Hecto Financial has made the top 30 list of leading Asian fintech companies selected by the Asia Fintech Alliance (AFA), a federation of fintech associations in the region.

Hecto Financial said on Thursday it was named one of the top 30 companies in the AFA Awards 2026, putting it in the running for the Grand Award.

AFA is a cooperative network involving fintech associations from 16 Asian countries including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. Fintech companies affiliated with member associations total about 6,000.

The AFA Awards, held for the first time this year, were created to identify Asian fintech companies that have delivered business results in their home markets and have potential for overseas expansion. AFA reviewed eligibility requirements and quantitative indicators for candidates submitted from each country and selected 30 companies across 5 categories. It will confirm the winners after a final review.

Hecto Financial was selected as a Grand Award candidate in the cross-border market category after being evaluated for expanding cross-border payments, settlements and remittances based on its domestic financial infrastructure business.

The company said it processes more than 1,200 trillion won in transactions annually and that its global business transaction volume in 2025 rose 170.3 percent from a year earlier.

It is also expanding its global stablecoin business. Hecto Financial is participating as Circle's South Korean partner in the Circle Payments Network, or CPN, and is building USDC-based cross-border payment and settlement infrastructure.

The company plans to expand its business beyond account-based financial services such as existing simple cash payments and payment gateway services into cross-border payments, overseas remittances and stablecoins.

Choi Jong-won (최종원), chief executive of Hecto Financial, said, "This is the result of recognition for business performance we have pursued in the global market based on domestic financial infrastructure." He added, "We will foster stablecoins and AI agent payment infrastructure as new growth drivers and expand our global business."