Brunei Advances Fintech Push With Real-Time Payments

Laos has an economy of about $17 billion and GDP per capita of roughly $2,700, and has long relied on hydropower, mining, agriculture and tourism. Limited banking coverage in rural areas has made digital finance critical to closing service gaps. The government is advancing the transition through its National Digital Economy Strategy 2021–2030, while BCEL One from Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao (BCEL) is a major mobile banking service.

A May 23, 2026, review by The Fintech Times found that Laos had about 25 active fintech companies, concentrated in mobile payments, remittances and digital wallets. World Bank data showed that only about 45% of adults had access to formal financial services in 2025, while mobile penetration had already exceeded 70%. The Bank of the Lao P.D.R. has also expanded cross-border interoperability between Lao QR and Thailand's PromptPay and continues to pursue payment integration with Vietnam.

Bangladesh’s fintech sector grew from the government’s Digital Bangladesh strategy, which promoted connectivity, digital services and financial inclusion. The market remains bank-led but increasingly links lenders, telecom operators and platforms, with bKash, Nagad and Rocket anchoring mobile finance. The shift matters because fintech has reached millions previously outside formal banking, although an estimated 60% of the population remains unbanked or underbanked and cash still dominates many everyday transactions.

The Fintech Times reported on March 30, 2026, that mobile financial services transactions reached about $158 billion in 2024, up 28% from a year earlier. Bangladesh Bank has authorised 28 banks to offer such services, while the National Payment Switch Bangladesh connects 57 banks. The central bank began developing the Interoperable Instant Payment System in 2025 and is rolling out Bangla QR. The 2026 launch of the Family Card Digital Welfare Platform further extends digital finance into government assistance, as an ecosystem of more than 300 fintech companies expands into lending, SME finance, APIs and remittances.

Bahrain has used financial services and digital industries to diversify an economy historically tied to hydrocarbons, with the Bahrain Economic Development Board and Bahrain FinTech Bay supporting the strategy. The Central Bank of Bahrain, or CBB, introduced a regulatory sandbox in 2017 and an open-banking framework in 2018. Its role as a single supervisor for banks, fintech companies and crypto-asset businesses gives Manama a streamlined regulatory model as it competes to become a Gulf financial-technology hub.

A March 27, 2026 review by The Fintech Times said Bahrain now hosts more than 100 fintech companies and digital financial-service providers, up from about 25 firms in the sandbox in 2022. The market was valued at $1.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $5 billion by 2033. Non-oil industries account for roughly 85% of GDP and financial services 17%. The CBB also introduced a framework for licensing and regulating stablecoin issuers in 2025.