Asia

February 1, 2022 @ 9:29 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

The Reserve Bank of India plans to launch a digital rupee in the 2022-23 fiscal year that begins on April Fools’ Day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today, saying it will boost the digital economy. She made the comments while delivering the country’s annual budget…. Read More

February 1, 2022 @ 5:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Qlub, a company creating a fast payment solution for consumers in restaurants, has secured $17 million via a seed round. Qlub’s investment round has been co-led by Cherry Ventures and Point Nine along with contributions from other several VCs such as STV, Raed Ventures, Heartcore,… Read More

February 1, 2022 @ 11:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Amber Group has acquired DeCurret Inc., a crypto exchange subsidiary of DeCurret Holdings Inc. The transaction was completed by Amber Group subsidiary WhaleFin Holdings Japan K.K (WhaleFin Japan). The transaction enables Amber Group’s entry into Japan, having acquired a Crypto-Asset Exchange Service Provider (CAESP)  registered… Read More

January 31, 2022 @ 11:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-headquartered Insurtech firm 360F and AXA recently announced that they will be introducing a full-scale production of their advisory tool, called “My FinScore.” 360F had supported the launch of My FinScore with AXA Singapore earlier in January. The product was made available to AXA’s 700-strong… Read More

January 31, 2022 @ 10:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Plentina, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Fintech focused on serving emerging markets, has teamed up with Southeast Asia’s digital retailer ZALORA in order to provide its short-term financing option. Residents of the Philippines may download the Plentina app to access loans valued at up… Read More

January 31, 2022 @ 10:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Spendwisor Inc. has entered into an agreement with Gem Global Yield LLC SCS (GEM) in order to boost the existing facility size from QAR 190 million (appr. $50 million) to QAR 310 million (appr. $85 million). As mentioned in the update, this serves as a… Read More

January 31, 2022 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Axiata Digital’s Fintech division Boost is reportedly planning to expand its products and services while strengthening its regional presence. The firm announced these plans after a year of steady growth in revenues and product innovation. Boost reveals that its client base increased to more than… Read More

January 31, 2022 @ 8:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Qwikcilver, a subsidiary of Pine Labs and provider of end-to-end gifting solutions, has teamed up with the Philippine Airlines (PAL) for its digital gift card program. Developed with assistance from travel tech firm Amadeus, this particular program will help PAL to further improve customer satisfaction… Read More

January 30, 2022 @ 9:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

ForgeRock (NYSE: FORG), an international digital identity provider, recently announced its continued expansion across Asia and has made ForgeRock Identity Cloud “available locally from two new data centers in Indonesia and Hong Kong.” As mentioned in the update, this move expands ForgeRock’s Identity Cloud into… Read More

January 30, 2022 @ 9:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Wise clients across the globe will now have the option to conduct quick, seamless and cost-effective global fund transfers to Weixin users residing in China from 11 different currencies, including SGD, USD and GBP. Wise (LON:WISE), the international tech firm focused on creating the best… Read More

January 30, 2022 @ 12:36 pm By Xu Gao  |  

HKEX Welcomes the First SPAC On January 17th, Aquila Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), submitted a listing application to HKEX. The sponsors of the company are CMB International Capital Corporation Limited (“CMBI”) and AAC Mgmt Holding Ltd. According to the preliminary prospectus,… Read More

January 30, 2022 @ 12:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Kazakhstan, which is reportedly the world’s second-largest miner of Bitcoin (BTC), the flagship cryptocurrency, has closed down its digital currency mining operations until the end of this month. Kazakhstan‘s State electricity provider KEGOC decided to cut off the supply to the virtual currency miners after… Read More

January 30, 2022 @ 12:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Jack Zhang, the Co-founder and CEO at Fintech Airwallex, notes that in the past year, they continued on their journey to build one of the biggest international financial infrastructures by expanding their platform capabilities and geographic presence. Zhang writes in a blog post that Airwallex… Read More

January 29, 2022 @ 4:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The ICICB Group claims that it has an established track record of launching innovative businesses and propositions with consistency. The Group is known for reviewing the scope of possibilities, from initial strategy to technical development. As mentioned in an update shared by the ICICB Group,… Read More

January 28, 2022 @ 7:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank Indonesia (BI) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) announced on January 27, 2022 that they’ve launched a cross-border QR payment linkage. It will “enable instant, secure and efficient cross-border payments between Indonesia and Malaysia.” Via this linkage, consumers in both nations will be able to… Read More

January 27, 2022 @ 4:10 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Fintech firm XREX announced today it has obtained the money services business (MSB) license from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) under the Canadian government. The license allows the Taipei-based company to extend its crypto-fiat exchange services, which include cross-border payments, remittances, global… Read More

January 27, 2022 @ 7:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ) is now approved to operate in Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, according to a statement from the company. The “modern card issuing platform” is now certified to operate in 39 different countries. Marqeta says it will open an office in Singapore in… Read More

January 26, 2022 @ 10:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

According to a Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) report, Hong Kong’s asset and wealth management sectors registered an increase in AUM of more than 20% YoY, to HKD 34.9 trillion, as of end 2020. As one of the area’s most prominent wealth management hubs, Hong… Read More

January 26, 2022 @ 2:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Around 500,000 new merchants across the MENA region will soon be able to take advantage of seamless and convenient virtual payment acceptance via Network International’s Tap on Phone tech, which enables smartphones to serve as payment terminals. The project represents a key milestone between Mastercard… Read More

January 26, 2022 @ 12:26 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Pencilton, a teen-focused Fintech startup based in India, recently launched PencilCard, a debit card that is compliant with National Common Mobility Card standards. It has been launched in partnership with Transcorp. The National Common Mobility Card was developed by India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban… Read More