Forbes Kazakhstan has updated its ranking of the country’s richest people following a series of bold transactions in the banking sector. ForteBank owner Bulat Utemuratov rose from sixth to third place. The assets of Vyacheslav Kim and Timur Turlov also showed significant increases. Kim, co-owner of Kazakh fintech giant Kasp.kz,…

Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar has dismissed claims that the recent sharp depreciation of the tenge was caused by comments made by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov regarding the projected exchange rate of the national currency. On July 15, during a press conference, Bektenov stated that under the cabinet’s…

KMF, the largest microfinance organization (MFO) in Kazakhstan, is set to launch banking services this August, the company said in a statement. The decision followed the receipt of permission to convert into a bank from Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) in March. On July…

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised its inflation forecast for Kazakhstan in 2025, revising its earlier estimate of 8.2% to 10.2%, according to the bank’s July 2025 Asian Economic Outlook. The adjustment comes amid higher-than-expected inflationary pressure in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In Kazakhstan, despite the National Bank’s tight…

Home Credit Bank (HCB) will retain its credit profile after 100% of its shares are sold to ForteBank, according to Fitch Ratings. Moreover, the rating agency believes the government is unlikely to object if ForteBank provides support to HCB. According to HCB’s 2024 financial statements, cash loans account for 80%…

Kazakhstan’s Bank CenterCredit (BCC) has become the first bank in the country to enable card-to-card transfers through UnionPay International. The new service, now available through BCC’s mobile app, allows users to send money from Kazakhstan to China and other countries using UnionPay cards, the bank announced in a press release.…

Kazakhstan’s national currency, the tenge, fell to a historic low of 538.9 per U.S. dollar during trading on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) on July 23. The rate dropped by 0.75% or 4 tenge by the close of the session. This marks the second record low for the tenge in…

The tenge rate fell to 532 per U.S. dollar during trading on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) on July 17, 2025, hitting an all-time low. The last transaction at 11:48 Astana time was at 532.5 tenge per dollar. The tenge opened the trading session at 525.7 per dollar but fell…

Toyota Financial Services Kazakhstan (TFS), a microfinance organization, issued unsecured coupon bonds on July 16, 2025, worth approximately $9.5 million. Proceeds from the bond placement will be used to provide microloans to individuals and businesses in Kazakhstan, secured by vehicles, according to a release on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE)…

Eurasia Mining PLC, headquartered in London, has officially launched share trading on the Astana International Exchange (AIX). Securities have become available to investors in Kazakhstan through the cross-listing, without a follow-up offering, AIX emphasized. The mining company was founded in 1995, and its securities have been listed on the London…

The government of Kazakhstan has abandoned its earlier plan to merge the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) under the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). According to Timur Suleimenov, chair of the National Bank, the decision is part of a broader reform of the AIFC that…

Kazakhstan may invest a portion of its gold and foreign currency reserves, along with assets from its National Fund, in crypto assets, according to National Bank Chairman Timur Suleimenov. Alternative portfolio «We have an alternative portfolio of gold and foreign currency reserves and an alternative portfolio of the National Fund.…

Alatau City Bank, formerly known as Jusan Bank, reported that Forbes Kazakhstan-listed billionaire Vyacheslav Kim finalized the deal to acquire a 100% stake in the financial organization. «The acquisition of Alatau City Bank is extremely important for me, and I plan to create on its basis a fundamentally new financial…

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree establishing a new council to oversee the country’s National Fund, a sovereign wealth fund financed by oil revenues. Tokayev will serve as chair. The decree nullifies a 2004 order that designated former President Nursultan Nazarbayev as chair of the council. Regular members…

Kazakhstan’s net international reserves fell by $366 million (-0.73%) to $49.8 billion in June 2025, according to the National Bank. It marks the second consecutive monthly decline since the start of the year. Gross international reserves, which include assets in freely convertible currencies and monetary gold, dropped by $282 million…

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) has released a draft law aimed at limiting the involvement of banks and bank holding companies in digital marketplaces, depending on the size of their capital. The proposed regulation, open for public comment through July 15, outlines new rules…

Zaman Bank, Kazakhstan’s Islamic bank, was the country’s sole financial institution to post a loss in May, reporting a deficit of approximately $2.4 million, according to data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan. The bank made headlines in November 2024 when a test payment was successfully processed between Zaman Bank…

Kazakhstan’s National Bank has welcomed a proposal by MPs to establish a crypto-asset reserve. According to Timur Suleimenov, the bank’s chair, work is underway on the development of its formation and management concept. One option involves creating a reserve within a National Bank subsidiary whose activities are focused on alternative…

The management of BNK Commercial Bank, a new financial institution in Kazakhstan’s banking sector, has announced its plans to focus on developing lending products and working with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This strategy is outlined in a roadmap presented by bank executives during an official ceremony marking the transformation…

BNK Finance Kazakhstan, a Kazakhstani microfinance organization owned by South Korean holding BNK Capital, has received a banking license from the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM). The newly established bank has been named BNK Commercial Bank. The official ceremony for awarding the banking license was…

According to Timur Turlov, the founder and majority shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp., the Freedom SuperApp will offer users the option to buy and sell crypto assets by the end of this year. He made this statement during a broadcast on the Freedom Broker Kazakhstan YouTube channel, presenting the company’s…

Several governments and central banks worldwide have recently voiced alarm regarding the risks of buying or investing in cryptocurrencies. Fabio Panetta, a policymaker at the European Central Bank and governor of the Bank of Italy, expressed concern about the reputational risks banks could face by offering services related to crypto-assets,…

Kazakhstani banks earned approximately $1.7 billion in net profit during the first four months of 2025, according to data released by the National Bank. April alone accounted for nearly $470 million, a record monthly figure so far this year. Top 5 banks by net profit (January-April 2025): Halyk Bank –…

First Heartland Jusan Bank, operating under the Jusan Bank brand, has announced its rebranding, changing its name to Alatau City Bank. The decision was made during the annual general shareholders’ meeting held on May 15. The bank highlighted that the new name reflects its strategy and ambitions. The name will…