Fintech in Singapore - statistics & facts

Alternative finance and digital payments

In Asia, most fintech adoption is driven by alternative lending and digital payments. In Singapore, the development of fintech has been partly realized through the growth of new lending options via platforms that connect borrowers and lenders, opening new investment opportunities beyond the traditional financing channels. This allows businesses faster access to funding because it is directly connected to a large and active community of investors. This segment is dominated by crowdlending activities between business professionals, with an increase in the value of funding and deals completed in recent years. Digital payments are principally geared towards digital commerce and mobile payments. With a large mobile internet penetration rate and a national strategy of Smart Nation and digitalization of business, e-payments are a major part of the country's fintech growth. The Covid-19 pandemic has also accelerated the development of e-commerce and the adoption of cashless payments. The government supports this type of innovation with initiatives like PayNow, which facilitates money transfers through a collaboration of several banks, retailer businesses, and NFIs to send and receive between bank accounts and e-wallets instantly and easily. A regional collaboration based on this system has also been established with Thailand between PayNow and PromptPay, the world's first real-time payment system coupling.

Cryptocurrencies

Singapore is among the countries at the forefront of cryptocurrency adoption and innovation, especially regarding regulation and attraction of actors in the crypto and blockchain environment. These are among the sectors that dominate the local fintech scene in terms of funding value. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has taken a proactive approach in developing cryptocurrency-related activities, with regulatory rules to maintain control over the industry. Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the most prominent cryptocurrencies owned among Singaporeans who invest primarily to buy and hold rather than daily use. A recent regulation aims to limit the advertising of exchange platforms for cryptocurrency investments. This is part of an overall strategy to protect the population from these assets while simultaneously encouraging the development of companies in the industry. In sum, Singapore seeks to conciliate its ambitions to become a global fintech and crypto hub while maintaining control over its growth. In a dynamic and emerging sector that tends towards decentralization (web 3.0), the balanced management of a governmental control strategy will be crucial to continue to attract these actors.

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