Affirm returned to Australia through Shopify, giving it broader merchant distribution than its original retailer-led entry. Better Mortgage and Coinbase also made Bitcoin-backed down-payment financing generally available, connecting digital-asset holdings with conventional home loans.

Wero moved beyond person-to-person transfers as Orange introduced bill payments for Sosh customers. In Asia, Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Malaysia's RHB also reported growth among younger customers, while Revolut adjusted its European digital-asset offering around regulated stablecoins.

Read more on the week’s key developments:

1. Affirm returns to Australia through Shopify as BNPL distribution broadens

US-based buy now, pay later provider Affirm launched Shop Pay Installments in Australia with Shopify on 27 August, marking its return to the market. Eligible consumers can split purchases into fortnightly or monthly payments, with interest-free and interest-bearing plans available depending on the transaction. Australia is the fourth market for Shop Pay Installments after the US, Canada and UK. Affirm Australia holds an Australian Credit Licence, with Shopify Commerce Singapore acting as its credit representative.

Affirm’s renewed push differs from its 2021 Australian entry through Peloton. Distribution through Shopify gives it access to a broader merchant network and embeds the credit decision within an established checkout environment. The arrangement expands the number and variety of transactions assessed through Affirm’s real-time underwriting model, making credit performance across Shopify’s merchant base an important measure of the re-entry strategy.

2. Better and Coinbase roll out Bitcoin-backed US mortgage programme

Better Mortgage and Coinbase made their token-backed mortgage programme generally available to eligible Coinbase One members in the US. Better provides a standard Fannie Mae-conforming first mortgage and a separate down-payment loan secured by Bitcoin and a second lien on the home. Borrowers can receive credit equivalent to 40% of the pledged Bitcoin’s value toward their down payment, representing a collateralisation ratio of 250%. Better maintains custody of the Bitcoin through Coinbase Prime.

The structure allows customers to use digital-asset wealth for a home purchase without selling their Bitcoin. Price movements do not trigger margin calls or additional collateral requirements, although Better may liquidate the Bitcoin if the borrower remains delinquent for 60 days. Eligible Coinbase One members can also receive a lender-funded closing-cost credit equal to 1% of the loan, capped at $10,000. The programme brings crypto-backed borrowing into a conventional mortgage structure but adds a second loan and an additional asset to the borrower’s home-financing obligations.

3. Orange brings Wero bill payments to customers as bank-backed wallet expands

Orange has become the first French merchant to offer Wero for bill payments, allowing Sosh customers to pay directly from their bank accounts through their banking app. The service is initially available to BNP Paribas customers, with other French banks expected to join during the second half of 2026. Wero, the account-to-account payment solution developed by the bank-backed European Payments Initiative, is available to nearly 40 million users in France and more than 58 million across Europe.

The rollout moves Wero beyond person-to-person transfers and into a repeatable household payment use case. This gives participating banks a greater role in the customer’s payment journey and provides Orange with an account-to-account alternative to cards and direct debits. Initial availability through BNP Paribas keeps the first phase narrow. Broader participation from banks and merchants is necessary for Wero to become a regular payment choice alongside cards and digital wallets.

4. Revolut reshapes EEA digital-asset offering as USDT exits its retail app

Digital finance platform Revolut completed the phased removal of Tether’s USDT from its retail app for customers in the European Economic Area and Switzerland on 31 August. Purchases had stopped on 6 July, followed by deposits on 30 July, with remaining balances converted after the withdrawal deadline. The change coincided with Revolut’s phased introduction of EURR, a euro-pegged e-money token available initially to eligible customers in Denmark, Poland and Portugal.

EURR is legally issued by Bridge Building S.A., a Stripe company, and offered through Revolut Digital Assets Europe. Revolut distributes the token within the same customer environment as payments, foreign exchange, savings, investments and other digital assets. The shift shows how regulated digital banks can retain crypto functionality while adjusting the assets available through their apps to meet European requirements. It also places responsibility for issuance and regulatory compliance with a licensed external entity while Revolut controls customer access and distribution.

5. Chinese lender CCB expands consumer lending as PSBC builds deposits and digital reach

China Construction Bank reported that personal consumption loans increased 14.43% in the first half of 2026 from the end of last year. Domestic personal loans reached RMB 9.07 trillion ($1.35 trillion), while individual customer assets under management rose to RMB 24 trillion ($3.57 trillion). Wealth-management balances exceeded RMB 5.3 trillion ($789 billion) and the number of wealth-management clients increased by 5.57 million.

Postal Savings Bank of China reported a 6.41% increase in customer loans to RMB 10.27 trillion ($1.53 trillion) and a 5.42% rise in customer deposits to RMB 17.44 trillion ($2.59 trillion). Digital wallets opened through its e-CNY app exceeded 37 million. CCB is expanding consumer credit and wealth relationships, while PSBC combines its postal agency network with digital channels to build deposits and customer reach. Their scale is already substantial, leaving product depth and fee generation as more useful measures of retail progress than customer numbers alone.

6. BOCHK expands younger customer base while retaining mortgage leadership

Bank of China (Hong Kong) reported profit attributable to equity holders of HKD 23.74 billion ($3.0 billion) for the first half of 2026, up 7.1% year on year. The bank retained its leading position in Hong Kong’s new residential mortgage market, while customer deposits increased 3.2% and advances rose 5.9% from the end of 2025. Its young-customer base grew by nearly 20% year on year, high-end customer relationship balances increased by more than 10% and mobile banking users rose by over 10%.

Mortgage leadership gives BOCHK an entry point into broader household relationships, while growth among younger customers supports future demand across payments, deposits and investments. However, net fee and commission income declined 5.8% year on year, despite increasing 19% from the second half of 2025. The figures show that customer acquisition and digital engagement have not yet produced corresponding annual growth in fee income.

7. TD reports record digital sales in Canadian personal banking

TD Bank’s Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking business reported third-quarter net income of CAD 2.10 billion ($1.52 billion), up 7% year on year. Revenue increased 5% to CAD 5.52 billion ($4.0 billion), while average loan volumes rose 5%. Personal loans grew 4% and personal deposits increased 1%. Digital sales in Canadian personal banking reached a third-quarter record, increasing 17% year on year across day-to-day banking products.

The digital-sales growth shows TD acquiring more everyday banking customers through its online channels while continuing to expand lending. Credit costs provide a counterpoint to the stronger volumes. Impaired provisions increased 19% to CAD 446 million ($322 million), largely reflecting credit migration in consumer lending portfolios. TD’s retail performance therefore combined stronger digital acquisition and lending growth with increased stress in parts of its existing consumer book.

8. KBank officially unveils Indonesian brand after Bank Maspion rebrand

Thailand’s Kasikornbank officially unveiled KBank Indonesia at its Jakarta headquarters on 31 August, following the legal rebranding of Bank Maspion in July. KBank and its affiliates hold approximately 89.5% of the Indonesian bank, which serves corporate, business and retail customers. KBank Indonesia also holds an AA+(idn) national credit rating from Fitch Ratings Indonesia.

The ceremony did not represent a new market entry, as KBank’s ownership and the legal name change predated the announcement. Its importance lies in bringing the Indonesian operation under KBank’s regional identity and connecting Bank Maspion’s local franchise more visibly with the Thai group’s network and digital capabilities. Further retail relevance will come from new customer, deposit and product milestones under the KBank brand.

9. RHB’s MySISWA student deposits reach MYR 4 billion

Malaysia-based RHB Bank reported that deposits linked to its MySISWA student ecosystem increased 14.7% on an annualised basis to MYR 4 billion ($920 million) in the first half of 2026. Current and savings account balances within the ecosystem reached MYR 600 million ($138 million), up 3.4% annualised. Group Community Banking gross loans increased 5.4% annualised to MYR 134 billion ($30 billion), led by 5.7% mortgage growth and 8.1% growth in automobile financing.

MySISWA gives RHB an early relationship with students whose future needs can extend into payments, savings, cards and lending. The MYR 4 billion deposit base provides measurable scale beyond customer-acquisition claims, although most of the balances remain outside current and savings accounts. Increasing the share of primary transactional accounts would strengthen the ecosystem’s value as students move into employment and more complex financial products.

10. ID Finance secures EUR 21 million for Spanish consumer lending

Spanish fintech lender ID Finance secured a EUR 21 million ($25 million) debt facility from German asset manager nordIX on 1 September. The proceeds will finance new consumer loans originated through its Spanish digital lending platform. ID Finance has more than 3.7 million registered users in Spain and originated over EUR 190 million ($222 million) in consumer loans during the first half of 2026, generating approximately EUR 100 million ($117 million) in revenue.

The facility increases the capital available for small, short-term consumer loans and diversifies the institutional funding supporting ID Finance’s Spanish portfolio. It does not change the customer proposition directly, but provides additional capacity to originate loans through the existing platform. Sustained credit performance as the portfolio expands would support further access to institutional funding.