Asia

February 7, 2021 @ 8:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Deepika, who writes blog posts for LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange, has asked whether there are any small business owners in India that accept BTC as a form of payment for goods and services. Deepika notes that it can be inconvenient when a small business… Read More

February 7, 2021 @ 7:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Saudi Arabia’s venture capital funds are increasingly looking to tap into Fintech, digital commerce, and healthcare segments this year. VC activity has increased considerably in the MENA region including Saudi Arabia during the past few years, with local startups recording a 55% year-over-year growth in… Read More

February 7, 2021 @ 7:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The team at Islamabad-based Fintech firm SadaPay has been introducing innovative and appealing financial products and services that are focusing on younger consumers in Pakistan. SadaPay is offering black, sleek premium spending cards which may be comparable to some of the cards offered by European… Read More

February 7, 2021 @ 11:36 am By Xu Gao  |  

SWIFT and the People’s Bank of China Digital Currency Research Institute Establish a Joint Venture Public records show that SWIFT has recently established a Financial Gateway Information Service Co., Ltd. in China with the People’s Bank of China Clearing Center and the People’s Bank of… Read More

February 6, 2021 @ 6:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SATYA MicroCapital, a fast-growing micro-lending firm based in India, has reportedly secured INR 153 Crore (appr. $21 million) in funding from Japan’s Gojo & Company. The microfinance lender confirmed that the recent investment acquired is one of the largest capital infusions it has received (and… Read More

February 6, 2021 @ 5:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-headquartered Insurtech firm CXA Group has reportedly decided to restructure its operations by selling off its brokerage division so that it can focus on the development and global expansion of its enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. CXA stated that it will be selling its brokerage business… Read More

February 6, 2021 @ 4:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SME or small business crowdfunding platform Siam Validus has reportedly received a debenture crowdfunding license from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC). Siam Validus is a joint initiative between Singapore’s SME financing platform Validus and SCG Distribution, a Thailand-based firm that specializes in… Read More

February 5, 2021 @ 8:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based remittance firm TranSwap has reportedly decided to make a move into the United Kingdom with plans to establish an Edinburgh research and development (R&D) center that will employ over 50 professionals. Currently operating in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia, TranSwap’s management noted that the… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 11:58 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesian digital wallet provider OVO has teamed up with Manulife Aset Manajemen Indonesia (MAMI) and its partner Bareksa in order to introduce an instant redemption mutual fund. OVO stated that the new offering is the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian country. The… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 9:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Malaysia-based Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd, a financial services company that offers investment banking, stockbroking and investment management services, has reportedly acquired i-VCAP Management Sdn Bhd through its wholly-owned subsidiary Kenanga Investors Bhd (KIB). The acquisition was made after obtaining approval from the Securities Commission of… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 8:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Multinational corporation Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) has reportedly launched new head offices in Singapore in order to expand its business operations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The official launch of Zebra’s APAC headquarters has come as Singapore gets ready to begin its third phase of… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 8:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the nation’s central bank and financial regulator, and the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) have asked the general public to be on alert to the potential risks that may be involved in trading in securities incited by online discussion… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 4:40 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Vested Finance, an online investment platform that enables Indian investors to invest in the U.S. stock market, announced on Thursday it raised $3.6 million through its latest seed funding round, which saw participation from Moving Capital, Ovo Fund, TenOneTen Ventures, Inflection Point Ventures, and Venture… Read More

February 4, 2021 @ 9:33 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

  Mogo Inc. (NASDAQ:MOGO) (TSX:MOGO) a Canada-based digital payments and financial technology company, announced on Thursday its wholly-owned subsidiary, Carta Worldwide, has expanded into Japan in support of the TransferWise launch of its multi-currency debit card in the country. According to Mogo, Carta’s modern open-API issuer… Read More

February 3, 2021 @ 11:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Switzerland-based Sygnum Bank, a licensed digital asset bank founded on “Swiss and Singapore heritage” operating globally, and Fine Wine Capital, a privately-held specialist trading firm with a special focus on the fine wine market, have reportedly tokenized a range of premium investible wines. This initiative… Read More

February 3, 2021 @ 11:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Abu Dhabi based NymCard, a card issuing and processing platform, has secured $7.6 million in  capital through a Series A funding round. The banking-as-a-service (BaaS) provider confirmed that the investment round was led by Shorooq Partners along with the contributions from OTF Jasoor Ventures and… Read More

February 2, 2021 @ 10:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bengaluru-based Simpl, a company that aims to make money simple, so that people can “live well and do amazing things,” has noted that the recent India budget appears to be focusing on the “revival” of inclusive economic growth and an “expansionary fiscal policy that prioritized… Read More

February 2, 2021 @ 8:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast Asian Fintech firm Grab has decided to upsize its term loan facility to $2 billion due to  growing interest from new investors. Grab, which is one of Southeast Asia’s largest “Super App” providers, confirmed the successful closing of its first senior secured term loan… Read More

February 2, 2021 @ 10:20 am By Xu Gao  |  

The Fintech Committee of the People’s Bank of China Announces Key Tasks in 2021 At the end of January 2021, the People’s Bank of China Fintech Committee meeting was held in Beijing. The meeting summarized the work in 2020 and announced key tasks in 2021…. Read More

February 1, 2021 @ 10:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based ECXX Global, an asset-based digital securities exchange, has revealed that it will be working with regional brokerage UOB Kay Hian in order to bring in deep tech startups to their network and give them the chance to list through Securitized Token Offerings (STOs) so… Read More