As Sri Lanka accelerates its transition toward a digital payment nation, industry leaders are calling on local fintech start-ups to break away from copying existing models and instead pioneer fresh, forward-looking solutions. The message came from Crispin Wijesekera, Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives at UnionPay International, speaking on the strategic role of the Fintech Forum of Sri Lanka.

While the country has made significant strides in deploying payment infrastructure—terminals, QR codes, and mobile apps are now widely available—Wijesekera noted that the real hurdle is behavioural change. “Consumers and merchants remain deeply rooted in cash usage habits,” he said, adding that the economic cost of managing physical currency is estimated at 1.5% of Sri Lanka’s GDP.

To drive lasting transformation, he urged emerging fintechs to explore AI-driven payments and anticipate future market needs. “Developing solutions based on current systems alone risks becoming outdated by the time they are implemented,” he warned, advising start-ups to target younger, digitally engaged user groups and design around evolving behaviours.

UnionPay, which has supported Sri Lanka’s financial ecosystem since the early 2000s, is actively backing the National Card initiative with LankaPay to expand usage into underserved rural areas. The Fintech Forum serves as a vital platform aligning banks, regulators, and global networks to turn infrastructure into everyday habit. Wijesekera emphasised that without innovation-led behavioural shifts, even the most advanced digital systems will struggle to achieve widespread adoption.

Kaspersky has discovered 26 fraudulent cryptocurrency wallet apps on Apple’s App Store, designed to drain users’ digital assets. The fake apps mimic popular wallets including MetaMask, Coinbase, Ledger, and Trust Wallet.

Once opened, the apps redirect victims to phishing pages impersonating the App Store, tricking them into installing trojanized wallet software. The campaign has been active since at least fall 2025, with Kaspersky attributing it to the SparkKitty threat actors.

Almost all phishing apps were available only to Chinese iOS users—since official crypto wallet apps are absent from China’s App Store—but the malware itself has no regional restrictions, potentially affecting victims worldwide.

The malicious apps use deceptive “stub” functionality, such as games or calculators, to appear legitimate. They ultimately prompt users to install a developer profile, which allows a trojanized wallet to be downloaded. Depending on the wallet type, the malware either intercepts seed phrases (hot wallets) or directly phishes for them (cold wallets).

“Users should be wary even on devices they consider safe, like iPhones,” said Sergey Puzan of Kaspersky. All malicious apps have been reported to Apple.

Ceylinco Life reaffirmed its commitment to recognising and inspiring excellence within its sales force with the celebration of ‘High Flyers Day 2026,’ a signature event that brought together more than 300 of the company’s top-performing Sales Officers for an evening of recognition, reflection and renewed ambition.

The event honoured Sales Officers who had achieved High Flyers Status, earned ‘Sales Superstar’ recognition, or qualified for the globally respected Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), for their performance in 2025.

Ceylinco Life Executive Chairman Renganathan and Chief Operating Officer Samitha Hemachandra delivered impactful motivational speeches at the event, which also included a panel discussion that enabled a few top achievers to share their knowledge with the audience.