A New Era for SMEs with AI and Tokenised Money
Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group, shared his vision for a more inclusive AI future. He spoke at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025. The focus is on supporting small and medium enterprises in a rapidly evolving global economy. AI and tokenisation are central to this transformation.
Jing emphasized the potential of AI to simplify complex business operations for SMEs. Tokenised settlement can accelerate cross-border payments and reduce friction. New tools aim to make financial management more accessible and precise. These innovations are designed to democratize technology globally.
The discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration between technology and policy. Regulators like the Monetary Authority of Singapore provide guidance and clarity. Public-private partnerships are key to responsible deployment of AI and blockchain. Together, they can drive a new wave of productivity.
Agentic Finance: AI as the Backbone of SME Success
Agentic payments represent a shift in how businesses handle transactions. These AI-driven systems manage the entire process autonomously. By integrating payment solutions, risk management, and operational tasks, agentic finance offers efficiency. SMEs can now automate complex financial operations without requiring extensive resources.
Antom Copilot is one of the most powerful tools in this new landscape. It simplifies payment integration, reducing setup time by over 90%. Copilot also helps merchants with risk management and chargeback responses. By improving chargeback winning rates and resolution speed, it boosts SME confidence in handling payments.
EPOS360 is another revolutionary tool for SMEs seeking growth. This all-in-one app combines point-of-sale systems, payments, banking, and lending. It allows small businesses to scale up quickly by automating essential functions. The seamless integration of these services removes the complexity often faced by new enterprises.
AI agents are transforming the way SMEs manage their financial operations. These tools act like virtual CFOs and COOs, providing strategic support. SMEs can now access high-level financial planning without hiring full-time executives. This opens doors to previously unattainable opportunities for small businesses.
The power of agentic payments extends beyond operational efficiency. They help SMEs make smarter financial decisions through data-driven insights. With AI monitoring cash flow and liquidity, businesses can avoid costly mistakes. These technologies are tailored to reduce risks while maximizing profitability.
By providing SMEs with a virtual workforce, agentic finance levels the playing field. Small businesses can now compete globally on an equal footing with larger corporations. AI gives them the ability to manage finances, risk, and growth without the need for large teams. This makes global business expansion more accessible than ever.
The rise of agentic finance is more than just a trend. It is a crucial development for the future of small businesses. As AI tools continue to evolve, the potential for SMEs to thrive in a competitive market grows exponentially. With these technologies, Ant Group is helping redefine what’s possible for global commerce.
AI in Global Trade: Simplifying the Complex for SMEs
AI agents are revolutionizing global trade by simplifying its complexities. These tools manage payment integration across borders, making transactions faster. With AI handling everything from currency conversion to compliance, SMEs can trade globally with ease. This eliminates the barriers once faced by small businesses in international markets.
One of the key advantages of AI in global trade is chargeback resolution. Traditional chargeback processes are time-consuming and often unclear. AI agents streamline this by automating decision-making and reducing disputes. This leads to higher chargeback win rates and faster resolution times, which directly benefits SMEs.
Liquidity forecasting is another area where AI makes a significant impact. By analyzing vast amounts of financial data, AI can predict cash flow trends. This helps businesses anticipate liquidity shortages and plan ahead. SMEs can now manage their finances more proactively, avoiding the pitfalls of unexpected financial strain.
AI-driven tools also enable SMEs to make smarter operational and financial decisions. With real-time data analysis, businesses can better assess risk and profitability. These tools give SMEs the insights needed to optimize pricing, inventory, and operations. This level of decision-making was once reserved for large enterprises with specialized teams.
By democratizing access to these powerful tools, AI is fostering inclusion in global trade. Small businesses no longer need large teams or complex systems to compete globally. With the right AI-powered solutions, even the smallest players can thrive. This shift is key to creating a more equitable global economy for SMEs.
Pioneering Innovation: MAS and Ant Group’s Partnership
Ant International’s collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) sets a powerful example for responsible innovation. Through initiatives like Project Guardian, both parties are pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology. The project aims to revolutionize cross-border settlements by leveraging tokenised money. This collaboration brings real-time, transparent, and secure financial transactions to the forefront.
Project Guardian explores the tokenisation of assets, including currencies and securities. By digitizing traditional assets, this initiative enables faster and more efficient transactions. Cross-border payments, once bogged down by delays and fees, are now streamlined. The impact on SMEs engaged in international trade is significant, reducing costs and enhancing speed.
PathFin.ai is another groundbreaking initiative between Ant International and MAS. This program focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence in the financial sector. Through knowledge exchange, both parties aim to develop AI-driven solutions that benefit businesses globally. AI’s role in predicting liquidity and enhancing financial decision-making is at the heart of the program.
Blockchain technology is central to both Project Guardian and PathFin.ai. It enables transparent, tamper-proof records that make transactions more secure. For businesses, particularly SMEs, this offers a much-needed layer of trust in international trade. As these technologies mature, they promise to eliminate many risks and inefficiencies in global finance.
The partnership between Ant International and MAS also emphasizes the importance of regulatory clarity. MAS’s regulatory sandbox provides a controlled environment where new technologies can be tested. This approach ensures that innovations like blockchain and AI are deployed responsibly. For businesses, this certainty is crucial in adapting to rapidly changing technology landscapes.
Together, Ant International and MAS are demonstrating how public-private collaboration can drive global financial inclusion. By combining regulatory expertise with cutting-edge technology, they are creating an ecosystem that supports innovation while managing risks. Their work serves as a model for future partnerships aiming to solve global challenges in the digital economy.
Redefining Global Commerce: AI, Blockchain, and SMEs
Ant Group is transforming the landscape for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the power of AI and blockchain. By democratizing access to these technologies, Ant is enabling businesses to compete on a global scale. SMEs, once limited by their size and resources, now have access to powerful tools for financial management and growth. This shift is opening new doors for innovation and inclusion in global trade.
Public-private partnerships, like those between Ant International and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, are key to responsible innovation. Regulatory clarity ensures that emerging technologies like AI and blockchain are deployed safely and effectively. These collaborations provide SMEs with the confidence to embrace new tools while minimizing risks. The future of global commerce is being shaped by these joint efforts.
Ant Group’s vision for financial inclusion is centered on providing SMEs with AI-powered tools that level the playing field. With AI-driven finance and payment solutions, small businesses can streamline operations, reduce risks, and improve profitability. The rise of agentic AI systems offers businesses virtual CFOs and COOs, giving them the expertise they need to thrive. This is an essential development in ensuring that small businesses can succeed in a digital-first economy.
The role of blockchain in this transformation cannot be overstated. Blockchain technology enables secure, transparent, and efficient cross-border transactions. By tokenizing money and assets, Ant is accelerating the pace of global trade, making it more accessible to SMEs. With blockchain, businesses can bypass traditional financial systems, reducing costs and improving transaction speed.
As AI and blockchain continue to evolve, the potential for SMEs to thrive in the global marketplace grows exponentially. Ant Group’s commitment to building a more inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem ensures that these technologies will reach businesses of all sizes. With the right tools, SMEs can scale, innovate, and compete like never before.
The future of global business is rooted in these technologies, and Ant Group is at the forefront. Through its ongoing collaborations and innovations, Ant is paving the way for a new era of global commerce. By empowering SMEs with AI and blockchain, Ant is helping to create a more inclusive, efficient, and dynamic global economy.
