Michael Wong

SEC, CFTC to Hold Joint Roundtable on Crypto Regulation Sept. 29

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission will hold a joint public roundtable on Sept. 29 to address regulatory clarity for cryptocurrency markets, focusing on decentralized finance protocols, perpetual contracts and other digital asset innovations. The four-hour session at SEC headquarters… Read More

Global Property and Casualty Insurance Market Doubles to $2.4tr – Swiss Re

The global property and casualty (P&C) insurance market has doubled in size over the past two decades to $2.4 trillion in premiums, supported by broader access to coverage, alternative risk transfer mechanisms and stronger reinsurance capacity, according to Swiss Re Institute’s latest sigma report. Swiss… Read More

Seven Indicted in France Over Kidnapping of Swiss Man for Crypto Ransom

French prosecutors said seven people have been indicted and placed in preventive detention over the kidnapping of a young Swiss man whose captors demanded a ransom to be paid in cryptocurrency. The victim, in his 20s, was abducted under undisclosed circumstances on Aug. 28 and… Read More

Indonesian Fintech Amartha Secures Digital Wallet License, Transforms into Financial Group

Amartha, an Indonesia-based platform for entrepreneurs, announced it has secured a digital wallet license from Bank Indonesia and transformed into Amartha Financial Group. The company is expanding beyond microloans into digital payments, micro-investments, and other financial services for Indonesia’s rural economy, which employs over 40… Read More

Singapore’s Crypto.com Signs Partnership with Trump Media

Singapore-based Crypto.com has signed a strategic partnership with Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. (TMTG), operator of Truth Social, Truth+, and Truth.Fi, the companies said. The agreement covers the integration of Crypto.com’s digital wallet infrastructure into TMTG’s platforms, with the Cronos (CRO) token adopted as… Read More

Crypto Exchange OrangeX Raises $20m in Series B Funding

OrangeX, a global cryptocurrency exchange, has completed a $20 million Series B funding round led by Kryptos, with participation from SCI Ventures and other investors, the company said. The fundraising follows a $10 million Series A round in September 2023, also led by Kryptos with… Read More

Bank Nizwa Launches Electronic Mandate for Direct Debit in Oman

Bank Nizwa, Oman’s largest Islamic lender, has launched an electronic mandate (E-mandate) service for direct debit payments as part of its push to expand digital banking solutions, the bank said on Sunday. The service, which complies with the Central Bank of Oman’s regulatory framework, is… Read More

Insurtech bolttech Enters Kenya Through LOOP Partnership

Global insurtech bolttech said it has entered the Kenyan market through a partnership with LOOP, the digital banking service of NCBA Bank, marking its latest expansion in Africa. The partnership will introduce LOOP Flex Device Financing (LOOP Flex) in October, a product combining flexible device… Read More

US Seizes Domains Tied to Counterfeit ID Marketplace VerifTools

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said it had seized two marketplace domains and a blog operated by VerifTools, an online platform accused of producing and selling fraudulent identification documents to cybercriminals worldwide. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began probing… Read More

70% of APAC Firms Expect Agentic AI to Disrupt Business Models – Report

About 70% of organisations in the Asia Pacific expect agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to significantly disrupt their business models within the next 18 months, with the banking sector likely to see the largest impact, Moneythor said. Vivek Seetharaman, Chief Product Officer at Moneythor, a provider… Read More

Turkey’s Fintech Firm Midas Raises Record $80M in Series B

Turkish investment platform Midas has secured $80 million in a Series B round, bringing its total capital raised to more than $140 million as it expands offerings and strengthens security infrastructure. The round, which the company claimed as the largest fundraising by a fintech in… Read More

TBC Bank Group Acquires Majority Stake in OLX Uzbekistan in Landmark Digital Deal

Bukhara, Uzbekistan darrell-chaddock-unsplash

London-listed TBC Bank Group said it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in OLX Uzbekistan, one of the country’s most visited online classifieds platforms, in a move that expands its fast-growing digital banking ecosystem in Central Asia. The acquisition, from OLX Group, the classifieds… Read More

UAE Central Bank launches AI initiative with HSBC, local banks

The UAE Central Bank’s Emirates Institute of Finance (EIF) has partnered with HSBC Bank, Al Maryah Community Bank and technology firms Presight and Core42 to explore artificial intelligence applications in financial services, the central bank said. The collaboration aims to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity… Read More

AI Data Platform Definite Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Costanoa

Definite, a full-stack artificial intelligence-native data platform, said it raised $10 million in seed funding led by venture capital firm Costanoa, with participation from Acrew Capital and strategic angel investors. The funding will be used to accelerate product development and expand go-to-market hiring as the… Read More

UAE Reports Over 12,000 Wi-Fi Network Breaches in 2025

The United Arab Emirates’ Cyber Security Council said on Sunday that more than 12,000 security breaches have been recorded across Wi-Fi networks nationwide since January, representing approximately 35% of all cyberattacks in the country this year. The council warned of escalating risks from untrusted wireless… Read More

E-commerce Firm Pattern Group Files for US IPO After Revenue Surge

Pattern Group, an e-commerce accelerator that helps brands expand across global online marketplaces, filed for a US initial public offering (IPO) after posting a 35% jump in revenue in the first half of 2025. The Lehi, Utah-based company reported net income of $47 million on… Read More

Malaysia’s PayNet Expands Partners with China’s Ant International for Cross-border Digital Payments

Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), the operator of the country’s national payments network, has expanded its partnership with China’s Ant International to strengthen cross-border digital payments, boost tourism and advance financial technology cooperation. The two firms signed a renewed memorandum of understanding (MoU) that… Read More

US Department of Treasury Seeks Public Input on AI, Blockchain Tools to Combat Digital Asset Crime

The US Department of the Treasury launched a public comment period seeking input on innovative technologies that financial institutions could use to detect illicit activity involving digital assets, including artificial intelligence and blockchain monitoring tools. The request fulfills requirements under the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin legislation… Read More

NSF, NVIDIA Launch $152M Partnership for Open-Source AI Models

The U.S. National Science Foundation and NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) announced a $152 million partnership to develop open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to accelerate scientific research and strengthen American leadership in AI innovation. NSF will contribute $75 million while NVIDIA provides $77 million for the… Read More

Golf AI Startup CourseRev.ai Secures Strategic Investment

CourseRev.ai, an artificial intelligence technology company serving the golf industry, said it has secured a strategic investment from The Walden Golf Group as part of its seed funding round. The Walden Golf Group, which owns and operates more than 20 golf courses across the United… Read More

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