The Indonesian FinTech Association (AFTECH) highlighted the need to move from payment interoperability toward digital trust interoperability as cross-border digital financial activity grows across Asia at FinTechON 2026 & AFA Summit in Taipei, Taiwan (3/9).

AFTECH Deputy Chairman I Marshall Pribadi shared Indonesia's perspective on how fintech innovation can develop from the domestic level toward broader regional collaboration. AFTECH's participation also aimed to strengthen connections between Indonesia's fintech industry and the regional ecosystem and encourage the exchange of views on the future of increasingly integrated digital financial services.

The discussion focused on how regional financial connectivity needs more than technically connected payment systems. Digital identities, electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) processes, electronic signatures and other trust mechanisms also need to be recognized across jurisdictions.

QRIS Shows the Value of Payment Interoperability

Indonesia's Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) provides an example of how common standards can support the expansion of digital payments.

The development of QRIS shows that a wider digital payment ecosystem depends not only on technology but also on shared standards that allow different participants to connect.

Interoperability has become an important foundation of this development. Widely applicable standards can make payments simpler for consumers and businesses while allowing service providers to operate within a more integrated ecosystem.

The expansion of cross-border payments has taken this principle to a wider level. As payment systems in different countries become more connected, interoperability can make transactions easier and support regional economic activity.

However, payment connectivity is only one part of building a fully connected regional digital financial ecosystem.

Digital Trust Becomes the Next Cross-Border Challenge

As transactions become easier across national borders, the next question is whether digital trust can also operate across those borders.

Digital financial transactions and services require trust in areas such as identity verification, user recognition by service providers, and the validity and reliability of electronic consent and documents.

Cross-border activity makes this more complex because jurisdictions can have different regulatory frameworks, digital identity standards, e-KYC mechanisms and requirements for electronic signatures.

AFTECH's perspective is that regional financial connectivity therefore needs to move beyond payment interoperability toward digital trust interoperability.

This requires not only systems that can connect technically, but also frameworks that allow digital verification and trust processes from one jurisdiction to be recognized and accepted by another.

Mutual Recognition Could Support Regional Fintech Collaboration

AFTECH sees stronger mutual recognition for e-KYC and electronic signatures as one potential step toward a more integrated regional digital financial ecosystem.

Mutual recognition does not require countries to use identical systems or regulations. Instead, it requires standards and principles that can be recognized across jurisdictions, together with governance mechanisms and clear divisions of responsibility.

Such an approach could provide greater opportunities for digital financial service providers to develop cross-border services more efficiently while continuing to consider security, compliance, consumer protection and the integrity of financial systems.

For the fintech industry, digital trust interoperability could also provide a foundation for future regional collaboration. If digital identities and trust mechanisms can be recognized across jurisdictions, onboarding, verification and other cross-border financial services could become more seamless for consumers and businesses.

Regional Collaboration Key to a More Connected Digital Finance Ecosystem

Digital transformation has moved the financial industry from services that previously operated domestically toward an ecosystem that is increasingly connected across the region.

The next stage requires closer collaboration among regulators, industry associations, financial service providers, technology companies and other stakeholders in the region.

The development of payment interoperability shows that connectivity can grow when technology is supported by common standards, strong governance and stakeholder collaboration. The same principle can provide a foundation for interoperability in digital trust.

Through its participation in FinTechON 2026 & AFA Summit, AFTECH continues to promote the involvement of Indonesia's fintech industry in regional discussions and strengthen collaboration that can support the growth of the regional digital economy.

Regional connectivity will therefore involve not only how easily payments can be made across borders, but also how digital trust can be built, recognized and used across jurisdictions.

PHOTO: AFTECH INDONESIA

This article was created with AI assistance.

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