In remarks at an ASEAN Future Forum 2026 roundtable in Hanoi on building a regional fintech ecosystem, State Bank of Vietnam Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dung set out five priorities for ASEAN cooperation. They cover legal and standards alignment, stronger payment and data connectivity, joint financial cybersecurity and high-tech financial crime information sharing, exchange of experience on regulatory sandboxes, and international cooperation on training, technical support and financial education. He presented fintech as a driver of financial inclusion and digital economic integration, while warning that online fraud, identity theft, account takeover, cyberattacks, money laundering, terrorist financing and other cross-border financial crimes are increasing as services move online. To illustrate Vietnam's approach, he cited the government's Fintech Sandbox Decree and State Bank rules on cashless payments, banking services, e-wallets, Mobile Money and cross-border payment connectivity, alongside infrastructure such as financial switching and electronic clearing, national credit information, electronic identification and authentication, and bank links to national digital platforms. He said these foundations have helped lift adult bank account ownership to about 88.96 percent, credit information coverage to around 70 percent of adults, move more than 90 percent of banking transactions onto digital channels, and deliver average annual QR payment growth of more than 100 percent by number and value over 2021-2025. At the same event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang also called for deeper cross-border payment links and standards, balanced frameworks for artificial intelligence and blockchain, and further study of an ASEAN Fintech Sandbox for cross-border solutions.
State Bank of Vietnam2026-06-09
State Bank of Vietnam sets out five priorities for ASEAN fintech cooperation
The State Bank of Vietnam Deputy Governor used an ASEAN Future Forum roundtable to propose five priorities for regional fintech cooperation: legal and standards alignment, enhanced payment and data connectivity, joint cybersecurity and financial crime information sharing, experience exchange on regulatory sandboxes, and international cooperation on training and financial education. He highlighted Vietnam’s fintech framework and digital infrastructure as supporting high levels of account ownership and digital banking usage, and noted rapid QR payment growth alongside rising online fraud and cross-border financial crime risks.