency concerns hinder adoption of autonomous payment experiences. Source: https://fintechnews.sg/126764/ai/apac-consumers-embrace-ai-though-security-concerns-slow-agentic-payment-adoption/ (Fintech Singapore)