Economy
Japan's AEON Pushes Into Vietnam's Consumer Finance Market
AEON Financial bought Vietnam's PTF for VND 4.3 trillion. SeABank walked away with a 6x return.
Finance
Economy
Can Crypto Help Build Vietnam's First International Financial Center?
Economists propose legalizing crypto trading to help build HCMC's financial center. Vietnam plans its first crypto law by mid-2025.
Vietnam Economy
Vietnam's $40 Billion Gold Vault: A Cross-Section of a Fractured Financial System
Vietnamese households quietly hold 400-500 tonnes of gold — roughly $35-40 billion, close to 8% of GDP. Hanoi wants to mobilize it. The hard part was never the technology.
Vietnam Economy
Vietnam's $680-per-Tael Gold Premium: The SJC Monopoly Is Gone, but the Price Gap Isn't
On April 17, 2026, SJC gold bars in Vietnam traded at 18 million VND per tael above world prices — roughly US$680, or NT$20,000. The 13-year monopoly was officially ended in October 2025. Six months later, the premium is still here. Why?
Finance
Vietnam Plans to Ban Binance and License Five Domestic Crypto Exchanges
Some 17 million Vietnamese trade crypto on offshore platforms like Binance, with annual volume topping USD 220 billion. The government is now moving to shut that door and open a domestic one.
Finance
Vietnam's Banks Are Quietly Raising Interest Rates, and Borrowers Are Feeling It
Vietnamese banks are aggressively raising deposit rates as lending outpaces savings. Mortgage rates have jumped back above 10%, and the pressure is building.
Vietnam
Vietnam Hits a Record 8 Billionaires on the Forbes Global List — Three From One Family
The Forbes 2026 global billionaires list features a record 8 Vietnamese entries. Phạm Nhật Vượng leads at $27.7 billion, with his wife and sister-in-law making their debuts.
Vietnam
Opening a Bank Account Feels Like Visiting a Cafe: Timo's Ten-Year Journey as Vietnam's First Digital Bank
Vietnam's first digital bank Timo turns ten. From its cafe-style onboarding to free transfers and expat account rules, here's everything you need to know.
Vietnam
Vietnam Legalizes Crypto — 17 Million Users' Underground Market Goes Above Board
In January 2026, Vietnam's Digital Technology Industry Law took effect, giving crypto assets legal status for the first time. The world's fifth-largest crypto market finally has rules.