Founded: 2004 Headquarters: Hangzhou, China CEO: Eric Jing

Jack Ma created Alipay to address China’ s cash-dependent economy; it has since evolved into the world’ s largest digital payments ecosystem. The platform now serves 1.3 billion users, processing trillions in annual transactions through QR code technology. Under Eric Jing’ s leadership, Ant Group has expanded beyond payments into a comprehensive“ super-app” offering investments, insurance, lending and lifestyle services. AI-driven risk assessment and blockchain applications enable the Chinese fintech to increase consumer adoption and offer sophisticated financial products. Regulatory challenges postponed the company’ s planned IPO, yet Ant Group remains a fintech giant whose technological infrastructure has become a global template for digital financial services.

60 October 2025