Every event in Central Asia's fintech market — briefly, with a link to the source. Analysis and explainers are in our news.
According to 24.kg, the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan has fined two payment organizations a total of **6.2 million soms** for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing violations.
Source: 24.kgUZCARD, Hamkorbank, and football club Nasaf have launched the Fan Card, which serves as both a regular bank card and a pass to home matches.
Source: t.me/uzcardUzbekistan's Ipoteka Bank has updated its mobile app, adding international SWIFT transfers, service payments with Uzcard and Humo cards, and improvements to UzQR payments and currency exchange.
Source: t.me/ipotekabankofficialThe National Bank of Kyrgyzstan has suspended the license of the Altai Bekbai exchange bureau for five days from October 23 to 27 for regulatory violations and fined four exchange offices in Bishkek.
Source: t.me/NBKR_newsAccording to inbusiness.kz, the National Bank of Kazakhstan lost **945 billion tenge** on the revaluation of UAPF foreign currency investments — 592.26 billion tenge from FX asset revaluation and 352.78 billion tenge from externally managed assets.
Source: inbusiness.kzUzbekistan's Deposit Guarantee Agency has completed payout of 207.5 billion UZS in compensation to depositors of the shuttered Yangi Bank JSC, agency director Ulugbek Khamdamov announced at a media briefing on October 21.
Source: daryo.uzAccording to spot.uz, the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan has amended departmental regulations to allow citizens to present electronic versions of passports, ID cards, and other documents alongside paper originals.
Source: spot.uzAccording to kapital.kz, Otbasy Bank plans to start accepting applications for the Umai women's mortgage program in early November for a second tranche of **20 billion tenge** approved by the Asian Development Bank.
Source: kapital.kzAccording to kapital.kz, about 200,000 of the more than one million Kazakhstanis on the subsidized housing waitlist could be removed for failing to meet eligibility criteria.
Source: kapital.kzThe National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has fined a Bishkek-based payment organization for AML/CFT internal control deficiencies.
Source: nbkr.kgTotal money transfers to Kyrgyzstan reached **$269.6 million** in August 2026, with $240.9 million arriving from CIS countries and $28.7 million from the rest of the world.
Source: t.me/NBKR_newsKazakhstanis can now choose a clinic for free healthcare via the Kaspi.kz app.
Source: kapital.kzAccording to kapital.kz, Otbasy Bank will change how it calculates the maximum loan origination fee starting October 31, 2026.
Source: kapital.kzAccording to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, total lending to small and medium-sized enterprises reached **12.7 trillion tenge** by the end of August 2026, up 24.4% year-on-year.
Source: ranking.kzAzerbaijani investment platform Birbank Invest has rolled out app version 2.5.0 with a redesigned portfolio management interface and simplified login.
Source: birbank.azAccording to podrobno.uz, Uzbekistan has introduced an experimental annual income and expense declaration for residents of Chirchiq and Navoi, approved by a government resolution and applying to adult citizens permanently registered in these cities.
Source: podrobno.uzUzbek bank SQB saw growth across its key financial metrics in the first nine months of 2026.
Source: t.me/sqbuzMicrofinance organization Express Zaim forced borrowers into paid consultations, rolling the cost into their debt, with the scheme affecting 43,000 people across 18 regions of Kazakhstan, according to the AFM.
Source: inbusiness.kzKazakh fintech Kaspi.kz has added a virtual SIM card sales service for international roaming to its app, covering 160 countries.
Source: profit.kzHalyk Bank has announced the closure of more than 35,000 current accounts belonging to sole proprietors and legal entities that have shown no activity for over a year.
Source: profit.kzThe Kazakh agency reminded that loan and microcredit deferrals are granted automatically for the entire period of mandatory military service and 60 calendar days after its completion.
Source: t.me/finregkzRetail deposits across Kazakhstan's banks grew 8.3% to top **30.5 trillion tenge** between January and August 2026, with the entire increase driven by local-currency funds.
Source: kapital.kzIn September 2026, the share of cashless bank card payments at Uzbekistan's gas stations rose to 91.9% of total transaction volume.
Source: daryo.uzUzcard Moment is issued at Ipoteka Bank branches within five minutes and links immediately to the Ipoteka Mobile app.
Source: ipotekabank.uzBetween February 2024 and October 2026, **$88.86 million** was paid out to 407,145 beneficiaries for housing improvements and education expenses under the National Fund for Children program.
Source: t.me/enpfkzGlobal Finance has once again included Tajikistan's Bank Eskhata in its annual World's Safest Banks ranking.
Source: t.me/bank_eskhataAccording to kapital.kz, former deputy governor of the National Bank Yeszhan Birtanov has been appointed a director of Tansar Islamic Bank Ltd, a new Islamic bank registered on October 16, 2026, at the Astana International Financial Centre.
Source: kapital.kzAccording to kapital.kz, citing the Financial Monitoring Agency, authorities in the Almaty region shut down the Albi pawnshop chain, which had continued operating under the new name Albi-KM after being stripped of its microfinance license.
Source: kapital.kzThe National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has fined a currency exchange office in the Jalal-Abad region **55,000 soms** for violating legislation and regulatory acts.
Source: t.me/NBKR_newsKazakhstan's Ministry of Labor has introduced a service in the eGov Mobile app to voluntarily opt out of state aid, with over 200 citizens declining social assistance after receiving SMS notifications.
Source: lsm.kzPaidax Limited and investment firm Standard have joined Kazakhstan Stock Exchange's digital financial asset and digital asset platform.
Source: t.me/KASEofficialThe National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Association of Legal Entities "Islamic Finance Association" have signed a memorandum of cooperation to develop Islamic finance principles.
Source: nbkr.kgThe National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has fined a microcredit company in Bishkek **55,000 soms** for violating legal requirements and regulatory acts.
Source: t.me/NBKR_newsUzbekistan's payment system UZCARD has introduced DTSQR, a solution that enables a single QR code on a POS terminal to accept payments via various banking apps and payment services.
Source: t.me/uzcardThe National Bank of Kazakhstan has warned of a multi-stage fraud scheme where scammers pose as public services or banks and send alerts about digital powers of attorney or loans to cause panic and prompt victims to call the number provided.
Source: nationalbank.kzThe National Bank of Kazakhstan has published the results of a macroeconomic survey of 14 organizations, with experts revising their inflation forecasts downward.
Source: t.me/nationalbankkzKazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) has signed a tripartite agreement with IT platform ReportiX and consulting firm PKF Tax & Legal Kazakhstan to improve tax literacy among investors and issuers in the digital asset market.
Source: t.me/KASEofficialIpoteka Bank (OTP Group) has begun factoring in informal sources of income when approving mortgage loans for individuals in Uzbekistan's primary housing market.
Source: ipotekabank.uzAccording to kapital.kz, Otbasy Bank launched a new lending mechanism under the Nauryz program on October 15, allowing borrowers to secure an interim loan and purchase an apartment without meeting a minimum rating score or holding deposit funds for six months.
Source: kapital.kzFinancial group Solva posted 3 bln tenge in net profit for the first nine months of 2026 and paid 8.84 bln tenge to external lenders.
Source: kapital.kz
