ALMATY, Kazakhstan & SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On July 16, 2026, during a meeting between Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., and representatives of the global fintech market, the bank signed Memoranda of Understanding with Antom, a leading merchant payment and digitisation services provider under Ant International. The primary goal of this partnership is to develop innovative solutions to facilitate cross-border payments for consumers in Kazakhstan.

Antom will promote Freedom Bank SuperApp as a supported payment option on China’s leading e-commerce platforms. This move aims to create a seamless cross-border online shopping experience, allowing consumers in Kazakhstan to shop for Chinese goods and global brands using their preferred local payment method.

As a leading merchant payment service provider, Antom supports over 300 local payment methods, enabling merchants to connect with consumers in more than 200 markets and transact in over 100 currencies. Moving forward, Antom will enable the Freedom Bank SuperApp to connect with a broader network of global merchants, and both companies will continue to explore additional cross-border digital payment opportunities.

“Today, we are opening new horizons for our clients and the business communities of both countries. Integrating our ecosystem with China’s e-commerce platforms through Ant International’s Antom is our response to the demands of the modern era and the growing trade volume with China. We are building a financial infrastructure where state borders no longer limit access to cross-border e-commerce. For Freedom SuperApp users, transactions on Chinese platforms will become as transparent, secure, and instantaneous as domestic transfers. This is a logical step in Freedom’s global strategy,” commented Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.

“Our partnership with Freedom Bank reflects our shared commitment to making cross-border commerce more accessible through trusted local payment experiences,” said Gary Liu, CEO of Antom, Senior Vice President of Ant International. “By enabling Freedom Bank SuperApp users to shop seamlessly on China's e-commerce platforms, and eventually across our vast network of global merchants, we are bringing the world closer to Kazakhstan's digital-savvy consumers while unlocking more growth opportunities for businesses.”

About Freedom Bank

JSC Freedom Bank Kazakhstan is an innovative bank operating in Kazakhstan under the Freedom brand. The Bank offers digital financial products and services to both individuals and legal entities. It has fully digitized the issuance of mortgage loans, car loans, and business loans. The Bank also launched Kazakhstan’s first investor card, the INVEST CARD, along with a number of other digital cards. It operates a branch network represented in 20 cities across Kazakhstan. The Bank is a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp., a holding company engaged in financial activities, retail brokerage, securities trading, investment banking, and underwriting services. Today, the holding's common shares are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).

About Antom

Ant International's Antom is the leading payment and digitisation services provider for merchants around the world. It offers unified, vertical-specific digital payment solutions to serve businesses of all sizes. Antom supports merchants to integrate over 300 payment methods, enabling them to connect with consumers in more than 200 markets, with the flexibility to accept payments in more than 100 currencies. Beyond payments, it provides digital marketing solutions and merchant digitisation services to help merchant streamline operations and enhance customer engagement. To learn more, please visit https://www.antom.com/.