Fintech, Digital Banking, Payment Platforms & Digital Financial Products
“Shaping the Future of Digital Finance”
The future of financial services is digital, from embedded finance and e-KYC to cloud-native banking, robo-advisory platforms and multi-channel payment ecosystems. As financial institutions, fintech innovators and technology providers accelerate their digital strategies, the need for precise, regulator-aligned and innovation-ready legal frameworks has never been greater.
We advise clients at every stage of their fintech and digital finance journey, including digital banking set-ups, licensing of regulated financial products, deployment of payment platforms, development of robo-advisory solutions and structuring of cross-border technology arrangements.
Our services span front-end banking channels, microservices architectures, API-driven ecosystems, cloud-hosted financial platforms, e-wallets, merchant acquiring systems and digital investment products.
Our Approach
Our approach blends deep industry knowledge, technology understanding and regulatory insight, enabling us to draft and negotiate agreements that:
- Address licensing, approval and governance requirements under Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)
- Safeguard financial data through strong cybersecurity, privacy and access control obligations
- Govern microservices, APIs, integrations and fintech platform interoperability
- Establish enforceable SLAs for high-availability, latency and transaction throughput
- Allocate risks through indemnities, warranties and platform-specific liability frameworks
- Govern outsourcing, cloud deployment and technology providers within regulated environments
- Ensure compliance with PDPA, AML/CFT requirements, BNM policies and digital financial regulations
- Support commercialisation and rollout of innovative digital financial products
We assist banks, asset managers, fintech start-ups, Islamic finance players, super-apps, payment processors and digital-first financial institutions in building technology and regulatory structures that are commercially viable, secure and future-ready.
Our Strengths & Capabilities
Drawing from deep experience in financial regulations, payments ecosystems, cloud-based banking systems and multi-entity fintech deployments, our team provides:
1. Legal documentation for Fintech & Digital Banking Projects
We prepare and negotiate the full spectrum of agreements needed for digital financial ecosystems, including:
- Digital Banking Master Services Agreements
- Front-end channel development and microservices architecture agreements
- Payment gateway and switching service agreements
- Merchant acquiring and settlement contracts
- Digital investment management (DIM) and robo-advisory licensing agreements
- E-wallet, stored value and digital account platform agreements
- API licensing, data exchange and fintech interoperability contracts
- Escrow arrangements (source code, supervised release, DR triggers)
- Cloud and infrastructure agreements for regulated financial deployments
- Outsourcing agreements aligned with BNM requirements
2. Regulatory Compliance for Digital Financial Products
We help clients navigate the regulatory landscape across digital finance, including:
- BNM Policy Documents on Electronic Money, Risk Management in Technology, Outsourcing, Cloud Technology, AML/KYC and Payment Systems
- Licensing requirements for Digital Investment Management, Payment Service Providers and Digital Banks
- PDPA (and PDPA Amendment 2024) requirements for financial data
- Cybersecurity, anti-fraud, regulatory reporting and operational risk governance
We integrate compliance into both the legal documentation and the operational model to ensure smooth approvals and long-term viability.
3. Payments, Switching, Acquiring & Financial Transaction Platforms
We advise on the full lifecycle of payments and digital transaction ecosystems, including:
- Real-time payment routing and financial switching
- Merchant onboarding, settlement, chargeback and dispute processes
- PCI-DSS, encryption, data tokenisation and fraud management
- Multi-channel payments (QR, mobile app, web, POS, API-driven)
- Digital financial products and embedded finance models
4. Technology & Platform Governance for Regulated Institutions
Our support includes:
- Platform architecture governance
- API access control, throttling, monitoring and cybersecurity obligations
- Transaction security, audit logs, cryptographic requirements
- Business continuity and disaster recovery for financial platforms
- Vendor risk management and technology provider oversight
5. Sector-Specific Expertise
We bring experience across:
- Islamic finance
- Digital banks
- Payment service providers
- Investment management and robo-advisory
- Cross-border fintech partnerships
- Government-linked financial ecosystems
- Regulated outsourcing and cloud-hosted financial infrastructure
This allows us to tailor contractual and regulatory frameworks to industry realities.
Our Experience
- Below are highlights of our work in fintech, digital banking and digital financial products, reflecting breadth across regulated financial ecosystems:
- Digital Banking Transformation – Our lawyer advised an Islamic Banking and Finance institutions in Malaysia on its strategic partnership with Backbase Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd to deploy advanced digital banking channels, microservices architecture and customer experience layers for its digital banking platform — including licensing, services, cloud readiness and regulatory alignment.
- Robo-Advisory & Digital Investment Management - Our lawyer advised a Shariah-compliant investment management company, on the licensing of a robo-advisory platform, covering algorithm transparency, model governance, API integrations, data protections and digital investment management (DIM) regulatory requirements.
- Payment Platforms & Merchant Acquiring - Our lawyer advised a multi-channel financial switching and digital payments ecosystem, including drafting the Merchant Acquiring Services Agreement, governing settlement rules, routing, processing, reconciliation and financial controls.
- Escrow Arrangements for Digital Financial Platforms - Our lawyer advised an innovative Shariah compliant financial institutions on source code escrow and access credential arrangements relating to regulated banking technology, ensuring business continuity and regulator-compliant access safeguards.
- Digital Banking Setup & Cross-Border Services - Our lawyer advised a virtual internation Islamic bank on preparing the legal and regulatory framework including its Master Services Agreement for the establishment of a digital banking operation, addressing compliance, outsourcing, hosting and operational readiness.
Why Clients Choose Us
- Regulatory Expertise in Digital Finance
We understand the complexity of sectoral regulations governing fintech, banking and payment ecosystems. - Technology + Finance Integration
Our strength lies in bridging technology architecture with financial regulation, ensuring platforms are both innovative and regulator-approved. - Experience Across High-Impact, Regulated Financial Deployments
We have advised on digital banks, DIM platforms, cross-border fintech ventures, and enterprise-level payment ecosystems. - Cybersecurity & Data Governance Focus
We emphasise encryption, access control, DR/BCP, fraud management and transaction-level security in all fintech documentation. - Commercially Practical Documentation
We draft agreements that reflect real transaction workflows, API behaviour, uptime demands and security operations; not just legal theory.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Depending on the product, licensing may be required under BNM (e-money, DIM, payment services, digital banking) or the Securities Commission for investment-related platforms.
Key risks include AML/KYC non-compliance, cybersecurity breaches, improper data handling, outsourcing failures, inaccurate financial disclosures and insufficient governance over algorithms or transaction flows.
APIs and microservices determine how systems communicate, process transactions, secure data and deliver customer experiences. Contracts must specify governance, security, throttling, uptime and audit obligations.
Escrow ensures business continuity by providing controlled access to source code or credentials if a vendor fails, withdraws support or becomes insolvent, which is critical for regulated financial platforms.
Key considerations include data residency, encryption, audit trails, regulator access, shared responsibility models, exit strategies and compliance with BNM’s policies.
Speak to us to structure the right legal framework for your fintech, digital banking or payment platform project.