In short: EzyRemit Co-Founder Allan Nguyen took part in fintech talks at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026, held 9-10 June 2026 in Hanoi, where Vietnam’s Deputy PM Nguyễn Văn Thắng and Laos’ Deputy PM Thongsavan Phomvihane called for a shared regional approach to digital finance. (Last updated 2026-08-18.)
Key Takeaways
- The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 ran 9-10 June in Hanoi, its third edition, themed “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development.”
- A fintech seminar, “Creating a Regional Fintech Ecosystem: From Policy to Action,” met on the afternoon of 9 June, with Vietnam’s Deputy PM Nguyễn Văn Thắng and Laos’ Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane both attending.
- Thắng proposed studying an “ASEAN Fintech Sandbox” for testing cross-border fintech solutions at a regional level.
- Vietnam News reported that nearly 89% of Vietnamese adults now hold a bank account, over 90% of banking transactions run through digital channels, and QR payments have grown more than 100% a year between 2021 and 2025.
- EzyRemit Co-Founder Allan Nguyen took part in the forum’s fintech discussions.
EzyRemit, the Sydney-based digital remittance company, sent its Co-Founder Allan Nguyen to the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 in Hanoi, where senior officials and technology leaders discussed how Southeast Asian countries might connect their payment systems. The forum drew ministers, diplomats and industry figures from across the region for two days of talks on trade, digital cooperation and regional security.
When and Where Was the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 Held?
The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 ran from 9 to 10 June 2026 in Hanoi, Vietnam, the event’s third edition.
Held under the theme “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development,” the forum brought together government officials, diplomats, academics and business figures from across the region (Việt Nam News). A fintech-focused seminar, “Creating a Regional Fintech Ecosystem: From Policy to Action,” was held on the afternoon of 9 June as part of the wider programme (Vietnam News).
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 9-10 June 2026 |
| Location | Hanoi, Vietnam |
| Edition | Third |
| Theme | “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development” |
| Fintech seminar | “Creating a Regional Fintech Ecosystem: From Policy to Action,” afternoon of 9 June |
| Confirmed fintech speakers | Nguyễn Văn Thắng, Thongsavan Phomvihane, Marc Woo, Mari Pangestu |
Table checked against Vietnam News and VietNamNet reporting on 2026-08-18.
What Did Vietnam’s Deputy PM Propose for Regional Fintech?
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng called on ASEAN members to build a shared fintech ecosystem instead of relying on separate bilateral deals.
“We cannot build a strong fintech ecosystem if we remain divided by data silos, incompatible standards, or gaps in trust and governance,” Thắng said, per Vietnam News’s report on the seminar. He described the goal as an ecosystem that is open, secure, transparent, inclusive and sustainable, and suggested ASEAN study the feasibility of an “ASEAN Fintech Sandbox” to test cross-border fintech solutions at a regional level (VietNamNet).
Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavan Phomvihane also took part in the session, alongside officials from Vietnamese ministries and agencies.
Who Else Spoke at the Forum’s Fintech Session?
Marc Woo, managing director of Google Vietnam, and Mari Pangestu, a former Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, both spoke at the session.
Woo said artificial intelligence is opening new opportunities in finance and called for common ASEAN standards on AI governance, data protection and cybersecurity, along with wider use of regulatory sandboxes (Vietnam News). Pangestu pointed to real progress in cross-border digital payments across the bloc. Gaps between member states remain, she said, arguing for an interoperable, secure regional payment network.
How Is Vietnam’s Digital Payment Use Changing?
Nearly 89% of Vietnamese adults now hold a bank account, and more than 90% of banking transactions run through digital channels, Vietnam News reported from the seminar.
The same report put annual growth in QR-code payment volume and value at more than 100% between 2021 and 2025 (Vietnam News). Officials at the forum pointed to this shift as one reason Vietnam is being treated as a testing ground for cross-border fintech cooperation.
What Does EzyRemit Say About Its Role at the Forum?
EzyRemit Co-Founder Allan Nguyen took part in the forum’s fintech discussions.
“Participating in the ASEAN Future Forum 2026 alongside Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Gillian Bird, reinforces our regional focus,” Nguyen said, in comments supplied by EzyRemit. “This presence highlights our commitment to the region’s financial evolution. As the only Australian fintech present, we see real growth potential in Southeast Asia, and believe the biggest opportunities for digital finance in the region are still ahead. Our work on EzyWallet is built to support the cross-border payment connectivity regional leaders are asking for.”
Bird, Australia’s ambassador to Vietnam since 2025, was separately quoted ahead of the forum saying she was “delighted” to see fintech included on the AFF agenda (Việt Nam News; see also Wikipedia on her tenure). Her attendance at the fintech seminar itself is not separately confirmed in that coverage.
How Is EzyRemit Building EzyWallet for Cross-Border Payments?
EzyRemit is developing EzyWallet, a platform for remittances, business payments and tuition payments, to link with regional payment systems.
The company describes three pieces of that work: interoperable QR standards so the platform can plug into different countries’ merchant payment systems, AI-based verification and fraud checks built into the transfer flow, and settlement arrangements with regional banking partners aimed at processing transactions within minutes. EzyRemit frames this as groundwork for the kind of cross-border connectivity officials discussed at the forum, alongside its existing work on tuition payment solutions and fintech partnerships in the region.
About EzyRemit
EzyRemit is a digital remittance company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It provides international money transfers for individuals and businesses, with dedicated corridors to Vietnam, India, the Philippines and other markets. The company has previously written about how to choose a money transfer service and about its work on Australia-Vietnam financial infrastructure.
Explore more at ezyremit.com.
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- EzyRemit Tuition Payment Solutions Support Vietnamese Students
FAQ: EzyRemit at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026
What was the ASEAN Future Forum 2026?
The ASEAN Future Forum 2026 was a two-day regional forum held 9-10 June 2026 in Hanoi, bringing together government officials, diplomats and business representatives under the theme “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity and People-Centred Development.”
Did EzyRemit take part in the ASEAN Future Forum 2026?
Yes. EzyRemit Co-Founder Allan Nguyen took part in the forum’s fintech discussions.
What did Vietnam’s Deputy PM propose for regional fintech?
Deputy PM Nguyễn Văn Thắng proposed studying an “ASEAN Fintech Sandbox” to test cross-border fintech solutions, calling for an open, secure, transparent, inclusive and sustainable regional ecosystem.
How many Vietnamese adults have a bank account?
Nearly 89% of Vietnamese adults hold a bank account, and more than 90% of banking transactions run through digital channels, according to figures Vietnam News reported from the forum’s fintech seminar.
What is EzyWallet?
EzyWallet is EzyRemit’s platform for remittances, business payments and tuition payments, which the company is building to connect with regional cross-border payment systems.