Bottom line: A quarterly survey of 84 Singapore-based fintech firms shows net headcount growth for the first time since late 2025. Compliance, risk, and payments engineering roles account for most new hires; consumer-lending startups remain cautious on expansion.
The survey, compiled by an industry analyst group and shared with DailyDrive on embargo until 8 a.m., tracks hiring intent rather than audited payroll data. Respondents span payments processors, digital banks, regtech vendors, and lending platforms with a material Singapore presence.
Where hiring is returning
Compliance and risk teams lead demand, reflecting heavier reporting obligations across cross-border payments and stored-value facilities. A government spokesperson noted that supervisory expectations have not eased even as macro hiring cooled in 2025 — firms appear to be catching up on backlogged control functions.
Payments engineering roles rank second. Several respondents cited tokenised settlement pilots and faster reconciliation projects as drivers. Product marketing and generalist business-development roles remain flat, suggesting firms are rebuilding operational depth before chasing new markets.
Where hiring is still frozen
Consumer-lending subsectors report flat to negative intent. An industry analyst said smaller lenders are prioritising capital buffers over headcount after a tighter funding environment in the first half of the year. Crypto-adjacent firms were excluded from the published aggregate because sample sizes were too small to be meaningful.
What this means for job seekers
If you work in financial controls, audit, or payments infrastructure, the survey suggests more interview activity through the third quarter. Generalist fintech roles remain competitive. DailyDrive does not present this as career advice — treat the survey as one directional indicator among several labour-market releases due this month.
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