Payments
SBV Moves Payment Licence Admin to Regional Branches
Circular 22/2026, effective May 19, moves payment licence amendments and lost-licence reissuance from SBV Hanoi to regional branches — reducing administrative overhead for HCMC-based operators.
SBV Biometric Rule Extends to Card Issuance, Closing Gap Left by Circular 77
Circular 45/2025, in force since January 5, 2026, requires biometric verification against the CCCD chip before any new bank card can be issued or activated for electronic transactions.
SBV–RBI MoU Opens India Corridor for the VIFC
The SBV–RBI MoU signed 5 May 2026 targets QR code retail payment linkages — not full UPI interoperability — but opens a corridor unlike any other the VIFC has.
Vietnam Scraps Bank Data-Sharing Rule After MoF–SBV Standoff
Vietnam's MoF dropped mandatory bank-taxpayer data sharing after SBV cited banking secrecy law, data architecture gaps, and technical infeasibility at scale.
Da Nang Pilot Runs Vietnam's First Live Blockchain Payment
Basal Pay ran real USDT/USDC through a seven-firm consortium at Ironman Da Nang — Vietnam's first live blockchain cross-border payment test under a dual SBV–Resolution 222 sandbox regime.
For Fintech and Digital Asset Firms: Sandboxes, Licensing, and the Path to Market in the VIFC
A practical guide for fintech startups, digital asset exchanges, tokenisation platforms, stablecoin issuers, and Web3 companies evaluating Vietnam's International Financial Centre — covering the sandbox mechanism, licensing pathways, and what the regulatory framework actually permits.
SBV's Draft AI Circular: Six Compliance Layers Banks Must Build by September 2027
The SBV's draft AI circular imposes six compliance layers on banks under Law 134/2025/QH15, with a September 2027 deadline for existing systems.
VIFC Posts 38 Members in First Institutional Scoreboard
Vietnam's MoF disclosed 38 formal VIFC registrations across both nodes on May 25 — the first official membership count, against 'hundreds' of expressions of interest.
HCMC's Davos Playbook: The On-Chain Partnerships Behind the Headlines
HCMC's Davos delegation signed two on-chain MoUs and studied Lugano's crypto-city model. Here is what each engagement actually involved.