StraitsX, a digital payment infrastructure provider licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, is expanding its payment network to support real-time cross-border settlement across Asia, beginning with enhanced connectivity between Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan.

As part of this expansion, StraitsX will be partnering with Kasikornbank ( KBank ) in Thailand, and integrating into a regional settlement framework that connects consumer and institutional payment platforms in Taiwan and Japan.

These two new strategic developments will introduce stablecoin-native settlement into existing payment systems, enabling instant cross-border payments with transparent FX conversion and regulatory alignment for the participating markets, the fintech firm says.

The expanded network, slated to go live in the second quarter of 2026, aims to establish a unified payment corridor linking Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, allowing users to transact across borders with real-time settlement and clear price transparency.

By embedding stablecoin settlement into trusted financial and consumer payment infrastructure, StraitsX aims to show how stablecoins can operate as reliable, compliant rails for everyday financial activity at a regional scale.

QR interoperability

In Thailand, StraitsX, KBank, and Orbix Technology will advance a roadmap to enable real-time QR interoperability between Thailand’s national QR Payment system and Singapore’s SGQR framework.

The collaboration includes exploring the use of XSGD, a Singapore dollar stablecoin, as the settlement asset for cross-border transactions. This will allow consumers to pay through familiar local payment interfaces while merchants receive settlement in their domestic currency.

In the first phase of this integration, Thai travellers visiting Singapore will be able to pay at GrabPay and select PayNow-enabled merchants using Thailand’s first e-money on blockchain ( Q-money ) via the Q Wallet by KBank, with merchants receiving instant settlement in SGD.

In the second phase, Singapore travellers in Thailand will be able to use their home wallets to pay merchants, establishing a stablecoin-enabled model for cross-border settlement between national payment systems.

Regional network

Tianwei Liu, co-founder and chief executive officer of StraitsX, says: “The Thailand-Singapore corridor offers an opportunity to explore how stablecoins can strengthen existing payment ecosystems. By embedding XSGD into established consumer rails like GrabPay and Q Wallet by KBank, we’re showing how trusted digital assets can deliver real-time settlement, transparent FX conversion, and interoperability at scale. This sets the foundation for a future where stablecoins become the invisible infrastructure that powers everyday payments.”

Building on the momentum between Singapore and Thailand, StraitsX will also extend its payment network through a regional settlement framework that connects regulated consumer and institutional payment platforms across multiple Asian markets. This will expand the network’s reach beyond Southeast Asia and strengthen interoperability between payment ecosystems in Northeast and Southeast Asia.

This integration will enable users in Japan and Taiwan to make payments across participating merchant networks in Southeast Asia, with all cross-border transactions settled in XSGD behind the scenes.

Settlement occurs in real time with transparent FX conversion, maintaining compliance with local regulatory requirements while preserving familiar payment experiences for users and merchants, StraitsX says.