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KASIKORNBANK (KBank) and Ant International have formed a strategic collaboration to jointly develop an integrated financial infrastructure to deliver faster, more reliable, and scalable payment experiences for Ant International and its customers.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will combine KBank’s regulated financial capabilities with Ant International’s financial AI solutions to enable real-time, 24/7[1] cross-border USD transactions. The initiative will leverage Blockchain Deposit Accounts from Kinexys by J.P. Morgan, the industry-leading blockchain business part of J.P. Morgan Payments for real-time USD liquidity movement and is expected to significantly enhance transaction speed while enabling continuous 24/7[2] operations. KBank and Ant International will also use their best efforts to develop end-to-end solutions across payment acceptance, clearing, and settlement. These advancements remain subject to all necessary legal and regulatory approvals.
This collaboration will enhance Ant International’s inbound and outbound transaction and settlement efficiency, thus improving the business cashflow of the merchants the company serves.
This partnership builds on KBank’s existing collaboration with Ant International’s global payment services. Through Alipay+, Ant International’s digital wallet gateway, KBank’s mobile banking app KPLUS is connected into an ecosystem of 150 million merchants and 2 billion consumer accounts worldwide. KPLUS is also a growing payment option on Google Pay for Thai merchants through its integration with Antom, Ant International’s merchant payment service.
Dr. Karin Boonlertvanich, Executive Vice President of KASIKORNBANK, said, “This collaboration addresses a fundamental limitation in today’s cross-border financial systems, where liquidity movement remains constrained by fragmented infrastructure. By integrating blockchain with regulated financial systems, we are enabling a more continuous, transparent, and scalable flow of funds between global networks and local economies.”
Kelvin Li, General Manager of Platform Tech and Senior Vice President at Ant International, said, “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. 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.”
This MOU underscores a shared commitment to the development of integrated and scalable cross-border financial systems, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of global payment systems for international commerce.
