A person holding a smartphone showing data while a screen in front of him shows another chart of data (Photo: Unsplash/Adan Smigielski)

Southeast Asia secured 37 spots on CNBC and Statista’s 2026 Global Top 500 Fintech list, reflecting rapid market expansion, with regional fintech volume reaching $896 billion. Of these, 21 are returning winners while 16 are first-time honorees, demonstrating a mature yet dynamic ecosystem spearheaded by Singapore.

🎯 Main Takeaway

On 22 July 2026, Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) and Statista named the top 500 fintech companies globally.

The methodology for the ranking covers eight market segments, including companies of all sizes, and involves direct contact with companies via CNBC and data analysis from Statista.

Appearing amongst the ranking are Southeast Asian companies that represent the growing financial technologies the region has to offer.

This includes companies from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand across different market segments.

💻 What is Fintech?

Short for Financial Technology, fintech refers to technology used to improve, automate, or deliver financial services.

Technologies such as digital payments, mobile banking, or QR code payments are fintechs that make financial activity more convenient in daily life for the average person, while there are also fintechs that the average person might not interact with for their whole life, such as core banking systems or RegTech, which are mostly used by banks.

With the advancement of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), fintech too will evolve to further advance financial services.

Companies that develop, sell, or use this technology are always looking for ways to improve the technology, making the development of newer fintech models a constant occurrence.

📡 Why It’s on Our Radar?

According to a report from Mckinsey & Company a global management and strategy consulting firm, in 2025 the global fintech market generated approximately 650 billion USD in revenues representing a growth rate of 21 percent from 2024.

Moreover, a study by UnaFinancial, an international fintech group, estimates that the volume of fintech services in Southeast Asia reached 896 billion in 2024, a 20 per cent increase from 2023, and also finds a consistent relationship between fintech development and economic growth.

This makes companies in Southeast Asia that are in the fintech industry a promising force for their nation’s growth, not just another industry that’s following the trend.

Beyond the fintech industry’s impact on national GDP, there is also the importance of its development for regular people in Southeast Asia, such as creating an environment that makes it easier to start businesses or access basic financial services.

🌐 Fintech in Southeast Asia

A QR payment process currently taking place (Photo: Unsplash/David Dvořáček)

In Southeast Asia, one fintech that has been developed and refined across many countries over the years is QR payments.

Despite the technology originating in Japan and China, it was further developed in Southeast Asia — first by Thailand with PromptPay in 2017, then by Singapore with SGQR in 2018, followed by Indonesia with QRIS and Malaysia with DuitNow QR in 2019.

QR payments have since expanded rapidly across the region.

In Indonesia alone, QRIS supported approximately 39.3 million registered merchants and about 57 million users by mid-2025.

QRIS has also contributed to cross-border payments between countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, with the Indonesia–Malaysia corridor being the largest: Malaysian users completed 3.4 million transactions in Indonesia, while Indonesian users conducted 516,000 transactions in Malaysia through QRIS between January and September 2025.

This shows how fintech development not only supports local merchants in Southeast Asia but also strengthens the region’s financial connectivity.

🚀 Southeast Asian Company in the Rankings

Within the ranking Southeast Asian companies made up 37 among the 500 companies, a clear dominant force in the region would be Singapore having 27 companies ranked across all fields, an example for each field is Grab Financial Group, Crypto.com, StashAway, Funding Societies, Bolttech, Airwallex, and Trust Bank.

This reinforces Singapore’s position as a Southeast Asia hub for fintech development.

Malaysia follows with 3 companies — CapBay, BJAK, and Boost — while Indonesia (GoTo, Qoala) and Vietnam (VNPay, Zalopay) each contributed 2.

Finally, Thailand (Ascend Money), the Philippines (Mynt), and Myanmar (Wave Money) each secured one spot.

Among the 37 in the rankings, 21 are returning winners while 16 are first-timers.

This shows Southeast Asia's stable growth in fintech development, as well as its rising prominence in the industry.

🏁 Bottom Line

The rankings reflect the current state of fintech’s development in Southeast Asia; while it is dominated and spearheaded by a single country, it shows itself as a rising force within the industry.

As technologies advance in delivering financial services, Southeast Asian companies are demonstrating their ability to adapt and improve.

Need More Angles?

Fintech News SG: 37 Top Southeast Asian Fintechs Earn Spots in CNBC’s 2026 Global List
ASEAN Briefing: Indonesia’s QRIS Expansion Across APEC and What It Means for Businesses
Invest Jakarta id: Connecting Southeast Asia Through QRIS Cross-Border Payment Integration
CNBC: The world’s top fintech Companies 2026

(FRD/QOB)

🌐 ASEAN fintech powerhouse: 37 Southeast…