FEBRUARY ISSUE

Strengthening Financial Corridors Across Regions

Dear Reader,

This month, we convened our first global forum of 2026, Black Swan Summit India, launched under the BharatNetra initiative with the Government of Odisha.

The Summit focused on how FinTech, InsurTech, and emerging technologies can unlock new pathways for employment, credit access and enterprise growth.

In Odisha, this is already translating into tangible outcomes. Ahead of the Summit, working with NUS-AIDF under BharatNetra’s capacity-building pillar, we trained over 250 young professionals in FinTech and InsurTech. The Summit concluded with a curated job fair, bringing employers, startups, and local professionals together in the same room.

Conversations on Global Capability Centres, AI, and digital infrastructure were grounded in real industry demand and future workforce needs. A key priority this year is positioning Odisha as a next-generation Global Capability Centre hub, connecting skilled capability with cross-border financial institutions and technology firms.

Just this week in Tokyo at the GFTN Forum, Japan, we are advancing the India–Japan corridor in practical ways. Top-performing students from Odisha are gaining exposure to Japan’s financial and regulatory ecosystem. At the same time, 10 promising Indian FinTech startups are engaging Japanese partners and exploring market access opportunities. These structured exchanges strengthen institutional bridges between both ecosystems.

The engagement continues at the Inclusive FinTech Forum, where leaders across Africa will focus on financial inclusion and digital public infrastructure across emerging markets. This momentum carries forward to Black Swan Summit Australia, which will convene policymakers and industry leaders around frontier themes such as AI, quantum finance, and green digital infrastructure.

Across these platforms, we continue to strengthen structured connectivity linking capability, innovation, policy, and markets across regions.

We invite you to join us in shaping and deepening these corridors.

Sincerely,

James Boey

Chief Executive Officer GFTN China, India, ASEAN, Central Asia & Europe;
Co-CEO GFTN Forums

Have a story to pitch? Reach out to us here.

Events that make waves

News that shape the industry and beyond

Japan's Financial Giants Unite for 'Native' Security Token Pilot

Japan's FSA has greenlit a landmark pilot under its Payment Innovation Project, bringing together the country's top five financial institutions to test blockchain-based settlement for traditional book-entry securities, including government bonds and listed stocks. Read the article.

HSBC Digital Frontiers 2030 Report

Produced in partnership with Google Cloud and Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI), this report focuses on Southeast Asia’s six major markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand – the findings shed light on digital preferences and behaviours that will shape ASEAN’s financial landscape through to 2030.

Here are some of the key insights from the report:

Singapore leads Southeast Asia’s marketplace revolution and digital infrastructure is necessary support these digital entrepreneur-focused platforms
Speed and security are the top factors for consumers, underscoring the need for a trusted and secure digital commerce
With a third of Singaporean organisations reported to be ready to implement agentic AI in 2026, this widespread readiness for AI-enabled financial services highlights the need for strong standards, governance and safe deployment of AI.

Download the report here.

Chart your course

Upskill to stay ahead of the curve

Create impact at Global FinTech Hackcelerator

In January this year, Singapore-based HeyMax closed a US$11 million Series A led by Peak XV Partners. HeyMax was a 2024 Global FinTech Hackcelerator (GFH) finalist and the connection with Peak XV was made as part of the programme.

Stories like this are why GFH matters, and we're looking for partners ready to help create the next one. Whether you join as a Corporate Champion, Innovation Partner, or Community Partner, your involvement directly shapes the opportunities we create for the FinTech innovators of tomorrow.

Interested? Reach out to us here.

Keep these dates on your radar

Join the conversations shaping the future of finance

A series of Forums await in 2026:

Inclusive FinTech Forum 10 - 12 March | Kigali, Rwanda

Black Swan Summit Australia 23 - 25 March | Perth, Australia
Point Zero Forum 23-25 June | Zurich, Switzerland
Global SME Finance Forum 14-16 September | Washington DC

Insights Forum 16-17 November | Singapore

Singapore FinTech Festival 18-20 November | Singapore

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With thanks to the GFTN Board and our committee members
for making this newsletter possible.