Ant International, a global leader in digital payment and financial services, announced today that it supported over 2 billion digital cross-border transactions in 2025 across its core emerging markets. This milestone highlights the company’s successful pivot toward FinAI—leveraging artificial intelligence to drive inclusive growth for over 150 million merchants globally, 90% of whom are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
By integrating AI-powered solutions across Southeast Asia (SEA), South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America (LATAM), Ant International is transforming fragmented digital economies into connected ecosystems of trade and finance.
From “Access” to “Real Growth Momentum”
At a recent regional briefing, Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, emphasized that the company’s focus has shifted from merely providing digital access to delivering measurable business results.
“In the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets, the trusted and scalable adoption of AI can unlock entirely new opportunities,” said Feagin. “It is time for fintech innovators to convert access into real growth momentum. We are putting AI-powered digital payments, financing, and cross-border solutions on the ground with lower costs and stronger security guardrails.”
Four Pillars of Trusted FinAI Innovation
Ant International’s success in 2025 was driven by the deep integration of AI across its flagship business units:
- Antom (Merchant Payment Services): Launched Antom Copilot, an AI agent that reduces payment integration time for merchants by up to 95%. Its smart routing technology helped Antom clients outside China achieve 75% growth.
- Alipay+ (Cross-Border Connectivity): Connects 1.8 billion user accounts across 40 payment partners and 11 national QR networks. New AI-driven features like “Voyager” (a travel services agent) were successfully launched in six Asian apps.
- WorldFirst (Global Digital Accounts): Evolved into a 360-degree financial management tool for SMEs, seeing nearly 40% growth in transaction value as it expanded into Thailand and Malaysia.
- Bettr (Digital Lending): Expanded credit tech solutions to 30 million SMEs and individuals. Through strategic investments in LATAM’s R2, Bettr is now scaling its embedded lending infrastructure across the Americas.
Security and Efficiency at Scale
To manage the massive surge in transactions, Ant International deployed SHIELD, a 3-in-1 risk management AI model. SHIELD achieved 95% precision in identifying high-risk transactions while boosting overall payment success rates by 13.5%.
Furthermore, the company’s blockchain-powered platform processed over US$600 billion in fund transfers with 95% completion on the same day. A groundbreaking partnership with SWIFT also pioneered the first “bank-to-wallet” payment system, allowing global bank customers to send funds directly to mobile wallets.
Southeast Asia: The Epicenter of Inclusion
SEA remains a primary growth engine for the company. Key highlights from 2025 include:
- Thailand & Vietnam Momentum: 2C2P (under Antom) saw a 38% YoY increase in transaction volume, driven by e-commerce and travel.
- Digital Banking: ANEXT Bank in Singapore recorded a six-fold increase in cross-border volumes, with 69% of its customers being micro-businesses.
- AI-as-a-Service: Three regional super-apps began building their own AI-driven ecosystems using Ant International’s GenAI Cockpit.
“As digital economies continue to scale, we remain focused on fostering shared prosperity,” Feagin concluded. “We are working to ensure growth is inclusive, sustainable, and globally connected.”
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