Asia

April 19, 2026 @ 1:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam-based Farmnet, the trading arm of agricultural supply chain firm TechCoop, has secured a $11.75 million senior secured loan from Symbiotics, underscoring a growing shift among Southeast Asian startups toward alternative financing as venture capital remains tight. The facility, described as the first offshore institutional… Read More

April 18, 2026 @ 2:26 am By Michael Wong  |  

Climate-focused venture capital is increasingly targeting the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence, as surging compute demand and power consumption create new investment opportunities across the digital economy. Vietnam-based Earth Venture Capital said it participated in Sygaldry Technologies’ $139 million financing round, which included a $34 million… Read More

April 16, 2026 @ 11:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple Labs has joined forces with Kyobo Life Insurance to launch the country’s inaugural tokenized government bond settlement system powered by blockchain technology. The collab represents Ripple’s initial venture with a Korean insurance provider and marks a pivotal advancement in building robust, institution-level digital asset… Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 10:00 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Bitget Wallet is exploring the integration of self-custodial crypto payments into Japan’s stablecoin payment ecosystem through discussions with Netstars, a payment infrastructure provider. The initiative centers on how Web3 wallets can connect to existing merchant networks, marking a potential step toward bringing stablecoin payments into… Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 8:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s central bank has called for the introduction of circuit-breaker systems in the virtual asset market to enhance safeguards against extreme volatility and operational failures. The recommendation appears in the Bank of Korea’s latest Payment and Settlement Trends report, released on April 13, 2026…. Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 3:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

There has again been a significant setback for diplomatic efforts in South Asia that were aimed at de-escalating the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict. Unfortunately, the United States and Iran again failed to reach any agreement during high-level discussions held in Pakistan’s capital. The meetings, which took… Read More

April 12, 2026 @ 11:01 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s push to turn stablecoins from a regulatory concept into everyday financial plumbing is beginning to draw in the companies that handle money at the checkout counter. Digital asset trading platform EX.IO said it signed a memorandum of understanding with payment firm Payment Asia to… Read More

April 12, 2026 @ 4:56 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based cross-border payments firm Thunes is expanding its stablecoin settlement capabilities through a new collaboration with Circle, as payment infrastructure providers step up efforts to connect blockchain-based rails with traditional financial systems. Thunes said it had joined Circle Payments Network Managed Payments, enabling its customers… Read More

April 12, 2026 @ 2:52 am By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia is trying to make cheap money do heavier lifting. The government is rolling out up to 5 billion ringgit ($1.3 billion) in low-cost financing to help small and medium enterprises move beyond survival mode and into higher-value sectors such as technology, green projects, automation… Read More

April 12, 2026 @ 12:54 am By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam’s race to build a regulated crypto market is beginning to look less like a policy experiment and more like a capital test. Vietnam Prosperity Crypto Asset Exchange Joint Stock Company (CAEX) said it had signed investment agreements with OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital, with… Read More

April 12, 2026 @ 12:11 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched a 4 billion peso ($68 million) loan program for micro, small, and medium enterprises, as the government moves to help smaller businesses cope with economic risks linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Trade… Read More

April 10, 2026 @ 1:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

AsiaTokenFund Group said it had formed a strategic partnership with 1MAX.com to launch a curated cryptocurrency trading platform, betting that a more selective approach to token listings could appeal to investors navigating a volatile digital asset market. The platform will target both retail newcomers and… Read More

April 10, 2026 @ 12:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ruben Bombardi, the VARA General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Enablement, noted that the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) published its Guidance on the Virtual Asset Issuance Rulebook, setting out in practical terms how virtual assets are “created, disclosed, and brought to market” in Dubai…. Read More

April 9, 2026 @ 2:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea based digital currency exchange Bithumb has reportedly initiated legal proceedings in an attempt to recover Bitcoin (BTC) that had been accidentally / unintentionally distributed to platform users during a surprising event this past February. As per recent media reports from local sources, crypto… Read More

April 8, 2026 @ 2:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s ruling party has reportedly decided to go ahead with a plan to enable the institutionalization of tokenized real-world assets or RWAs and stablecoins under the current regulatory frameworks. As indicated in a report from the Seoul Economic Daily, the Asian country’s Democratic Party… Read More

April 8, 2026 @ 12:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MoneyHash, the payment orchestration platform focused on emerging and global markets, entered a partnership with Eazy Financial Services (EazyPay), a Central Bank of Bahrain-licensed payments platform and acquirer enabling companies across the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Bahrain and boosting access to payment channels for merchants…. Read More

April 7, 2026 @ 11:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In the Middle East, fintech investors are increasingly channeling resources into sturdy domestic infrastructure as geopolitical tensions mount. While war-related instability is clearly dampening the speed of deal-making across the region, it does not appear poised to shut off capital inflows entirely. Instead, funding is… Read More

April 7, 2026 @ 7:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korean fintech Toss is set to expand its digital finance ecosystem by rolling out its own cryptocurrency on a foundational blockchain mainnet. The company is also exploring the creation of a dedicated layer-two scaling network, marking a bold step into the world of decentralized… Read More

April 7, 2026 @ 12:58 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Airwallex, a global financial and payments platform, has received approval from Bank Negara Malaysia for its e-money issuing and Class A licences. With these licences, Airwallex can provide a complete suite of payment services in Malaysia. This empowers companies to expand and thrive across borders,… Read More

April 6, 2026 @ 8:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move to enhance tools for investment professionals, Carta has acquired ListAlpha and introduced LP CRM, an AI-driven platform tailored for investment firms. This system seeks to streamline the oversight of limited partners (LPs), build detailed investor networks, and optimize the full cycle of… Read More