ShardLab, the fintech venture studio backed by Hashed, has made a strategic investment in StoreHub and will form a joint venture to explore new consumer payment and rewards experiences. StoreHub operates more than 20,000 merchant locations across Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan, processing more than 200 million transactions annually with approximately US$3.5 billion in annual transaction value. The partners will use the network to test products with real merchants and consumers and scale initiatives that demonstrate measurable value, while specific offerings will be announced as they launch. ShardLab was established through a strategic partnership between Hashed and SCBX to develop products at the intersection of frontier technologies and financial services. StoreHub is also rebuilding its product around AI, which it says will help small businesses operate with the capabilities of much larger teams.