July 27, 2026 @ 8:44 am By Michael Wong  |  

Early-stage companies developing solutions in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, inclusive finance, and other priority sectors may receive up to $400,000 in seed funding under a new program launched by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ADB Ventures, the venture… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 1:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

An artificial intelligence agent has moved beyond recommending suppliers and completed an actual business purchase in Greater China, carrying out tasks that would typically require several separate procurement and payment steps. Visa and Hong Kong-listed Lianlian DigiTech said Lianlian’s LoopXPay agent completed what the companies… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 9:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has enhanced its regulatory framework for authorised leveraged and inverse products, giving product providers greater flexibility in managing their products while drawing investors’ attention to their nature as daily trading instruments. The regulator said Hong Kong’s leveraged and… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 5:16 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Qatar is seeking to build the skilled workforce needed to support its ambitions of becoming a regional financial and fintech hub. “Developing national talent is essential to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030, serving as a fundamental pillar for supporting sustainable economic growth,” Qatar Financial… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 12:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

Cash remittances sent home by overseas Filipinos rose 2.0% in May from a year earlier to $2.71 billion, extending steady growth that continued to support household income and domestic demand, central bank data accessed by CrowdFund Insider showed. The increase brought cash remittances in the… Read More

July 25, 2026 @ 10:32 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has relaxed key listing requirements, including lowering thresholds for companies seeking weighted voting rights structures and expanding confidential filing arrangements, as the bourse steps up efforts to attract more initial public offerings and reinforce the city’s position as a… Read More

July 25, 2026 @ 9:41 am By Michael Wong  |  

AMERRA Capital Management is targeting about $200 million for a private credit fund that will provide senior secured financing to predominantly Brazilian food and agribusiness companies, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) considering an anchor investment of up to $30 million. According to a project… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 10:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued new guidelines setting out its expectations for the annual audit of payment service providers (PSPs), requiring licensed firms to strengthen oversight of risk management, regulatory compliance, and controls as the city-state’s digital payments sector expands. The Guidelines… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 7:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-founded crypto payments infrastructure provider Paymonade has received a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license from Liechtenstein’s Financial Market Authority. The license allows it to offer regulated crypto-asset services across all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) member states under a single passportable license. The approval comes… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 6:08 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A consortium led by Swedish private equity firm EQT has raised its tender offer for Japanese online platform operator Kakaku.com to 3,450 yen ($21.25) per share, overtaking a competing proposal from a consortium led by SoftBank-owned LY Corp and Bain Capital as the battle for… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 1:04 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Deep Finance Capital has launched in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), positioning itself as the emirate’s first AI-native asset manager. The DFSA-regulated firm will serve institutional and professional investors across real estate, private equity, commodities and special situations. Deep Finance Capital emerged from Rasameel… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 11:58 am By Michael Wong  |  

Bank of America has appointed Sonali Theisen to lead its global digital assets platform as the Wall Street lender expands its work on blockchain-based financial services. Theisen will oversee the design, development, expansion and governance of the bank’s blockchain infrastructure. Her responsibilities will cover tokenized… Read More

July 18, 2026 @ 3:53 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Emergent has raised $130 million in a Series C funding round that values the AI software creation platform at $1.5 billion, a fivefold increase in four months and enough to give it unicorn status a year after its public launch. The round was led by… Read More

July 18, 2026 @ 9:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering an investment of up to $150 million equivalent in euros in a green bond to be issued by Bank Zachodni WBK S.A., with the potential to mobilize a further $100 million, or its euro equivalent, from other investors…. Read More

July 13, 2026 @ 12:44 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s desk workers are among the least skeptical of artificial intelligence globally, but relatively few use the technology as a core part of their daily work after many early deployments failed to meet expectations, according to a Salesforce survey. Only 29% of desk workers in… Read More

July 12, 2026 @ 11:43 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Payments infrastructure company Xendit has integrated Philippine payments provider Dragonpay into its regional platform, giving Dragonpay merchants access to more than 100 payment methods, payouts, cross-border payments and financing. The announcement does not involve a new acquisition or share transaction, a Dragonpay spokesman told Crowdfund… Read More

July 12, 2026 @ 11:55 am By Michael Wong  |  

ProphetX, America’s first sports-native prediction market, has asked the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to clarify how registration requirements should apply to technology companies that give customers access to federally regulated sports event contracts. The company made the request in a comment letter responding… Read More

July 12, 2026 @ 10:55 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has urged Filipinos to borrow only from registered lenders, warning that illegal operators may charge exorbitant interest rates and resort to unfair collection practices. The corporate regulator said consumers should use safe, transparent and regulated loan products, including… Read More

July 12, 2026 @ 6:57 am By Michael Wong  |  

“Innovation needs capital, and Hong Kong is where capital and ideas meet,” the city’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said as Hong Kong sought to reinforce its position as a regional technology and fundraising hub during the inaugural LEAP East conference. The three-day LEAP East… Read More

July 12, 2026 @ 1:04 am By Michael Wong  |  

A consortium led by private investment firm B Capital has agreed to acquire global investment solutions provider Russell Investments from private equity firms TA Associates and Reverence Capital Partners, as the asset manager looks to expand its technology capabilities and accelerate growth. The investor group… Read More