North America and Asia Pacific banks retain the strongest balance sheet positions, while the global banking sector remains broadly resilient. Returns remain steady, while banks report enhanced efficiency and income diversification, accompanied by generally robust asset quality, capitalisation and liquidity

Under the “Digital ICBC” initiative, ICBC advances to build a comprehensive wealth management ecosystem, addressing customer needs and driving sustainable growth.

At the opening plenary of Sibos Frankfurt 2025, Swift chair Graeme Munro and chief executive Javier Pérez-Tasso announced a blockchain-based shared ledger and reinforced operational excellence. Deutsche Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel positioned the digital euro as Europe’s most important project and urged faster integration and innovation. Deutsche Bank’s Christian Sewing called on European banks to fund a technological and green renewal matching Europe’s liberal values with structural reform.

David Lynne leads Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Bank’s digital transformation, expanding global client mandates and sustainability initiatives.

Cathay United Bank-Ho Chi Minh City branch hosted a seminar in Hanoi highlighting Vietnam’s tax and investment challenges, opportunities from global supply chain shifts and the importance of collaboration for sustainable corporate growth.

China Construction Bank posted steady interim results in 2025, supported by strong margins, rising fee income and firm asset quality. Cost discipline and digital transformation boosted efficiency, while expansion in technology, green and cross-border finance highlighted resilience. The bank reinforced its focus on sustainable growth despite a complex environment.

Leading banks in Malaysia were recognised at The Asian Banker Malaysia Awards 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.

Stablecoins and tokenised assets are moving beyond their origins in the crypto markets and into mainstream banking and finance. Banks, market infrastructures and technology providers are converging on how these instruments will reshape payments, securities and collateral management, while some players are holding back.

Sebastien Avot, head of institutional cash and trade finance, Asia Pacific at Deutsche Bank, explained how the bank is navigating the coexistence of established infrastructures and emerging rails, strengthening resilience in digital ecosystems, and using Sibos Frankfurt 2025 to drive collaboration and standard setting.

Leading financial institutions in Taiwan were recognised for achievements in retail, transaction finance, financial technology and financial markets.

In a wide-ranging conversation ahead of Sibos 2025, Bank of America’s Christian Stolcke, Greg Kavanaugh, Winnie Chen, Phil Carmalt and Terence Tan unpack how macro shifts, rails modernisation, digital assets and operational resilience are reshaping institutional banking and payments across corridors and time zones.

Alan Lee’s leadership at Cathay United Bank strengthened strategic management, advanced digital transformation, empowered employees and promoted sustainable practices, earning him the Best Bank CEO in Taiwan award and the bank’s recognition as the Best Managed Bank in Taiwan.

Jack McDonald, senior vice president of stablecoins at Ripple, shares how the company is approaching regulated stablecoin issuance, cross-border use cases and institutional adoption in Asia Pacific, as regulatory clarity spreads across key markets.

Rising AI risks, regulatory fragmentation and complex supply chains are reshaping the resilience agenda for banks across global markets. Against this backdrop, Standard Chartered is elevating technology resilience to a board-level priority, positioning it as the foundation of long-term trust and the enabler of sustainable growth.

The final day of the China AI Innovation Study Tour took delegates to Huawei’s Songshan Lake campus in Dongguan.