The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued Circular No. 53/2026/TT-NHNN regulating the safety, risk management and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the banking sector, requiring strict oversight as automation expands.

Just one month after securing a VND57 billion loan with a 9-month term, a Hanoi-based real estate enterprise received notification from its bank regarding an immediate interest rate increase.

Some businesses are facing cash-flow pressures and higher funding costs as the market becomes more volatile. In contrast, companies holding large amounts of cash and bank deposits may generate additional financial income as interest rates rise.

The Vietnam Association of SMEs has proposed piloting a dedicated digital bank for SMEs and household businesses, considering it a new approach to addressing a fundamental portion of existing constraints in credit initiation for this sector.

Individual bank payment accounts held more than 1.22 quadrillion VND (46 billion USD) by the end of the second quarter of 2026, a decline of nearly 10% year-on-year, latest statistics from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) showed.

Bank lending is growing faster than deposits. With demand for capital expected to remain high toward the end of the year, banks will have to compete more aggressively to attract deposits.

Vietnam’s ultra-rich (individuals with over $30 million in assets) is projected to grow at one of the fastest rates globally over the next five years. This opens up potential for wealth management services catering to high-net-worth individuals.

From November 1, 2026, the provision of borrowers’ credit information for voluntary organisations, foreign credit information organisations and other organisations must be based on the borrowers’ explicit and specific consent.

The market confidence index for September released by the Vietnam Interbank Market Research Association (VIRA) stood at 50.55, representing a significant decrease of 7.23 compared to the previous month, according to the latest VIRA survey.

Cake Digital Bank was named “Vietnam’s Best Digital Bank 2026” at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence in Singapore on Sept. 10, recognizing its digital banking model and business performance.

As the ranks of Vietnam’s ultra-wealthy expand, banks are moving deeper into wealth management, targeting demand for services that preserve, grow and transfer family fortunes.

Real estate overwhelmingly dominates collateral at many Vietnamese banks, reaching trillions of dollars in value and accounting for more than 80% of secured assets at some lenders.

By the end of the second quarter of 2026, the combined charter capital of 30 Vietnamese commercial banks surpassed VND1 quadrillion for the first time, reaching about $38.2 billion, up roughly $675 million, or 1.8%, from the beginning of the year.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly widespread, a bank’s competitive edge is no longer determined by technology alone, but also by the quality of its data.

The banking sector will implement a plan to develop applications of population data, electronic identification and authentication to support national digital transformation for the 2026-30 period.

Credit is flowing increasingly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as policymakers seek to support production, trade and economic growth.

Outstanding loans for real estate business activities rose to more than 2.5 quadrillion VND (nearly 95 billion USD) as of June 30.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has called for faster implementation of plans to deal with collateral assets linked to Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), as part of broader efforts to address weak banks and strengthen the safety of Vietnam’s financial system.

Customer deposits at 30 Vietnamese banks reached VND16.02 quadrillion ($608.7 billion) by end-June, while outstanding loans climbed to VND17.04 quadrillion ($647.5 billion), leaving a gap of more than $38 billion.