August 29, 2026 @ 2:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fintech investment in Singapore fell sharply in the first half of 2026 as investors became more selective and capital was concentrated in a smaller number of larger transactions, according to KPMG’s latest Pulse of Fintech report. Singapore fintech companies attracted more than $499 million across… Read More

August 29, 2026 @ 2:24 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Chinese technology giants are rapidly increasing spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure but face greater financial constraints than their U.S. counterparts, whose larger and more profitable core businesses provide stronger cash flow and greater capacity to sustain heavy investment, Moody’s Ratings said. Capital expenditure by leading… Read More

August 25, 2026 @ 12:25 am By Michael Wong  |  

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering an investment of up to $30 million in a Colombian private debt fund managed by Vinci Compass to expand access to long-term financing for medium-sized and commercial enterprises, according to a project disclosure seen by CrowdFund Insider. The… Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 2:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

Global consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton has agreed to make a strategic investment in Japanese independent financial advisory firm Financial Standard, as the private equity firm seeks to tap growth in Japan’s expanding wealth management market. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed…. Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 1:25 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s national accountancy body has agreed to deepen cooperation with its Indian counterpart on artificial intelligence training and professional qualification recognition, potentially extending a Singapore-developed AI programme to more than 1.5 million members and students in India. The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 10:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Calgary-based payments company Helcim has raised C$53 million ($38 million) in a Series C funding round led by BDC Capital’s Growth Venture Fund, lifting its valuation to C$250 million as it seeks to capture growing demand from small and mid-sized businesses. The round included new… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 8:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong broadcaster TVB Limited is planning an artificial intelligence computing venture with private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners that could receive up to HK$2 billion ($255 million) in equity investment from Gaw Capital, according to a stock exchange filing seen by CrowdFund Insider. TVB… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 6:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Asia-Pacific central banks have agreed to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence and scam prevention as financial authorities grapple with emerging risks to consumers and the region’s financial systems, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. and his counterparts approved initiatives… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 5:36 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Chinese fintech firm Lianlian DigiTech is expanding into AI-powered agentic payments as its global payments business recorded double-digit growth in the first half of 2026, according to its latest Hong Kong stock exchange filing. The digital payments company said it is developing an Agent Wallet… Read More

August 22, 2026 @ 5:49 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has proposed new accounting guidance aimed at clarifying when certain digital assets, including stablecoins, can be treated as cash equivalents under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The proposed Accounting Standards Update would provide illustrative examples to promote more consistent… Read More

August 22, 2026 @ 8:31 am By Michael Wong  |  

AI chip startup Groq has raised $350 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, roughly half the level it commanded less than a year ago, Bloomberg reported. The funding round, completed on Aug. 17, values Groq nearly 50% below the $6.9 billion valuation it secured in… Read More

August 22, 2026 @ 6:47 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-headquartered DayOne Data Centers has secured a four-year S$530 million ($415 million) green loan from DBS, OCBC, and UOB to finance its first data centre in Singapore, as demand for digital infrastructure grows alongside artificial intelligence and cloud computing. DBS said the 20-megawatt facility could… Read More

August 18, 2026 @ 1:00 am By Michael Wong  |  

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is proposing an equity investment of up to $25 million in Jumia Technologies AG, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform and the first African technology company to list on the New York Stock Exchange. The proposed project aims to accelerate Jumia’s growth… Read More

August 17, 2026 @ 12:11 am By Michael Wong  |  

PwC Nigeria has said Nigeria’s new tax guidelines for virtual assets provide welcome clarity but leave practical and legal uncertainties that could complicate compliance for taxpayers and service providers. In a tax alert titled “Taxing the intangible: A critical analysis of the NRS guidelines on… Read More

August 16, 2026 @ 9:03 pm By Michael Wong  |  

U.S. households are holding an estimated $750 billion in intrinsic gold metal value in jewelry, according to a new report from AI-powered asset valuation platform Unvault, highlighting a potentially overlooked category of household wealth. Unvault’s Jewelry Drawer Index estimates the average U.S. household holds about… Read More

August 16, 2026 @ 3:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

New Zealand artificial intelligence startup Sterling has raised NZ$3.8 million ($2.2 million) in a funding round led by trans-Tasman venture capital firm Blackbird, as it looks to expand its AI-powered automation platform for finance teams. The round also attracted investors including Rowan Simpson and Eliot… Read More

August 16, 2026 @ 1:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Gen Z users are leading net accumulation across direct equities, bStocks and traditional finance perpetuals, while trading less frequently than other working-age generations, according to new research from Binance Research. The market research arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance said 77% of Gen Z direct-equity accounts… Read More

August 16, 2026 @ 12:58 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, said lowering transaction costs could encourage greater use of digital payments in the Philippines, but stressed that affordability is only one of several barriers preventing Filipinos from participating fully in the formal financial… Read More

August 15, 2026 @ 12:48 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Banks, insurers, and takaful operators in Malaysia will get new guidance to support implementation of the National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF), as regulators seek to make sustainability-related disclosures more robust, consistent, comparable, and purposeful. The Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3), co-chaired by Bank Negara… Read More

August 15, 2026 @ 8:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

Funding for Southeast Asia’s native artificial intelligence startups has reached $4.1 billion so far in 2026, already more than double the amount raised for the whole of last year, although the surge was driven largely by a single $2.8-billion round, according to data intelligence platform… Read More