May 23, 2025 @ 10:19 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Google Cloud has unveiled a comprehensive suite of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at accelerating Indonesia’s digital economy in support of the government’s Indonesia Emas 2045 vision. The move comes alongside the expansion of Google Cloud’s Jakarta region infrastructure to meet rising demand for enterprise-grade… Read More

May 23, 2025 @ 7:07 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Ant International has become the first corporate client to utilise HSBC’s new Tokenised Deposit Service in Hong Kong, marking a milestone in the city’s push to integrate blockchain into traditional finance, Business News Asia reported. The service enables real-time, round-the-clock HKD and USD payments between… Read More

May 23, 2025 @ 2:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singaporean investors are increasingly aware of cryptocurrency, with 94% of respondents familiar with at least one digital asset, according to the latest annual Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index. Despite record-high awareness, the actual ownership rate of cryptocurrencies has declined to 29% in 2025 from 40% a… Read More

May 23, 2025 @ 10:14 am By Michael Wong  |  

StackHawk, a shift-left API security platform, has raised $12 million in additional funding from Sapphire and Costanoa Ventures to accelerate its efforts in securing software built with AI-assisted development tools. The latest investment brings the company’s total funding to $47.3 million. The funding will be… Read More

May 23, 2025 @ 9:47 am By Michael Wong  |  

Digital asset infrastructure provider BitGo has launched its Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform, offering financial institutions, fintechs, and enterprises a turnkey solution to embed crypto capabilities into their products. The move aims to lower barriers to entry for companies looking to build and scale digital asset offerings… Read More

May 23, 2025 @ 7:23 am By Michael Wong  |  

New York-listed customer engagement platform Twilio Inc. has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Microsoft aimed at accelerating the adoption of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) across enterprise customer engagement. The collaboration, unveiled during the company’s annual SIGNAL event, brings together Twilio’s robust customer engagement platform… Read More

May 22, 2025 @ 3:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Asia Pacific’s commercial real estate market posted a strong start to the year, with investment volume rising 11% year-on-year to US$33 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to CBRE’s latest Asia Pacific Cap Rate Survey. The bi-annual report captures investor sentiment, cap rate… Read More

May 22, 2025 @ 11:20 am By Michael Wong  |  

Clair, a Fintech startup enabling bank-originated Earned Wage Access (EWA) for employees across the US, has raised $23.2 million in a Series B round led by Upfront Ventures, according to an announcement. The round, which was also backed by backer Thrive Capital and others, brings… Read More

May 22, 2025 @ 8:27 am By Michael Wong  |  

A sweeping new report from KPMG and Melbourne Business School finds a widening gap between public trust and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), as nearly 87% of global respondents call for stronger regulation amid rising concerns about misinformation and ethical usage. Titled Trust,… Read More

May 22, 2025 @ 8:11 am By Michael Wong  |  

Airwallex, a global payments and financial platform, has secured $300 million in a Series F funding round, lifting its valuation to $6.2 billion and further solidifying its position as one of the world’s most valuable Fintechs. The round includes $150 million in secondary share sales… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 10:50 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The United Kingdom is taking a decisive step toward formal regulation of digital assets, announcing that all cryptoasset service providers operating in the country will be required to adhere to strict reporting obligations starting January 1, 2026. The new rules form part of the OECD’s… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 10:47 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and GFH Financial Group have formed a strategic partnership to develop a comprehensive book on Islamic capital markets, in a move aimed at reinforcing Bahrain’s status as a global hub for Islamic finance education and innovation. The… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 7:48 am By Michael Wong  |  

Gulf International Bank B.S.C. (GIB) has closed its debut $500 million syndicated Murabaha financing facility, marking a milestone in its funding strategy and expanding its footprint in the Islamic finance market, according to a company announcement. The three-year Shariah-compliant facility was significantly oversubscribed, attracting strong… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 2:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Left Main REI, a CRM and data intelligence platform designed for real estate investors, has secured a strategic seed investment from Cofounders Capital. The funding will support the continued development of Left Main Genius, an AI-powered suite that aims to redefine how investors manage leads,… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 1:03 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A Ukrainian court has authorized the transfer of virtual assets seized during a major fraud and illegal gambling investigation, to the country’s National Agency for Asset Recovery and Management (ARMA), according to a court ruling in local dialect. The move marks a significant development in… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 12:02 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed reforms aimed at simplifying initial public offering (IPO) requirements and expanding outreach to investors, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the city-state’s position as a competitive equities hub. In a consultation paper, MAS outlined a three-pronged… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 11:01 am By Michael Wong  |  

BillEase, a digital consumer finance platform in the Philippines, has partnered with Maya Business, the country’s largest digital payments processor, to bring its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service to Maya’s ecosystem. The integration enables installment-based payments at checkout via QRPh-enabled point-of-sale (POS) terminals and… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 7:03 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global payments and digital assets platform ONE.io has partnered with BoomFi to launch ONE Gateway, a new service embedding cryptocurrency payment capabilities into its core offerings, the companies said. The integration allows ONE.io clients to accept major cryptocurrencies through pay links, invoices, checkout flows, and… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 4:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

German police have shut down the cryptocurrency platform eXch, confiscating €34 million ($38 million) in digital assets, authorities said, marking one of the country’s largest crypto-related seizures to date. The operation, conducted by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office,… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 11:56 am By Michael Wong  |  

Development finance institutions Swedfund, Finnfund, and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) have jointly committed $55 million in loans to Indonesian microfinance platform Amartha, the groups said in a joint statement. The financing is part of a broader syndicated facility of up to… Read More