Asia

May 9, 2020 @ 12:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong-based Bixin Global, a cryptocurrency-focused company, has introduced what it calls a “fund of funds” (FOF), which has been financed with 6,600 Bitcoin (BTC), an amount valued at more than $65 million at the time of writing. As mentioned in a May 8, 2020,… Read More

May 8, 2020 @ 12:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bitmain, the top hardware producer for crypto-mining, is in the midst of chaos according to multiple reports. The company posted a statement today attempting to clarify company representation (translated): Beijing Bitmain Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Beijing Bit”) is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise,… Read More

May 7, 2020 @ 11:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) top regulatory authorities have asked local businesses to leverage the latest Fintech solutions to counter anti-money laundering (AML) and other types of illicit financial activities. The advisory was issued by the nation’s reserve bank, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice,… Read More

May 7, 2020 @ 10:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court made a public announcement on May 6, 2020, about an appeal involving a Bitcoin (BTC) foreign property damage compensation dispute. The second Court trial’s investigation into the matter confirmed that Bitcoin may be considered a digital asset. Therefore,… Read More

May 7, 2020 @ 6:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Viva Republica Ltd., a company that manages Toss, one of the largest South Korean Fintech firms, is reportedly planning to secure around $200 million in additional funding from investors. This, after acquiring $64 million in August 2019. The company says the funds will be used… Read More

May 6, 2020 @ 9:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech firm Nium revealed on May 5, 2020 that it had managed to secure a new round of equity funding. The company’s round received contributions from new investors BRI Inventures, the corporate venture division of Bank BRI of Indonesia, and payments giant Visa. Nium’s latest… Read More

May 6, 2020 @ 7:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based digital security firm V-Key announced on May 5, 2020, that it will be the official mobile security partner of TONIK Bank, which is an all-digital bank that is expected to launch in the Philippines later this year. V-Key will aim to offer a secure… Read More

May 6, 2020 @ 8:20 am By JD Alois  |  

CoinSwitch, an aggregator of cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced the launch of a dedicated cryptocurrency exchange for India. The announcement follows recent changes in India that enabled crypto exchanges to have relationships with banks. India is, of course, a huge market with profound potential for growth…. Read More

May 6, 2020 @ 3:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Li Lihui, the former president of the Bank of China, claims that the nation’s highly-anticipated virtual yuan will be launching soon. Lihui has argued that the digital renminbi could potentially replace cash. The central bank digital yuan, or CBDC, is still in its testing phase… Read More

May 6, 2020 @ 1:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

London-based IHS Markit, a global information provider established in 2016 with the merger of IHS Inc. and Markit Ltd., has acquired Catena Technologies, a Singapore-based regulatory trade reporting company. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been shared publicly. Founded in 2002, Catena served as… Read More

May 5, 2020 @ 11:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

ZA Bank, the first digital bank to officially launch in Hong Kong, has decided to expand its line of products and services by offering insurance. This, soon after ZA Bank acquired a digital-only insurer license from the Hong Kong Insurance Authority under its Fast Track… Read More

May 5, 2020 @ 11:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the nation’s central bank and financial regulator,  confirmed recently that it would be supporting the inaugural G20 TechSprint initiative, which has been introduced by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub and the Saudi G20 Presidency on the… Read More

May 5, 2020 @ 8:28 am By JD Alois  |  

While more traditional financial services firms are regularly spoofed two emerging Hong Kong virtual banks have recently been targeted by scammers. Both ZA Bank and Airstar Bank have seen bogus sites posted online in an attempt to fleece unsuspecting consumers. This past weekend, Airstar posted… Read More

May 4, 2020 @ 8:25 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech firm GoBear, which offers a financial products comparison website, confirmed on May 4, 2020, that it has acquired AsiaKredit, a Singapore-based digital lender. The amount paid for the acquisition has not been shared publicly. GoBear’s acquisition has come after the Fintech company secured $80… Read More

May 4, 2020 @ 7:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

  Governments throughout the world have been asking people to stay at home, as the world struggles to cope with the highly contagious Coronavirus. Countries across the globe have enforced nationwide lockdowns in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Many people are now… Read More

May 4, 2020 @ 7:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

  SS&C, a multinational provider of investment and financial services and software for the financial services and healthcare sectors, will be acquiring Innovest Systems, a wealth management technology (Wealthtech) firm, for $120 million in cash and stock. New York-headquartered Innovest Systems offers cloud-powered technology for… Read More

May 3, 2020 @ 11:52 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

QOALA, an Indonesia-based insurtech, announced earlier this week it secured $13.5 million through its Series A funding round, which was led by Centauri Fund with participation from  MDI Ventures, Sequoia India, Flourish Ventures, Mirae Asset Daewoo’s Mirae Asset Venture Capital and PT Mirae Asset Sekuritas Indonesia. Founded in… Read More

May 3, 2020 @ 11:33 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

OneDegree, a Hong Kong-based insurtech, recently announced its medical pet insurance. This launch comes just after the company received its virtual insurance license. Founded in 2016, OneDegree claims to be it is part of a new generation of insurers that are reimagining the industry with… Read More

May 3, 2020 @ 10:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cambodia’s Fintech sector is still not as mature and developed as its ASEAN neighbors which include major economies such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia (among others). However, Cambodia’s Fintech economy has been growing steadily, mainly due to the increased adoption of digital payments and the… Read More

May 1, 2020 @ 10:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bengaluru-based Digital Bank RazorPay reports that there has been a significant increase in the number of digital payments, following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. RazorPay notes in its recent report that only a month into the nationwide lockdown in India, there has been a noticeable shift… Read More