It won't be long before a small, obscure bank in Cambodia, Laos or another under-banked country will have access to the same cutting edge financial innovations as the likes of Citibank, DBS and OCBC.

Companies without banking licences will soon be able to offer "white-label" banking services to millions of customers in the remotest places, many of whom have never had them before. Loan approvals will take seconds rather than hours or days. Bots powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which can even make small talk in multiple languages, will guide clients through their banking experience over mobile phones and deliver customised advice.