Consumers increasingly embrace digital cross-border payments, while fraud concerns and stablecoin awareness gaps highlight the importance of trust and education.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, today released the Asia Pacific findings from its Money Travels: 2026 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, revealing continued growth in digital cross-border money movement across the region. The findings show that remittances continue to play an important role in helping consumers support family members, manage everyday expenses and navigate financial emergencies, while trust, security and transparency are becoming just as important as speed and convenience in shaping payment experiences.

The study, which surveyed more than more than 45,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 markets, including Australia, Mainland China, India, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore, found growing adoption of digital cross-border payments alongside rising expectations for trusted payment experiences. For the first time, this year’s study also included a dedicated module examining consumer awareness, perceptions and adoption intent towards stablecoins, finding that education and confidence will be key to broader adoption amid growing concerns around scams, fraud and AI-enabled threats. 

“Cross-border money movement is fundamental to how people, businesses and economies connect across Asia Pacific,” said Chavi Jafa, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “Financial institutions have an opportunity to make cross-border payments a more integrated and valuable part of the overall customer experience as consumer expectations continue to evolve, with customers increasingly looking for solutions that combine speed, security, convenience and flexibility. Building trust through education, transparency and security will be critical to the next phase of adoption.” 

Key findings for Asia Pacific

Cross-Border Payments Remain Essential Across Asia Pacific

Remittance activity varies significantly across the region, with the Philippines (45%) and Australia (35%) reporting the highest proportions of consumers sending money abroad, compared with Japan (8%). Receiving rates are also highest in the Philippines (45%) and lowest in Japan (5%).Cross-border payments continue to support everyday financial needs, from household expenses to emergency funding and family support. Paying household bills is a key reason for receiving remittances in the Philippines (47%) and India (34%), while financial emergencies are a leading use case in the Philippines (42%) and India (33%).Supporting loved ones can come at a personal cost, with consumers in India (23%) and Mainland China (21%) delaying bill payments, while those in India (20%) and Mainland China (17%) cut back on essentials to provide financial support abroad.

Consumer Expectations Continue to Shift Toward Digital Experiences

Mobile banking apps remain the preferred way to send money internationally across Asia Pacific, with usage ranging from 33% to 60% across markets.Mobile wallet adoption is particularly strong in India (36%), the Philippines (28%) and Mainland China (27%), highlighting growing consumer preference for digital-first money movement experiences.Digital adoption continues to vary across markets, with Japan (32%) remaining the regional outlier, where nearly one-third of consumers still prefer making international transfers through physical bank branches.

Security and Fraud Concerns Are Shaping Consumer Behaviour

Exposure to remittance scams is highest in India (40%) and the Philippines (29%), compared with China (19%) and Japan (11%).Concern about AI-enabled fraud is particularly pronounced in the Philippines (62%) and India (53%), where consumers worry that deepfakes could be used to impersonate family members or facilitate financial scams.Consumers increasingly prioritise protection over speed, with Japan (68%), Singapore (57%) and Australia (57%) willing to accept a 24-hour transfer delay in exchange for stronger AI-powered fraud protection.

Consumers Are Open to Emerging Payment Innovations, but Education Remains Critical

Awareness and trust vary widely across the region. Consumer interest in stablecoins increases significantly when respondents better understand that stablecoins are designed to maintain their value and may offer additional benefits.Misconceptions remain widespread across Asia Pacific, with roughly half of consumers believing stablecoins are as risky as or riskier than cryptocurrencies despite being designed to maintain a stable value.

“The findings underscore how diverse payment behaviours, preferences and levels of digital adoption continue to accelerate across Asia Pacific,” said Rhidoi Krishnakumar, Vice President, Head of Visa Direct, Asia Pacific, Visa. “For banks, remitters and fintechs, the opportunity lies in delivering seamless cross-border experiences while managing growing complexity on behalf of clients. Through Visa Direct, we work with partners across the region to help simplify this complexity and enable money movement experiences that are more seamless, scalable and locally relevant to how consumers and businesses move money today.”

The findings highlight how cross-border money movement continues to evolve across Asia Pacific, shaped by growing digital adoption, changing consumer expectations, emerging payment innovations and rising demands for security and trust. For banks, remitters and fintechs, understanding how these trends are reshaping consumer behaviour will be increasingly important in delivering relevant, trusted and future-ready money movement experiences.

To learn more about the trends shaping cross-border money movement across Asia Pacific, explore the Money Travels 2026 findings here.

Note on Methodology

Findings are based on self-reported consumer survey responses. Respondents received definitions of key terms, including stablecoins, before answering. Survey scenarios involving “bank-equivalent protections” or similar concepts are hypothetical. Stablecoins are not currently covered by deposit insurance (e.g., FDIC, CDIC). Findings reflect consumer awareness, attitudes, and stated intent only – not commentary on legal status or operational availability. This report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.

About the Study

Money Travels 2026 was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Visa between 24 February and 2 March 2026. The findings form part of Visa’s global Money Travels 2026 study, which surveyed more than 45,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 markets to examine remittance behaviours, attitudes and emerging trends in cross-border money movement. The Asia Pacific findings cover Australia, Mainland China, India, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

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SOURCE Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited

MACAU, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Black Lake Technologies Founder and CEO Yuxiang Zhou was invited to attend the Fortune Leaders Forum 2026 in Macau, where he joined the panel “The Leadership Agenda: The Road Ahead” to discuss how AI is reshaping leadership, organizations and industries.

For Zhou, one of the defining questions for leaders in the AI era is no longer simply how to use AI, but how to rethink the relationship between people and AI agents.

At Black Lake, that shift is already taking shape. AI agents are increasingly being used for reasoning, analysis and guidance, while human leaders continue to play a vital role in motivating teams, building trust and creating human connection. Zhou summed up the question this way: “How do you figure out the best ways for leaders and executives to copilot AI?” 

The same transition is also happening on the factory floor.

During the discussion, Zhou looked back on Black Lake’s early days, when the company hired former food couriers as salespeople because they knew China’s industrial towns and small factories well, and understood how to get close to customers on the ground. That frontline approach has shaped Black Lake’s understanding of factory operations and the decisions manufacturers make every day.

Over the past decade, Black Lake has helped factories digitize production processes. Now, as AI becomes more capable, the next step is bringing AI deeper into production decisions.

Zhou noted that manufacturing is moving from standardized, large-batch production toward a more agile model shaped by smaller batches, faster turnaround and rapidly changing demand.

Black Lake is bringing AI agents into areas including order processing, quotation, scheduling, quality management and fulfillment, while also exploring how AI can connect design, engineering, production coordination and manufacturing capacity.

In Zhou’s view, AI’s bigger opportunity lies in changing how industries operate. As he put it, “The real Google moment should happen only when you restructure the industry.”

Founded in 2016, Black Lake Technologies is a leading industrial AI agent platform integrating AI across the full production lifecycle and accelerating the shift from data-driven manufacturing to AI-driven industrial transformation.

To date, Black Lake has empowered nearly 40,000 factories globally, serving customers including Tesla, McDonald’s, Mixue Group, GAC Group and Nongfu Spring. By number of factories served, Black Lake has become a leading technology provider in the Asia-Pacific region and was among the first companies selected for the World Economic Forum’s MINDS program.

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SOURCE Black Lake Technologies

HONG KONG, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ViaBTC, a leading global multi-cryptocurrency mining pool, today announced a partnership with Mempool to expand access to Bitcoin transaction acceleration services. Under the partnership, ViaBTC will use its Bitcoin mining pool infrastructure and expertise in block construction and transaction processing to accelerate eligible transactions, helping more users get their Bitcoin transactions confirmed sooner. 

Bitcoin transactions can remain unconfirmed for extended periods when the network is congested or transaction fees are too low. To help users address these delays, ViaBTC became one of the first providers to launch a Bitcoin transaction accelerator in 2016, offering free and paid options. It has continued to refine the product and its underlying technology ever since. As of September 16, 2026, ViaBTC has accelerated more than 800,000 BTC transactions.

The partnership marks another step in ViaBTC’s efforts to build partnerships across the Bitcoin infrastructure ecosystem. Since its launch in 2016, ViaBTC has navigated multiple market cycles and Bitcoin halvings, building a decade of experience in mining pool operations and technology development. That experience underpins its services for miners worldwide and supports the expansion of offerings such as transaction acceleration. Working with Mempool extends the reach of ViaBTC’s mining pool infrastructure, bringing its technical expertise to more applications across the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Haipo Yang, Founder and CEO of ViaBTC, said that miners’ long-term trust is built on reliable day-to-day operations and sustained investment in technology and service. Whatever the market does, ViaBTC puts the security, stability, and efficiency of its mining pool first. The partnership with Mempool marks another step in expanding the company’s ecosystem collaboration, drawing on years of technical and operational experience. Going forward, ViaBTC will stay focused on what miners need, strengthening its infrastructure to support their long-term growth and the continued operation of the Bitcoin network.

The partnership will not change how users access or use the ViaBTC Transaction Accelerator. Users can continue to submit eligible transaction IDs through the ViaBTC website and mobile app, where they can also view their acceleration history and request status.

ViaBTC will continue to strengthen the security, stability, and efficiency of its mining pool infrastructure while improving its products and services for miners. It will also explore further partnerships with block explorers, wallets, and other Bitcoin infrastructure providers to bring its technology to more applications. Through continued investment in technology and collaboration, ViaBTC aims to serve miners worldwide while providing reliable infrastructure for a broader range of needs across the Bitcoin ecosystem.

About ViaBTC

ViaBTC is a multi-cryptocurrency mining pool serving miners worldwide. Launched in 2016, it specializes in secure, stable, and efficient Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining services, supporting major PoW cryptocurrencies including BTC, LTC/DOGE, BCH, ZEC, and KAS. ViaBTC has served more than 2 million users across over 150 countries and regions. Its BTC, LTC/DOGE merged-mining, BCH, and ZEC pools rank among the world’s leading mining pools.

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SOURCE ViaBTC