June 22, 2025 @ 5:37 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A new report from Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) reveals a surge in blockchain adoption among Fortune 500 companies and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as firms increasingly view the technology as a practical solution for operational efficiency rather than a speculative asset class. According to Coinbase’s “State… Read More

June 21, 2025 @ 8:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) announced the official launch of Payment Connect, a new cross-boundary payment system linking Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System (FPS) and Mainland China’s Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS). The service will go live… Read More

June 21, 2025 @ 7:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The University of Dubai, in partnership with the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF), has launched the Arab AI Researchers (AAIR) initiative, the first of its kind in the region aimed at embedding artificial intelligence into academic research and teaching across Arab universities…. Read More

June 21, 2025 @ 4:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Thailand has approved three applicants to establish virtual banks, in a move aimed at promoting financial innovation, expanding access to underserved markets, and enhancing competition in the country’s banking sector. The Ministry of Finance, acting on the advice of the Bank of Thailand (BOT), said… Read More

June 21, 2025 @ 2:08 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Cryptocurrency adoption has surged globally in 2025, underpinned by a dual wave of institutional engagement in developed markets and real-world utility in lower- and middle-income countries, according to the Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index. While advanced economies are focused on regulatory clarity and structured investment… Read More

June 16, 2025 @ 11:41 am By Michael Wong  |  

A bipartisan bill designed to modernize crowdfunding regulations and expand access to capital for small businesses advanced out of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, potentially paving the way for significant changes to Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) requirements. The legislation is one of many proposed by… Read More

June 15, 2025 @ 7:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam has passed a sweeping law to regulate digital assets and boost the country’s technology sector, formally legalizing crypto assets and laying the groundwork for strategic investments in artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The Law on Digital Technology Industry, approved by the National Assembly on Saturday,… Read More

June 15, 2025 @ 4:38 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global investment firm Carlyle and banking giant Citi have entered into a strategic collaboration to explore asset-backed financing and co-investment opportunities in the fast-growing fintech specialty lending sector. The partnership formalizes a framework for both firms to exchange market intelligence and jointly pursue deals that… Read More

June 15, 2025 @ 4:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Wealthbox, a customer relationship management (CRM) software provider for financial advisors, has secured a $200 million strategic majority investment from Sixth Street Growth, the growth investing arm of global investment firm Sixth Street, according to an announcement. The investment aims to accelerate Wealthbox’s expansion across… Read More

June 14, 2025 @ 5:11 pm By Michael Wong  |  

SBI Ven Capital has invested €1 million in Colossus Digital as part of a bridge round aimed at accelerating the rollout of the company’s Institutional Hub, an infrastructure platform connecting regulated custodians with leading validators for staking and governance. The investment was made through a… Read More

June 14, 2025 @ 4:21 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc, a digital fintech group specializing in blockchain-based financial infrastructure, has unveiled plans to raise $800 million to establish a long-term Bitcoin treasury reserve. The initiative marks a strategic shift toward integrating digital assets into the company’s core balance sheet and treasury… Read More

June 14, 2025 @ 12:41 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fraud in Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing digital sectors is rising sharply, driven by sophisticated tactics involving deepfakes and synthetic identity documents, according to a new report from global verification provider Sumsub. Healthtech recorded the highest year-on-year increase in fraud cases across the region with a 723% surge… Read More

June 11, 2025 @ 5:17 am By Michael Wong  |  

GoTo Group, Indonesia’s largest digital ecosystem, has completed the migration of its digital finance arm GoTo Financial’s infrastructure to Alibaba Cloud’s local data centers in Jakarta. The move marks a critical milestone in a strategic partnership formed in 2024 and is one of the most… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong will implement its new Stablecoins Ordinance on August 1, formalizing the city’s regulatory framework for stablecoin-related activities and introducing a licensing regime aimed at strengthening oversight of the fast-growing digital asset sector. The ordinance, which was officially gazetted on May 30, is a… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

South Korea’s NAVER Corp. is launching a new venture investment arm in Silicon Valley, a move that underscores its ambition to expand its global presence and accelerate innovation by backing early-stage startups in North America. The initiative, NAVER Ventures, will focus on identifying and supporting… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 3:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippines and India are accelerating efforts to strengthen collaboration in financial technology and broader development cooperation, as both nations seek to harness digital innovation to drive economic growth. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto recently held talks with Indian Ambassador Harsh Jain to identify new avenues… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:52 am By Michael Wong  |  

UBTECH Education, in partnership with the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) under the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Education, has formally launched the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Artificial Intelligence Education Development Initiative. The program is set to transform AI education… Read More

June 7, 2025 @ 5:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

TBC Bank Group PLC has issued a $200 million bond to accelerate the growth of TBC Uzbekistan, its rapidly expanding digital banking arm, as the group deepens its footprint in Central Asia’s largest economy. The synthetic three-year bond, denominated in Uzbek sum and settled in… Read More

June 7, 2025 @ 5:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in the way consumers shop across Asia Pacific, with more than a third now relying on AI tools to assist with purchase decisions, according to Adyen’s 2025 Annual Retail Report. Based on a survey of 41,000 consumers in… Read More

June 4, 2025 @ 5:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

Aspire, a Singapore-based finance platform for businesses, has integrated with global payment infrastructure provider Stripe to enhance its payment capabilities, allowing users across Asia to accept a wider range of payment methods and improve cash flow management. The integration enables Aspire users to receive payments… Read More