The Monday Roundup: what we are watching this week | August 10th

By Puja Sharma

The Monday Roundup sets the scene for the week’s biggest news stories, industry deals, and upcoming events. For Prime subscribers only.

Private credit activity growing across Asia

9fin has expanded its global debt market data operations with new hubs in Santiago, Chile, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as the financial data provider has sought to provide more continuous coverage of credit markets across time zones.

9fin has said the new locations will support its expansion across Latin America and Asia-Pacific, with Santiago providing greater overlap with US market hours and Kuala Lumpur offering access to major Asian credit markets.

The company has said the expanded operation will allow it to capture new debt issuance, earnings announcements and other credit market developments closer to when they occur. It has also enabled 9fin to broaden coverage across issuers, asset classes and jurisdictions, including its investment-grade coverage.

The expansion has been driven by changes in credit markets, with private credit activity growing across Asia and US high-yield debt increasingly trading during Asian hours. Cross-border restructurings have also involved companies, investors and advisers across multiple regions, increasing demand for timely market intelligence.

9fin has said the new hubs will strengthen the data infrastructure supporting its artificial intelligence products. Its AI tools have been built on proprietary debt-market data that has been verified by analysts with specialist market expertise.

Rimes has launched a new investment data and intelligence platform designed to help asset owners, asset managers and asset servicers streamline investment workflows and expand the use of artificial intelligence across capital markets.

The Intelligence Fabric for Capital Markets has brought together Rimes’ enterprise data management and investment intelligence capabilities into a unified architecture. The platform has been designed to provide connected investment data, decision-focused workflows and operational controls for institutional investors.

Rimes has said its data network connects more than 1,000 data partners, thousands of datasets and billions of data points daily. The network has supported more than 400 institutional clients with investment data and intelligence.

The launch has addressed challenges around fragmented data environments, as investment firms have continued to manage information across multiple providers, platforms and business functions. Rimes has said the increasing use of AI in investment processes has also created greater requirements for data lineage, explainability and operational control.

The platform has been structured around four areas: a trusted data network, connected enterprise intelligence, decision-grade workflows and continuous operational control. These capabilities have been designed to provide portfolio managers, risk teams, operations and AI systems with a common data foundation.

Provide consumers with greater payment flexibility

stc pay Bahrain has launched Secure Approve, an in-app transaction authentication feature that has enabled customers to approve online card payments directly through its mobile application. The FinTech has said the feature has replaced SMS and email-based One-Time Passwords (OTPs) with real-time in-app transaction approvals.

The new feature has allowed customers to review key payment details, including the merchant name and transaction amount, before authorising a transaction. Users have been able to confirm or decline payments through their established in-app credentials and device security.

stc pay has positioned the feature as a response to security risks associated with conventional OTP-based authentication. The company has noted that SMS and email codes have faced vulnerabilities including interception, phishing and SIM-swap fraud. With the launch, stc pay has become the first financial technology provider in Bahrain to introduce in-app authentication for online card transactions, according to the company. The feature has been made available without requiring customers to opt in or complete additional activation steps. stc pay has said Secure Approve will apply automatically to the next online purchase made using an stc pay card. The company has also said the feature has reduced reliance on external messaging networks by moving transaction authentication into its mobile application.

Indian FinTech super.money has launched splitStore, a commerce and credit offering that has enabled users to divide eligible purchases into multiple repayments directly through its UPI application.

The offering has been developed with regulated lending partners and has been integrated into the checkout journey. super.money has said customers have been able to access zero-interest and zero-fee repayment options, subject to eligibility and KYC verification. SplitStore has allowed users to browse products across categories including mobile phones, fashion, electronics, appliances, beauty, fitness, food, home and furniture. The platform has featured brands including Apple, Nike, Adidas, Marshall and Nothing, with product fulfilment supported by Flipkart’s delivery infrastructure, according to the company.

The FinTech has positioned the launch as an expansion of its UPI platform into commerce and embedded finance. It has said the service has been designed to provide consumers with greater payment flexibility while helping new-to-credit users establish a formal credit history through repayment behaviour.

What’s the Buzz

The global FinTech industry is entering a new phase of growth, fueled by artificial intelligence, digital payments, and a surge in strategic acquisitions. One of the biggest headlines is Visa’s proposed $2.4 billion acquisition of fraud-prevention specialist BioCatch, underscoring rising demand for AI-driven security solutions as digital transactions become increasingly mainstream. Major financial institutions are also accelerating investments in AI to improve customer experiences, strengthen compliance, and streamline operations.

Cross-border payments remain another major FinTech growth engine. Companies enabling faster, cheaper, and more secure international transactions are gaining significant traction, especially among small and medium-sized businesses. The growing adoption of stablecoin-based payment infrastructure and innovation in global money movement platforms is reshaping how businesses conduct international trade and manage liquidity.

Meanwhile, industry consolidation is gathering momentum as FinTech firms increasingly acquire capabilities, licenses, and technologies to scale faster. Recent industry data suggests that fintech companies are now outpacing traditional banks in acquisition activity, reflecting the sector’s maturity and growing influence within the broader financial ecosystem. As investment flows into AI, compliance technology, and embedded finance solutions, FinTech is cementing its role at the center of the future global financial landscape.