KASIKORNBANK (KBank) has formed a strategic collaboration with Ant International to develop an integrated financial infrastructure aimed at delivering faster and more scalable payment experiences.
The partnership combines KBank’s regulated financial capabilities with Ant International’s AI tools to build capabilities for real-time, 24/7 cross-border USD transactions.
To achieve this, the initiative will use Blockchain Deposit Accounts from Kinexys by J.P. Morgan, the bank’s blockchain-based payments platform, for real-time USD liquidity movement.
The move is expected to improve transaction speeds and enable continuous operations for global merchants. It also aims to address liquidity bottlenecks in the regional cross-border payments market.
The latest development adds to KBank’s broader push to digitise cross-border transactions across Southeast Asia, following its recent integration with Grab QR in Singapore.
KBank and Ant International plan to develop end-to-end solutions covering payment acceptance, clearing, and settlement, subject to regulatory approvals.
Connecting global networks
Ant International, which recently expanded its network to connect over 150 million merchants globally, plans to use the new infrastructure to improve the efficiency of its inbound and outbound settlements.
This aims to improve business cash flow for the merchants it serves.
This development builds on an existing relationship between the two companies.
KBank has already integrated its mobile banking app, KPLUS, with Alipay+, Ant International’s digital wallet gateway. This links the app to a broader network of 1.8 billion consumer accounts worldwide.
Additionally, KPLUS is available as a payment option on Google Pay for Thai merchants via Antom, Ant International’s merchant payment service.
“This collaboration addresses a fundamental limitation in today’s cross-border financial systems, where liquidity movement remains constrained by fragmented infrastructure,”
said Dr. Karin Boonlertvanich, Executive Vice President, KASIKORNBANK.
“Across emerging markets, industry leaders like KBank are preparing communities for a more interconnected global economy with broader and more secure application of AI and blockchain technology,”
said Kelvin Li, General Manager of Platform Tech and Senior Vice President, Ant International.
“We are thrilled to support KBank with such fintech solutions to empower Thai merchants, especially small businesses, with more efficient payment tools to thrive globally,”
Li said.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Ant International