August 2, 2025 @ 6:50 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), a wholly owned entity of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed a real estate finance portfolio purchase agreement with Bank Albilad as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the Kingdom’s residential mortgage market and enhance liquidity… Read More

August 2, 2025 @ 4:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Payments processing and cross-border transaction provider Euronet Worldwide said it has agreed to acquire CoreCard Corporation in a stock-for-stock merger valued at approximately $248 million. The move is a part of Euronet’s efforts to strengthen its credit card issuing capabilities and expand its digital financial… Read More

August 2, 2025 @ 4:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched a dedicated task force to accelerate the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across the agency, aiming to enhance innovation, operational efficiency, and regulatory capabilities. Valerie Szczepanik has been appointed as the SEC’s first Chief AI Officer and… Read More

August 2, 2025 @ 3:45 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expanding its outreach to the cryptocurrency industry through a new national tour by its Crypto Task Force, aimed at gathering feedback from early-stage crypto startups and underrepresented stakeholders. The initiative follows a series of five roundtables held… Read More

August 2, 2025 @ 3:37 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global Fintech firm Adyen has partnered with Singapore-based restaurant technology provider Atlas to improve payment processes and operational efficiency for food and beverage (F&B) businesses, according to an announcement. Through the partnership, Atlas integrates Adyen’s payments infrastructure into its AtlasPay solution. This offers simplified reporting,… Read More

August 2, 2025 @ 9:57 am By Michael Wong  |  

The SIDC-CASI SRI Conference 2025 concluded in Kuala Lumpur after three days of discussions focused on accelerating sustainable finance across Southeast Asia. Co-hosted by the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) and the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), the event gathered more than 300 delegates… Read More

July 28, 2025 @ 3:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Emirates Airline and Dubai Duty Free are taking steps to integrate cryptocurrency into their payment systems through separate partnerships with digital asset platform Crypto.com, as part of Dubai’s broader ambition to position itself as a global digital finance hub. Emirates plans to accept cryptocurrency payments… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 11:29 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised down its growth forecasts for developing economies in Asia and the Pacific for both 2025 and 2026, citing weaker external demand, global trade uncertainty, and subdued domestic consumption. According to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July 2025 report… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 11:24 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based Fintech firms Green Link Digital Bank (GLDB) and 129Knots have launched a global embedded finance initiative targeting liquidity gaps in the marine fuel sector, aiming to bring structured financing to an industry traditionally underserved by conventional credit providers. The partnership will leverage 129Knots’ Origination-to-Distribution… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 10:13 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based robotics software firm Augmentus has secured $11 million in a Series A+ funding round to scale deployment of its no-code, AI-driven robotic systems for industrial automation. The round was led by Woori Venture Partners, with participation from Singapore government-backed EDBI. Existing investors Sierra Ventures… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 10:25 am By Michael Wong  |  

Spear AI, a Washington, DC-based company specializing in artificial intelligence solutions for the maritime sector, has closed a seed funding round backed by Scare the Bear Capital and Cortical Ventures. The amount raised was not disclosed. Founded in 2021, the company develops a suite of… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 10:21 am By Michael Wong  |  

Trovata, a San Diego, CA-based provider of a multibank data platform, has acquired ATOM, an enterprise Treasury Management System developed by Financial Sciences Corporation. The acquisition positions Trovata as a new competitor to traditional treasury software vendors by integrating advanced treasury features into its cloud-native… Read More

July 27, 2025 @ 9:23 am By Michael Wong  |  

Roughly 14% of US adults report owning cryptocurrency, while most say they have no interest in buying it, according to a new Gallup survey conducted from June 2 to 15. Despite modest growth in ownership since 2021, a majority of Americans continue to view digital… Read More

July 26, 2025 @ 11:58 am By Michael Wong  |  

China has placed Alipay, Tenpay, and NetsUnion Clearing Corporation under the direct anti-money laundering supervision of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), according to a report by Yicai. The move expands the central bank’s regulatory scope to include major non-bank payment platforms as part of… Read More

July 22, 2025 @ 11:18 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Sun Life Hong Kong said on Friday it will invest up to $70 million in Bowtie Life Insurance, Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer, to accelerate its growth and strengthen its position in medical insurance and preventive healthcare. The fresh capital injection reinforces Sun Life’s long-standing… Read More

July 22, 2025 @ 9:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) plans to introduce stand-in capabilities for NETS electronic point-of-sales systems to enhance the resilience of digital financial services. MAS is also working with financial institutions to develop similar solutions for QR code payments, which have gained traction among consumers…. Read More

July 21, 2025 @ 10:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Around 60% of sovereign wealth funds based in the Middle East intend to increase their allocations to Chinese assets over the next five years, according to the latest global sovereign asset management study conducted by Invesco. The remaining 40% of respondents from the region plan… Read More

July 20, 2025 @ 4:31 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Kuwait’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has launched the country’s first securities-based crowdfunding platform, a move aimed at expanding capital market participation and introducing new financial technologies. The CMA said in a statement that Al-Mawazi Capital is the first entity to be registered under its securities-based… Read More

July 20, 2025 @ 4:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Riverside Company, a US-based global investment firm focused on lower middle market investments, has announced the final close of its Riverside Value Fund II (RVF II), reaching its hard cap of $750 million. The fund was significantly oversubscribed and closed at more than twice… Read More

July 19, 2025 @ 5:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based digital content monetization platform Coda has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Amsterdam-headquartered prepaid payments firm Recharge, according to an announcement. The transaction brings together two regional leaders as part of a plan to expand global reach across business-to-business and business-to-consumer segments. The combined… Read More