As financial markets grow around the world, Asian stocks are becoming centers for new ideas and chances. Finance investors will instantly see the future of finance in Asia as the FTAsiastock Index, developed by Fintech Asia and represented from Tokyo to Singapore and Shanghai to Mumbai, changes in real time.
We will look at the latest trends in the FTAsiastock market, the technology behind investor decisions and how fintech growth in Asia is influencing the area’s economy.
What is FTAsiastock?
Fintech Asia has developed FTAsiastock as a complete index that monitors the outcomes of financial markets in Asia. Unlike regular stock indices, FTAsiastock presents a detailed overview of Asian markets by including more than market capitalization such as:
- Prices and values on Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore’s main exchanges are included.
- Things such as digital trading amounts, active mobile investors and AI-related trading could be used as examples.
- Flows of capital between Asian countries showing how digital technology is changing investment.
Trend No 1: More people in Asia are becoming retail investors.
There has been a major change in Asia’s investor scene over the past. At one time, institutions handled most of the trading, but now retail investors are joining in larger numbers. According to Fintech Asia, over 35% of trading on the FTAsiastock Index in 2024 came from individual investors, a figure that has doubled since just five years ago.
What’s behind this trend? Thanks to more internet, mobile-first banking apps and government efforts to bring finance to all. Everyday citizens now have access to the stock market. With India’s Zerodha, Indonesia’s Ajaib and South Korea’s Toss, fintech companies are shaping the goals of financial market users.
Trend No 2: Focus on ESG and Investing for Sustainability
Thinking about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters is no longer an unusual practice in Asia. It’s now widely accepted. About four out of every ten companies listed on FTAsiastock in 2025 are ESG-compliant, shows data from Fintech Asia.
This trend can be seen most in Japan, with the GPIF leading ESG investing and in Singapore, with the Monetary Authority starting green finance programs.
When climate and justice concerns become important globally, many companies have begun to view ESG compliance as necessary.
AI and Algorithmic Trading is Trend No 3
Trading strategies throughout Asia have increasingly adopted AI and ML. FTAsiastock adds algorithmic trading volumes to its data, indicating how AI is stepping into trade execution and investment choices.
Hong Kong and Singapore are becoming leading places for hedge funds that use AI as a key tool. Both DeepQuant from China and Qraft from South Korea are using deep learning to create more effective investment strategies.
6 out of every 10 trades made on the FTAsiastock Index in Q1 2025 were done using algorithms. These systems can review enormous amounts of information, ranging from business reports to world events and decide quickly on what to do, beating conventional approaches.
Trend No 4: Investing in Digital Opportunities Outside of One’s Nation
Ease of investing across different countries is a major improvement within the Asian financial sector. Now, due to blockchain and digital identity, investors can enter more markets than before with less difficulty.
Trading companies such as Tiger Brokers and Stockbit are smoothing the way for people to invest across various countries. The FTAsiastock Index tracks this change by recording the Digital Flow Index which measures how often and in what volume international trades happen across Asian markets.
According to Fintech Asia, there was a 28% rise in cross-border digital investment last year, pointing to greater regional coherence. Further reduce in regulatory barriers and establish unified standards in ASEAN are initiated by forums such as the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum.
Because of this trend, small-cap firms in emerging markets can now gather investments from investors all over the continent which encourages new ideas and new employment.
Trend No 5: focuses on connecting digital assets with finances.
Cryptocurrencies and tokenized securities are becoming more a part of mainstream financial systems. The “Digital Twin Index” has been added to FTAsiastock, where it follows stocks listed on Asian exchanges that have blockchain versions.
Fintech Asia has found that digital assets are becoming more popular with organizations in South Korea and Thailand. Central bank digital currencies and regulatory sandboxes are allowing companies to test new ideas in a secure way.
The Bank of Thailand’s CBDC experiment includes equities that work just like stocks on the market. As a result, investors can find both protected and virtual assets in the same market, making it easier for them to diversify their money and always find liquidity.
In addition, thanks to tokenization, assets can now be divided into shares, so that anyone can take part in high-value investments.
Trend No 6: Evolution in Regulations
As the world of fintech develops rapidly, regulators in Asia are working to keep pace. Visitors can check the Regulatory Readiness Score on the FTAsiastock site to see how ready each country is for digital change in finance.
The Monetary Authority in Singapore and Japan’s plans for digital transformation are helping both countries lead the way. In the meantime, Vietnam and the Philippines are moving rapidly to create fintech-friendly regulations and systems.
Clear rules for regulations have helped attract investors. Countries that score well in Regulatory Readiness attracted 25% more foreign direct investment in their capital markets last year, according to Fintech Asia data.
Also read: FTAsiatrading Technology News by FintechAsia
Predictions about the Next Decade
It is expected that a number of important trends will help shape the FTAsiastock index and the Asian financial market.
- As time goes on, Asian companies and people will increasingly experiment with borrowing, lending and trading in DeFi. You should notice that some exchanges use a combination of centralization and decentralization.
- More Fintech IPOs Are Planned: In India and Southeast Asia, we expect more fintech startups to list on the stock market, raising fintech-related indices higher.
- In the future, robo-advisors will include AI in their portfolio services, suggesting strategies that are personalized for everyone looking to invest their savings.
- ESG Measurements Matter: As companies prioritize sustainability, it is likely that “green unicorns”—startups that are worth a billion dollars—will increase in number across Asia.
- Asian nations could join forces to make digital wallets interoperable, making it simple to trade, invest and send and receive remittances throughout Asia.
Conclusion
Besides being a financial marker, the Fintech Asia’s FTAsiastock Index offers a glimpse of what finance in Asia will look like in the years ahead. Including retail investors, ESG strategies and AI/digital assets, the index demonstrates how the area is rapidly changing.
Investors, analysts and policymakers rely on FTAsiastock to see the current and future state of the market. Asia’s financial future is being shaped as you read this and the FTAsiastock Index is the key tool at work.