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

May 10, 2025 @ 1:21 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) mobilized a record $8.7 billion in nonsovereign cofinancing in 2024, highlighting the expanding role of private sector partnerships in driving development across Asia and the Pacific, the bank said in a statement. The milestone contributed to a total cofinancing volume… Read More

May 10, 2025 @ 12:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Cryptocurrency exchange HTX and TRON founder Justin Sun have launched the Mars Program: Special Edition, a $6 million campaign offering one user a fully funded space voyage, Business News Asia reported. The campaign, which runs from May 7 to May 13 (UTC), invites all HTX… Read More

May 10, 2025 @ 11:26 am By Michael Wong  |  

Filipinos spent approximately 1.54 billion seconds — or about 49 years — using non-bank digital lending applications in 2024, according to new analysis released by digital lender Digido. The study examined activity across 47 digital lending apps registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 11:50 am By Michael Wong  |  

Trek Health, a US-based startup aiming to bring clarity to opaque healthcare payer data, has raised $11 million in a Series A funding round led by Madrona, the company said. Other investors in the round included Accrete Health Partners—the venture arm of Bon Secours Mercy… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 4:03 am By Michael Wong  |  

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Singapore-based Trigger Asset Management have launched a strategic partnership to mobilize capital and expand support for startups and businesses aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative, named “Origin,” is led by UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab)… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 9:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Indonesia’s antitrust regulator has launched preliminary tribunal proceedings against 97 online lending startups over suspected cartel practices involving daily interest rate caps, Indonesian news site Katadata reported. The Indonesia Competition Commission (KPPU) said the investigation revealed indications of a coordinated agreement among peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 8:53 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Saudi Arabian fintech startup Nqoodlet has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Waad Investment, with participation from Omantel, 500 Sanabil, Oqal, Seed Holding Company, and several strategic angel investors, the company said in a statement. The funding will be used to… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 7:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Senate Bill 1025, a measure that would have allowed the state’s retirement fund to invest in virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. The veto effectively halts a legislative effort that could have made Arizona the first U.S. state to hold… Read More

May 3, 2025 @ 10:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam will begin a two-year regulatory sandbox for selected fintech services, including peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, credit scoring, and open banking data sharing, starting July 1, under a government decree issued earlier this week. Decree 94, released on April 29, establishes a controlled testing environment for… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 3:29 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Deferred, a technology-powered Qualified Intermediary focused on transforming 1031 real estate exchanges, has secured $3.6 million in seed funding to expand its platform and make tax-deferred property transactions more accessible to individual investors. The round was led by B Capital and Fika Ventures, with participation… Read More

April 28, 2025 @ 6:01 am By Michael Wong  |  

Visa and Maroc Telecom Group have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance mobile payment services in Morocco and explore wider digital financial inclusion efforts across Africa, the companies announced. The collaboration will initially focus on integrating Visa’s payment solutions into MT Cash, Maroc Telecom’s… Read More

April 27, 2025 @ 9:37 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Nasdaq is calling on U.S. regulators to establish clearer rules for digital assets by defining them into four distinct categories, a move the exchange operator said would help determine the proper oversight responsibilities between federal agencies. In a 23-page letter sent to the Securities and… Read More

April 27, 2025 @ 8:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

MagicBlock, a startup building fully on-chain real-time applications on the Solana blockchain, said it has raised $7.5 million in a Seed funding round led by Lightspeed Faction. The round was also backed by Maven11, Delphi Digital, Robot Ventures, Mechanism Capital, Equilibrium, Pivot Global, and angel… Read More

April 27, 2025 @ 6:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Real-time artificial intelligence (AI) firm Dataminr said it closed a $100 million convertible financing from funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group. The New York-based firm said the proceeds, which follow an $85 million convertible and credit facility secured in March from NightDragon and… Read More

April 27, 2025 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Ant Bank (Hong Kong), the digital banking arm of Ant International, has received a $100 million capital infusion from its parent company as it seeks to scale up its services and broaden its role in Hong Kong’s digital financial ecosystem. The funding, according to an… Read More