TMTPOST — Ant International, the cross-border financial services arm of Ant Group Co., is evaluating a funding round to raise approximately $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter on Wednesday. The upcoming capital injection could value the international business unit at $10 billion or more. According to people tracking the discussions, securing this external capital is intended to accelerate global market expansion and could help clear a path for a potential public listing in Hong Kong as early as this year. However, sources emphasized that negotiations remain at an early stage, and final decisions regarding the timing and ultimate size of the round have not been locked in. This potential fundraising effort underlines a strategic push by the fintech provider to scale its cross-border payment networks and digital merchant services independently from its mainland operations. By anchoring its valuation through global investors and eyeing an offshore public debut, the payments network aims to secure flexible capital to expand its digital wallet ecosystem across regional consumer markets.