Asia

June 4, 2026 @ 3:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) has recently announced the conclusion of a large-scale collaborative effort targeting scam operations. The initiative, involving major technology firms and U.S. law enforcement, resulted in the freezing of more than $3 million linked to fraudulent networks primarily active in Southeast Asia. This outcome… Read More

June 3, 2026 @ 4:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Stablecoin issuer Tether will offer a gold-backed card in partnership with Fasset, according to a block post. The company claims this is a “world’s first” gold-backed neobank card. Fasset, based in Dubai, is regulated by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and holds both a VASP… Read More

June 3, 2026 @ 2:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A research report released recently by global Fintech firm Thunes with assistance from Juniper Research has introduced a Cross-Border Payments Interoperability Index which reveals that while domestic payment systems have achieved remarkable speed and efficiency, these advancements often halt abruptly at national boundaries, leaving cross-border… Read More

June 3, 2026 @ 12:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based DBS Group (SGX:D05) is set to significantly strengthen its wealth management operations by launching 18 new wealth centres and upgrading 36 existing ones across key Asia-Pacific markets by the end of 2027. This initiative represents the largest physical expansion in the bank’s wealth franchise… Read More

June 2, 2026 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s monetary authority said it will develop a Digital Asset Platform later this year to support the issuance and settlement of digital bonds and, in the future, other digital assets. The move comes as the city looks to deepen its role as a “super… Read More

June 2, 2026 @ 9:16 am By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN)has launched its investing platform in India. India is a massive market of around 1.48 billion individuals. Yet only around 9.5% of the market invests in securities. Regarding crypto, estimates range from 90 to 127 million investors trade. These are mostly a younger demographic. In… Read More

June 1, 2026 @ 7:07 am By Michael Wong  |  

Ascend Bank, the virtual bank backed by Charoen Pokphand Group, is expected to debut in July, CP Group senior vice-chairman Suphachai Chearavanont said. The planned launch comes after rival Clicx Bank announced earlier this week it plans to launch its mobile app on June 19,… Read More

June 1, 2026 @ 2:36 am By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s AI infrastructure market is still young, uneven, and heavily concentrated in Singapore. The sector has drawn about $1.2 billion in disclosed equity funding across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand from 2015 to 2026, according to a report by private market data platform Tracxn…. Read More

May 31, 2026 @ 4:26 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The US government has continued to adopt an overly aggressive financial strategy against Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently disclosed that American authorities have confiscated roughly $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency linked to Iran. The announcement underscores the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to disrupt… Read More

May 31, 2026 @ 11:55 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s monetary authority said regulated stablecoins in the city are expected to be launched in the next few months, as it moves digital finance initiatives from experimentation to real-value transactions. Howard Lee, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said Hong Kong’s… Read More

May 31, 2026 @ 3:05 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s central bank said it has issued a circular guiding financial institutions to establish a client’s source of wealth in a risk-proportionate way, as part of efforts to make account opening in the wealth management industry more efficient while maintaining sound regulatory standards. The Monetary… Read More

May 31, 2026 @ 12:44 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s banking system recorded a broad increase in deposits in April, with renminbi deposits rising mainly on corporate fund flows even as cross-border trade settlement remittances declined from the previous month. Total deposits with authorized institutions increased by 1.5% in April, according to statistics… Read More

May 30, 2026 @ 8:31 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, and the Insurance Commission highlighted the potential of bundling parametric insurance with credit in enhancing lending to climate-exposed sectors. Parametric insurance provides automatic payouts once predefined weather thresholds are met. When bundled with… Read More

May 29, 2026 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Kalshi have been approved to offer perpetual crypto futures trading. In a series of updates, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that “certain crypto asset perpetuals” will be allowed via a no-action letter. Coinbase Financial Markets (CFM), a subsidiary of Coinbase,… Read More

May 28, 2026 @ 5:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Investment platform Kraken has rolled out significant enhancements to its platform, focusing on user-friendly earning opportunities and strategic international expansion. These developments underscore the exchange’s commitment to accessibility, security, and compliance in the evolving digital assets landscape. On May 21, 2026, Kraken introduced AVAX staking… Read More

May 28, 2026 @ 12:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has restricted public access to Polymarket, a US-based platform that operates as a prediction market using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The decision, announced on May 22, 2026, underscores the government’s firm stance against any form of speculative betting… Read More

May 27, 2026 @ 2:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Asia is set to play a pivotal role in the expansion of the global cyber insurance sector. A joint report by CyberCube, a key player in cyber risk analytics, and United Insurance Brokers (UIB), a Lloyd’s broker, underscores the region’s potential amid surging digital transformation… Read More

May 25, 2026 @ 11:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Despite the ongoing regional tensions and uncertainty in the global market, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) drew strong investor demand in its latest local-currency bond sale. In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Finance said it raised 1.1 billion dirhams, or about $300 million, through… Read More

May 25, 2026 @ 3:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Iran has initiated conversations with Oman regarding a potential collaborative arrangement to implement a payment mechanism for ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global energy supplies. This development highlights ongoing tensions, as it suggests that Washington and Tehran remain far from… Read More

May 25, 2026 @ 11:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

A Nasdaq-listed fertility services company is making a bet on one of the internet’s more speculative frontiers: AI-powered prediction markets. NewGenIVF Group has made an initial $2 million strategic investment in K25.ai, a Singapore-based AI-native live streaming and watch-to-predict platform, as part of a Pre-A… Read More