Earlier this year, our KoreFusion team headed to Bangkok for Money20/20 Asia 2025. The theme was “Empowering Humanity Through Collaboration” to talk about what’s next for the industry. Here’s what stood out to us:
- The future of cross-border payments was front and center. We saw exciting progress toward making payments seamless across the region – from interoperable QR codes and wallet-to-wallet rails to the growing role of stablecoins. The big takeaway? Collaboration between banks, fintechs, and regulators is key to breaking down fragmentation and boosting efficiency.
- AI: As we have mentioned in other Conference Recaps as well, AI is no longer just running in the background — it’s shaping the customer experience directly. Think personalized services, conversational banking, and smarter analytics. But alongside the innovation, there was a strong emphasis on doing AI right: ethical use, solid data governance, and human oversight to keep things fair and trustworthy.
- Embedded Finance is Everywhere: Financial services are becoming part of the platforms people already use every day. Insurance, lending, and investments are showing up in e-commerce, ride-hailing, and other digital ecosystems – making finance feel less like a separate process and more like a seamless part of everyday life.
- Building for Interoperability: We’re seeing a shift toward more consolidated, modular infrastructure that can handle multiple payment rails and meet different regulatory requirements. It’s about reducing complexity, improving interoperability, and making sure systems can adapt as the market evolves.
- Innovation with Inclusion at the Core: A big theme this year was making sure fintech innovation actually benefits everyone. That means designing with underserved populations in mind, promoting digital inclusion, and focusing on sustainable, human-centered growth – not just shiny new tech.
Money20/20 Asia 2025 reinforced how fast the financial landscape in the Asia-Pacific is changing — and how collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity are shaping its future. At KoreFusion, we’re committed to helping our clients navigate these shifts and seize the opportunities they create.
If you’d like to chat about how these trends could impact your business, reach out to us at hello@korefusion.com.