Lewis Ide, our Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, joined industry leaders at the Singapore FinTech Festival this November. In this article, Lewis reflects on the key trends shaping the region, where 10x Banking is gaining momentum with client wins, including The Co‑operative Bank in New Zealand.
Last week in Singapore was a powerful reminder of why this region is one of the most exciting places in banking today. The Singapore FinTech Festival brought together leaders and innovators to tackle the big questions shaping our industry – from the role of stablecoins and generative AI to building infrastructure that enables digital propositions to thrive.
Two moments stood out for me. The first was speaking to the Taiwanese bank delegation about the future of core banking and a concept we call the 2040 core. This isn’t a catchy slogan, it’s a challenge to start future-proofing now.
By 2040, banks will need real-time data access to power technologies we haven’t even imagined yet, likely accelerated by AI. And customers will expect hyper-personalization at scale. To deliver that, banks must begin today – moving away from legacy systems toward platforms that are extensible by design, resilient under pressure, and give direct control over business logic and product cycles. In short, a core that’s ready for whatever the next decades bring.
The second highlight was hosting our Accelerating ASEAN innovation drinks reception with partners GFT Technologies, Constantinople, and AWS. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with clients, partners, and industry leaders who share a vision for the future. Here are some key themes from conversations at the event and throughout the week:
For years, banks have experimented with greenfield projects and sidecar cores, but these approaches only nibble at the edges of transformation. What’s needed now are full-scale brownfield migrations – truly moving off legacy systems and onto something built for the future. That’s the level of commitment we’re seeing from leaders who understand that incremental change won’t prepare them for the future of banking. At 10x Banking, we’re proud to be delivering these transformative migration projects.
Another shift is in how banks think about technology ownership. Many still want control, but the idea of building everything from scratch is losing ground. It’s expensive, slow, and hard to maintain. Instead, the conversation is moving toward a banking OS – a resilient, high-performing platform that provides the foundations for innovation without forcing banks to reinvent the wheel. This approach gives institutions the flexibility to design their own unique products and control business logic, while avoiding the complexity of managing upgrades and scaling infrastructure themselves.
Modernization isn’t just about technology, it’s about ecosystems. Banks want modular, composable architectures that enable them to deploy best-of-breed technologies. The unlock is proven, deep partnerships in the key markets they operate in to turn that ambition into reality. It’s not about buying a “bank in a box”; it’s about building a network of capabilities that work together seamlessly.
10x hosts an executive networking event with our partners AWS, Constantinople and GFT
The core of 2040 isn’t a distant idea, it’s a call to action. Banks that start today will lead the future, not chase it. At 10x Banking, we’re excited to partner with institutions across APAC to make that future real.
Read our insights on solving the legacy challenge in ASEAN's banking sector.