Digital wallets stories

Mastercard and Lobster.cash to let OpenClaw users authorise AI agents to spend on existing cards, backed by Verifiable Intent.

Blackhawk Network has unveiled a Digital Wallet API that lets brands pool gift cards, refunds, loyalty rewards and promo credit into one spendable balance.

Gr4vy unveils Agentic Development Kit to help merchants sell inside ChatGPT and other AI platforms without overhauling their payment systems.

Tether invests USD $134 million in listed stablecoin platform as stablecoin use surges past USD $300 billion and eyes public market access.

Mastercard and Apple expand contactless transit in South Korea for overseas visitors, letting iPhone and Apple Watch users top up fares in Apple Wallet.

EX.IO and Payment Asia launch stablecoin push in Hong Kong, targeting merchant payments, custody and trading as the city's regime opens up.

G2A teams up with epay to broaden its marketplace with hundreds of gaming and entertainment gift cards as demand for prepaid digital spending grows.

Aspire taps J.P. Morgan Payments for cross-border FX as the Singapore fintech expands wallet conversions in SGD, USD, GBP, EUR and HKD.

Thunes wins Juniper Research top-three nod for cross-border payments as network breadth, interoperability and stablecoin links reshape the market.

Digital wallets still lead Asia-Pacific payments, but account-to-account rails are rising fast in Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, Global Payments says.

Nium unveils a stablecoin card issuance platform that lets businesses spend digital dollar balances via Visa and Mastercard through one API.

Thunes has won the Best Cross-Border Payment Solution award at the MPE Awards 2026 after judges praised its global reach, FX pricing and compliance platform.

Visa rolls out enhanced Subscription Manager for issuers, letting banks offer in-app controls for recurring payments as subscription spending surges.

Monash University Malaysia and Emerging Payments Association Asia launch a three-year research pact on quantum-safe cryptography, stablecoins and fraud.

Mobile money transactions topped USD $2 trillion in 2025 as global use surged, led by Sub-Saharan Africa but with growth across all regions.

Venmo now lets users send USD $ transfers directly to PayPal accounts in 90 markets, creating a global person-to-person payments link.

Rhino.fi unveils Stablecoin 1:1, promising predictable USDT and USDC cross-chain settlements for businesses across 25+ networks.

OpenID Foundation names four partners to deliver new independent conformance testing for fast-growing digital identity schemes from 2026.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways partners 2C2P and M-PAY to add cards, wallets and QR options, preparing for wider Asian cross-border sales.

Klarna has topped 1 million merchants worldwide as it accelerates into everyday and leisure spending, led by sport, hobby and wellness.