The Asian Banker Summit 2026 Edition

This special The Asian Banker Summit 2026 edition examines how artificial intelligence (AI), real-time financial infrastructure, digital asset regulation and cross-border connectivity are reshaping banking at speed. It captures a financial system in transition, where technology-led change is increasingly intersecting with geopolitical fragmentation and shifting global capital flows.

The cover story featuring Patrick McHenry, former chairman of the US House Financial Services Committee, explores how stablecoins, AI and platform-based systems are reshaping financial services faster than regulatory frameworks can adapt, as geopolitical fragmentation collides with interconnected digital infrastructure.

A feature on cross-border financing examines the growing gap between strong demand and constrained execution in Asia, where capital needs continue to expand across infrastructure, energy transition and supply chain reconfiguration. While funding is available from global banks, institutional investors and development finance institutions, deployment remains uneven, shaped by geopolitical disruption and ongoing supply chain realignment.

In CEO Interview, Hendra Lembong, president director of Bank Central Asia, discusses sustaining profitability, efficiency and funding resilience in a more challenging environment while selectively expanding in wholesale banking, ecosystem offerings and AI-driven productivity. 

This issue also highlights the 2026 World’s Best Corporate, Investment and Wholesale Banks Ranking, a benchmark redefining institutional leadership across seven dimensions, including client franchise strength, digital infrastructure maturity, financial performance, sustainability, execution quality, institutional capability, international reach, and governance and risk management.

Together, these perspectives reflect a banking landscape reshaped by innovation, capital flows and geopolitics, defining the next phase of global financial infrastructure.