Deal value swelled 60 per cent in the U.S., doubled in the U.K. and increased across most other European markets, but declined in China and India by 49 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, according to Accenture, the consulting firm. The number of deals in China fell from 155 to 79 in the first half of 2018. (South China Morning Post)

Talking point: China was a key driver of global fintech funding in 2018, driven largely by a US$14-billion fundraising round by Ant Financial. But trade tensions between China and the U.S. escalated through the first half of this year, during which time overall venture capital investments in China tumbled alongside fintech funding by 69 per cent. Now, there are signs that a number of other Asian markets are capitalizing on the Chinese decrease. The number of transactions in Hong Kong doubled; Singapore’s fintech investments nearly quadrupled; and Vietnam and Indonesia both saw increases.