Bhutan Builds State-Led Fintech Ecosystem

Belgium’s fintech sector has grown around institutional strength rather than a single breakout category. The country has just under 12 million people and an economy of about $700 billion, while Brussels’ role at the center of European Union policymaking gives firms unusually close exposure to changes in financial regulation. That setting has encouraged a cross-border, compliance-led market spanning payments, RegTech, SME finance and digital infrastructure, with banks, startups and regulators relying heavily on collaboration.

A sector review published by The Fintech Times on May 23, 2026, estimated that Belgium had more than 200 active fintech companies, while nonprofit FinTech Belgium counted over 100 members. Payconiq has expanded QR and mobile payments, iBanFirst serves SMEs in foreign exchange and cross-border transactions, and Unifiedpost Group and Silverfin focus on digital invoicing and cloud accounting. The National Bank of Belgium and the Financial Services and Markets Authority jointly run fintech contact points to help newcomers navigate licensing and compliance.

Jordan has made fintech a pillar of economic modernisation, using digital services to offset limited natural resources and widen access for a young, connected population. Amman anchors the sector, housing the Central Bank of Jordan, major lenders including Arab Bank and much of the startup base. The REACH 2025 digital strategy, internet penetration above 90%, and the Financial Inclusion Strategy for 2023-2028 underpin efforts to serve women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises and refugee communities.

A Fintech Times review published on April 17, 2026, estimated that Jordan hosts about 200 fintech companies and startups spanning payments, lending, insurtech and digital banking, including MadfooatCom, Liwwa and Dinarak. In 2025, the country recorded more than 184 million digital-payment transactions worth over $38 billion. Real-time systems handled nearly 140 million transfers valued at about $24 billion, while card payments topped 350 million transactions and electronic bill payments exceeded 66 million. JoPACC-operated CliQ and the CBJ regulatory sandbox remain central to expansion.

Bolivia’s fintech industry is jointly overseen by the Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB) and the Financial System Supervisory Authority (ASFI), with development focused on digital payments, online financial services and financial inclusion. Industry trends in 2026 are significant because the regulatory framework and payments infrastructure will directly affect how quickly providers can expand and consumers adopt their services.

A recent report, “Bolivia’s Fintech Landscape in 2026,” reviews the evolution of digital payments, the extent of financial-services digitalization and the regulatory environment in Bolivia through 2026. The available event data do not disclose the report’s publication date, specific company names, investment amounts or market transaction volumes, leaving no verifiable monetary figures or more precise timeline.

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.