The Japan Banking Innovation Conference 2025, held at The Westin Tokyo, convened over a hundred senior banking executives, fintech leaders, policymakers and technology pioneers to discuss the fundamental shifts redefining financial services.

Digital banks continue to experience rapid growth in users, assets and revenue, with Brazil’s Nubank, the retail arm of ING Group and China’s WeBank leading the sector. Profitability among digital banks has improved, with a shorter time to break even.

Day 3 of the Japan Innovation Study Tour delved into the convergence of fintech regulation, sustainability, wearables and corporate venture capital innovation, featuring discussions on regulatory frameworks, decarbonisation accounting, AI-powered wearables and investment strategies.

The second day of the Japan Innovation Study Tour 2025 provided an in-depth look at how Japan’s financial institutions are leveraging technology, strategic investments and alternative lending models to drive transformation while maintaining a strong focus on customer-centricity.

On Day 1, the Japan Innovation Study Tour 2025 opened with a welcome from tour hosts Foo Boon Ping, president and managing editor of The Asian Banker, and Matt Dooley, international resource director, setting the stage for an immersive exploration of Japan’s innovations and advancements.

At FirstBank Fintech 6.0 Summit 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria in November, Emmanuel Daniel discussed the transformative impact of decentralised finance (DeFi) on banking, commerce and regulation

Chan Yam Ki, vice president of strategy and policy at Circle, the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin, emphasised how proactive regulatory compliance, innovations and blockchain interoperability will drive stablecoin adoption globally.

Fozia Amanulla discusses Boost Bank's unique approach to digital banking and its commitment to serving underserved communities.

Gurdip Singh Sidhu, CEO of CIMB Malaysia and CIMB Bank, shared his vision of operational resilience, digital transformation and sustainability, focusing on empowering retail and SME banking, leading green finance and embracing technologies to shape the future of Malaysian banking

In his keynote at FinanceMalta Annual Conference 2024, Emmanuel Daniel, founder of The Asian Banker, discussed how global financial centres can shape their competitive advantage as activity moves away from institutional finance to a stronger focus on wealth management

Bank of Jiangsu implements a next-generation enterprise-level database system for real-time data processing, enhancing operational efficiency, innovation, and responsiveness to the dynamic digital financial landscape.

Ranil Dissanayake, Deputy General Manager of Branch Credit, and Chaminda Senewiratne, Head of Digital Banking Channels at Seylan Bank, shared insights into the bank’s SME banking strategy for 2024. The bank’s focus on quality customer acquisition, digital transformation, and financial inclusion is shaping the future of SME banking in Sri Lanka.

In an exclusive interview, Kim Sung-Tae, Chairman and CEO of the Industrial Bank of Korea, shared insights into the bank’s Value Finance strategy, which focused on enhancing customer value and driving societal growth through innovation and sustainability.

Mathias Imbach, co-founder and Group CEO of Sygnum, outlines the company’s mission to become the most trusted digital asset institution, and the next steps for the industry to achieve greater institutional adoption.

Cengiz Kiamil, managing director in Asia Pacific for Fenergo, a regulatory compliance solutions platform, discusses how the company leverages automation, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing to streamline compliance workflows and address emerging threats.