Webinar on “Beyond Traditional Payments: Tokenization, AI & Path to Scale” on 24 September 2026

The Asian Bankers Association (ABA), in cooperation with Temenos and its partner Thunes, held the webinar “Beyond Traditional Payments: Tokenization, AI & Path to Scale” on 24 September 2026, attracting 281 registrants from 21 countries. The webinar aimed to examine how banks can strengthen customer differentiation, operational efficiency and resilience as payments continue to evolve. (1) Opening Remarks by Mig Moreno, Deputy Secretary, ABA. Opening the session, Mig Moreno noted that the payments landscape is changing rapidly as artificial intelligence, tokenization and new approaches to scaling reshape financial services. (2) Presentation by Mick Fennell, Director of Payments, Temenos Mick Fennell outlined how tokenized money and artificial intelligence are beginning to reshape payment infrastructure. He noted that the industry is already under pressure from rising transaction volumes, 24/7 customer expectations, greater competition and the growing number of payment endpoints. Over the past decade, modernization has been driven by ISO 20022, instant payments, cloud architectures, open banking, APIs and digital wallets. The next major drivers, however, are increasingly tokenization and AI. Fennell described tokenized money as a digital representation of traditional currency or bank deposits issued on blockchain or distributed-ledger technology. Its advantages include programmable money, automation, embedded compliance, instant settlement, greater transparency and lower settlement risk. However, tokenized payments are not necessarily cheaper today because limited liquidity and conversion between fiat and digital currencies can create additional fees. He described the current stage as “Tokenization 3.0,” in which stablecoins, tokenized deposits and central bank digital currencies are moving toward mainstream financial use, supported by lower technology costs and clearer regulatory frameworks. (3) Presentation by Shaheen Budhrani, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships, Thunes Shaheen Budhrani focused on the challenge of scaling global payment operations. He explained that scale involves more than transaction volume; banks must simultaneously expand operational capacity, compliance, network connectivity and customer offerings. This can be difficult because retail, SME and transaction banking often have different requirements, creating internal bottlenecks. Thunes therefore approaches scaling from the perspective of customer needs and the value that payment infrastructure can deliver. Budhrani highlighted the limitations of traditional correspondent banking, including slow transfers, uncertain costs, limited transparency and weak interoperability with newer financial ecosystems. These weaknesses are increasingly important as consumers expect the same speed and convenience from banking that they receive from digital commerce. He emphasized the growing importance of mobile wallets, particularly in emerging markets where wallet penetration can significantly exceed conventional banking penetration. (4) Q&A Session The Q&A session focused on modernization priorities, risk, regulation, AI and the barriers to scaling. Fennell identified infrastructure scalability, resilience and integration as the most important priorities. Banks need systems capable not only of handling higher transaction volumes but also of connecting with multiple providers and supporting different forms of money. Budhrani added that competitive pressure from fintechs, digital banks and mobile-money operators means banks must reassess where customers are transacting and whether their payment strategies remain relevant. Fennell also stressed that fintechs should not only be viewed as competitors but as potential partners within broader financial ecosystems.