Digital banking in Asia was supposed to change the world. Five years later, did it live up to the hype?
In this in-depth retrospective, Vincent Fong (Chief Editor, Fintech News Network) sits down with David Becker (Managing Director, Head of APAC Sales, Mambu) to unpack the last five years of the digital banking boom.
They discuss why the predicted “death of traditional banks” never happened, how incumbents managed to adapt so quickly, and why the real revolution is happening in rural financial inclusion rather than just glossy apps.
From the technical challenges of cloud-native infrastructure to the “boring but important” reality of AI in banking, this conversation covers the state of play in 2026 and what the next generation of banks will look like.
Key Topics Covered:
- The 5-Year Report Card: Why the market is more balanced between new players and incumbents than anyone expected.
- Speed is Survival: Why launching in 3 to 4 months is the new standard for success.
- The AI Reality Check: Moving beyond the hype to discuss governance, credit scoring, and data analysis.
- Financial Inclusion: How digital credit is creating real-world jobs and lifting communities out of poverty in Indonesia and the Philippines.
- Future Trends: The rise of Islamic Banking and ESG in the digital space.