Bangkok, Thailand – KASIKORNBANK (KBank) and Ant International have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop financial infrastructure aimed at improving cross-border payments and liquidity management.
The collaboration will combine KBank’s regulated banking capabilities with Ant International’s financial AI solutions to support faster and more scalable payment experiences for Ant International and its customers.
Under the agreement, the companies will work on enabling real-time, 24/7 cross-border US dollar transactions by leveraging Blockchain Deposit Accounts from J.P. Morgan Payments’ Kinexys platform. The initiative is intended to improve transaction speed while allowing continuous operations for liquidity movement.
KBank and Ant International also said they would work toward developing end-to-end solutions covering payment acceptance and approvals.
According to the companies, the collaboration is expected to improve inbound and outbound transaction and settlement efficiency for Ant International, supporting better cash flow management for merchants using its services.
The partnership expands on KBank’s existing relationship with Ant International’s payment ecosystem. Through Alipay+, Ant International’s digital wallet gateway, KBank’s KPLUS mobile banking application is connected to a network of 150 million merchants and 1.8 billion consumer accounts globally. KPLUS is also integrated as a payment option on Google Pay for Thai merchants through Antom, Ant International’s merchant payment platform.
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.”
The companies said the MoU reflects a shared commitment to developing integrated and scalable cross-border financial systems to improve the efficiency and reliability of international commerce.
