Mastercard Plans a Passwordless Number-Free Payment Future by 2030
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
Are you in London this week? On Saturday, the 15th, we’ve got another FinTech Running Club meetup in the city, with our new host Tobi John Oluwafemi! Let’s shut the laptops, lace up, and talk FinTech after getting some fresh air.
Run with us! Sign up here. Now, let's get our daily dose of FinTech:
Mastercard has set a goal for number-free cards and password-free payments in the Asia Pacific by 2030.
The announcement came during the Singapore FinTech Festival. The strategy here is to integrate tokenization with advanced biometric authentication technology to streamline and secure the online checkout process.
This will eliminate manual card entry and static passwords. Mastercard expects to prevent fraud, build trust, and reduce cart abandonment in online shopping caused by overly complex payment steps.
APAC was chosen as it is the world’s largest and fastest-growing e-commerce market, projected to exceed USD 7 trillion by 2030.
After achieving significant progress in India, the firm said that the next phase targets full adoption of tokenization for e-commerce in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam by 2027.
Read more global FinTech industry updates below 👇 and I'll be back with more tomorrow!
Cheers,
Stay Ahead in FinTech! Subscribe to my Telegram channel for daily updates and real-time breaking news. Get the essential insights you need and connect with FinTech enthusiasts now!

FINTECH NEWS
🇲🇽 Uber, Consubanco, and Bkaya launch Uber Pro Card in Mexico. The financial solution is designed to give drivers and couriers greater control over their earnings, more financial flexibility, and access to exclusive benefits. The debit card, operated by Consubanco, is part of Uber's ongoing commitment to improving the experience of those who use its technology.
PAYMENTS NEWS
🇪🇸 Bizum will report peer-to-peer transactions to the Bank of Spain for the next four years. The Bank of Spain announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with Bizum for the provision of aggregated data by sector and country on payment transactions carried out through this system, to use the global information provided by Bizum on economic transactions.
🌏 Mastercard champions password-free and number-free checkout across the Asia Pacific by 2030 through tokenized, biometric payments. The company aims to achieve full adoption in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam by 2027, enhancing security and convenience while reducing fraud and checkout friction.
🇬🇧 PayPal re-launches in the UK after nearly two years. The digital payments platform said customers in the UK will have access to debit cards that can be used worldwide without any transaction fees, credit cards, and its PayPal+ loyalty programme.
🇸🇬 Ant International launches iris authentication feature to Alipay+ GlassPay through partnerships with leading smart glasses producers. The enhanced solution improves consumer checkout experience and merchant payment success rate, and opens a new channel for personalised customer interaction.
🇬🇧 Revolut offers fee-free fiat to stablecoin conversions. As part of the initiative, the company enables users to move their stablecoins across multiple blockchain networks, link their balance to their Visa and Mastercards for everyday spending, and protect withdrawals with biometrics.
🇦🇪 UAE conducts first government transaction using Digital Dirham. Officials said it represents the next phase of integrating the Digital Dirham into national financial operations, reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in advanced financial technologies. Keep reading
🇺🇸 Visa Direct Stablecoin Payouts Pilot speeds up access to funds for creators & gig workers. The pilot enables businesses to send payouts directly to recipients’ stablecoin wallets via Visa Direct, allowing funds to be sent in fiat and received in USD-backed stablecoins like USDC.
🌏 Visa launches Scan to Pay to accelerate QR payments across Asia Pacific to enable millions of merchants to accept Visa payments through a wide range of digital wallets and payment apps. The initiative aims to make transactions simpler, more secure, and accessible for both consumers and businesses.
🇺🇸 Nium joins Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot, which allows selected partners to settle transactions with Visa using stablecoins across supported blockchains. The pilot introduces stablecoin settlement to Nium’s operations, enabling faster and more secure cross-border settlement.
🇨🇳 HK introduces tokenized central bank money into record digital green bond sale. The integration of tokenized central bank money in this issuance lays the foundation for future integration with other forms of digital money, fostering interoperability and unlocking new synergies across different digital infrastructures,” said Eddie Yue Wai-man, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
🇸🇬 Stablecoin payments take a leap in Singapore with a new bank partnership. Standard Chartered has partnered with DCS Card Centre to support DeCard, a new card designed for stablecoin payments in the real economy. This partnership aims to offer seamless stablecoin payments through DeCard, providing convenience to users in regulated environments.
REGTECH NEWS
🇸🇬 MAS grants MPI a license to Banking Circle. With the new license, BC Payments Singapore is now fully licensed to facilitate frictionless, scalable, and compliant cross-border payment flows for banks, FinTechs, and global payment providers in Singapore.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇩🇪 JPMorgan employs 120 at its digital retail bank in Germany, to grow over time. JPMorgan's move into German retail banking marks a bold move into the already crowded banking market of Europe's largest economy. The office will also house some staff from other departments, but it is primarily for the retail bank.
🇪🇸 Revolut plans to compete in private banking in Spain. The British digital bank is exploring the market for professionals to build its own wealth management division and compete head-to-head in this highly competitive segment. Additionally, Revolut Bank begins the beta phase in Mexico users on the waiting list will have access to initial features. The initial version will include a customizable debit card that earns points for every purchase, as well as financial management tools.
🇵🇭 GoTyme Bank announces plans for Google Pay, Apple Pay integration, and full crypto rollout. The bank stated that these integrations aim to provide users with more convenient and secure payment options for both online and in-store transactions. Keep reading
🇧🇷 Nubank has launched the Nu Guaranteed Limit and the Limit Mission to promote financial autonomy and responsible credit use. The updated Nu Guaranteed Limit now lets customers use any Money Box to increase their credit card limit, offering greater flexibility, while the Limit Mission rewards good financial habits with potential credit limit increases.
🇯🇵 MUFG partners with OpenAI to launch an AI‑powered digital bank next year in Japan. The partnership will use AI to automate account openings, customer chats, and everyday money management through smartphone apps connected to ChatGPT. The new digital bank will allow people to consult with ChatGPT about savings, asset management, and household spending.
🇺🇸 Telcoin makes U.S. banking history with approval to launch the first regulated digital asset bank. Charter approval allows Telcoin Digital Asset Bank to establish a bridge between traditional banking and decentralized finance, including the creation of eUSD as the nation’s first bank-issued stablecoin.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
🇸🇬 Coinbase expands globally with “Coinbase Business” launch in Singapore. In partnership with Standard Chartered, Coinbase Business allows companies to send and receive payments instantly in local currency (SGD) or through stablecoins such as USDC and XSGD.
🇺🇸 JPMorgan launches “JPM Coin” on the Coinbase blockchain. Unlike regular stablecoins, JPM Coin directly represents U.S. dollar deposits held at JPMorgan. This means institutions can transfer real funds instantly, even outside normal banking hours.
PARTNERSHIPS
🇨🇦 Wise brings cross-border payments to Wealthsimple customers. The partnership aims to streamline international transfers for its users as demand for inexpensive and fast cross-border payments grows in Canada. Wise Platform will power the new service by connecting its infrastructure and payments network.
🇦🇺 Paymentology partners with Constantinople to enter the Australian market. Through the partnership, Paymentology will handle card issuance and transaction processing across Mastercard and Visa, including Apple Pay and Google Pay tokenisation, with dedicated BINs for customisable card programmes.
🇺🇸 E6 and Fireblocks partner to unify traditional and digital payments infrastructure. The initiative aims to enable banks, FinTechs, and corporations to issue, fund, and process both fiat and digital assets seamlessly within one integrated ecosystem.
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
🇮🇳 Groww raises nearly $750M in IPO as India’s retail investing boom continues. Groww said it plans to use the fresh capital to expand its cloud and technology infrastructure, intensify marketing efforts, and invest further in its lending and margin trading businesses. It said it has also earmarked funds for potential acquisitions.
🇬🇧 SumUp raises R$850 million in FIDC for receivables financing. According to SumUp, the funds will be used to strengthen its receivables anticipation strategy for its clients, micro and small businesses. Keep reading
🇺🇸 Crypto startup Seismic raises $10 million to help FinTechs protect customer data. With the newly raised capital, the company plans to expand its offerings, like on-and-off ramping from fiat into crypto and card programs. Seismic’s private blockchain rails ensure that financial information remains protected during transactions.
🇫🇷 Zaiffer unveils confidential token protocol after €2 million raise to bridge privacy and regulation in DeFi. Backed by a joint investment from open-source cryptography company Zama and Web3 venture builder PyratzLabs, the newly created venture is launching what it calls a breakthrough primitive for decentralised finance, confidential tokens, or cTokens.
M&A
🇳🇱 Blackstone sells NIBC Bank to ABN Amro. ABN Amro's acquisition of NIBC Bank aims to bolster its retail-banking activities in the Dutch market. ABN Amro reported an 11% year-over-year decline in net profit for the third quarter to €617 million.
🇵🇹 Novobanco notifies the Competition Authority that it will acquire Unibanco from Unicre. The deal, effective from November 5, 2025, transfers all Unibanco assets and operations, focused on consumer credit and credit card services, to Novobanco, strengthening its position in Portugal’s retail financial market.
🇺🇸 Reseda Group acquires Tandem Finance App to extend expense-sharing solution to modern families. The acquisition marks a key step toward Reseda Group and MSUFCU's goal of creating an end-to-end family banking ecosystem, one that helps credit union members graduate from individual accounts to joint accounts.
🇺🇸 Rain acquires Uptop to integrate rewards into its full-stack platform for enterprise card and wallet programs. This will allow cardholders to automatically earn rewards on everyday purchases, while partners can sponsor bonus offers to boost engagement. Built on Avalanche’s on-chain infrastructure, Uptop enables fast, scalable, and seamless loyalty experiences with a user-friendly interface.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
🌍 Michael Batuev joins WeFi to supercharge global payments roll-out. In his new role, Michael Batuev will lead the development of WeFi’s payments and infrastructure across all regions, starting from Europe and the Asia-Pacific, focusing on product strategy, partnerships, financial services, and scalable usage of DeFi frameworks.
Want your message in front of 275.000+ FinTech fanatics, founders, investors, and operators?

Comments ()