HCM City Fintech Summit Highlights Innovation, Inclusion and Opportunity

Ho Chi Minh City recently hosted the HCM City Fintech Summit 2025, a large-scale event that brought together fintech startups, government representatives, researchers, and international partners to explore opportunities in Vietnam’s rapidly evolving financial technology sector. The event was held at the Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), a public–private partnership facility that spans 17,000 square meters and serves as a key venue for innovation in the region. The summit’s core theme focused on the intersections of regulation, innovation, and opportunity in financial technology.

Vietnam’s fintech sector has been experiencing remarkable growth, fueled by increasing digital adoption and a tech-savvy population. According to the report by Vietnam News, fintech is becoming one of the most transformative forces in Vietnam’s economy. It is reshaping how people access financial services, encouraging cashless transactions, and offering a broad range of digital solutions from lending and payments to wealth management and insurance (Vietnam News, August 25, 2025).

A key voice at the summit was Nguyen Ba Diep, co-founder and vice chairman of MoMo, one of Vietnam’s largest fintech companies. He shared insights into how MoMo has evolved from a mobile wallet into a multi-service digital platform. Diep emphasized that Vietnam’s retail sector remains fragmented, with limited infrastructure for digital payments in many parts of the country. MoMo’s goal, he stated, is to bridge this gap by building an ecosystem that integrates shopping, payments, investment, insurance, and credit access on one digital platform.

Other speakers and panelists echoed similar sentiments about the need to create a more connected financial environment. They discussed how fintech can help reduce the cost of service delivery, increase transparency, and promote financial inclusion. However, they also acknowledged challenges, such as limited regulatory clarity, fragmented data systems, and cybersecurity risks that must be addressed to ensure sustainable growth.

The summit was organized in partnership with the University of Economics and Law, the International Data Group Vietnam (IDG Vietnam), and the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS). It forms part of a broader initiative titled Fintech Road 2025, which includes educational workshops, student competitions, research projects, and ongoing public–private policy dialogues. These efforts aim to support Vietnam’s national digital transformation strategy and position Ho Chi Minh City as a key fintech innovation hub in Southeast Asia.

Ho Chi Minh City currently accounts for nearly half of all fintech firms operating in Vietnam. The city’s strong academic institutions, expanding startup ecosystem, and growing investor interest make it a natural center for financial technology development. Plans are also underway to establish an international financial center in the city by 2030, with fintech being one of the primary pillars of this vision. This broader financial strategy is supported by policies encouraging digital payments, regulatory reform, and enhanced support for innovation startups.

Throughout the summit, regulators and experts called for the development of tailored policy frameworks, such as regulatory sandboxes that allow fintech firms to test new products under controlled conditions. These sandboxes would support innovation in areas like blockchain, AI-based credit scoring, peer-to-peer lending, and cross-border payments. They also highlighted the importance of creating standardized data governance models to ensure security and promote interoperability across platforms.

One recurring theme at the summit was the importance of inclusive growth. Several speakers pointed out that while urban areas are benefiting from fintech innovation, rural and underserved regions continue to face barriers in accessing digital financial services. Expanding mobile connectivity, improving digital literacy, and creating localized financial tools were all cited as essential to extending the benefits of fintech beyond major cities.

International speakers contributed perspectives on how Vietnam can learn from global best practices in digital regulation and public–private collaboration. Many praised Vietnam’s openness to innovation and highlighted the country’s potential to lead regional fintech development, especially in the ASEAN context.

In conclusion, the HCM City Fintech Summit 2025 underscored Vietnam’s ambition to modernize its financial sector through technology and innovation. As stakeholders push for greater collaboration, smarter regulations, and deeper market integration, Ho Chi Minh City is positioned to play a central role in shaping the future of fintech in Vietnam and beyond. With coordinated efforts through initiatives like Fintech Road 2025 and the international financial center project, the city is steadily emerging as a regional hub for digital finance.