Asia

August 26, 2025 @ 3:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE capital’s premier international financial center, has recently introduced two significant initiatives aimed at enhancing governance, transparency, and investor confidence in its jurisdiction. These developments—a new real estate-focused permit service and finalized amendments to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority’s… Read More

August 25, 2025 @ 9:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

SBI Group, one of Japan’s financial conglomerates with the USD equivalent of over $200 billion in total assets, and Chainlink, the so-called “industry-standard” oracle platform, announced a partnership focused on accelerating blockchain and digital asset adoption across global markets. Japan’s financial market and evolving digital… Read More

August 25, 2025 @ 7:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency ecosystem is undergoing a maturation phase, marked by increasing regulatory clarity, growing governmental adoption of Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, and significant market dynamics. Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong has emerged as an active voice in the web3 space, offering insights into Bitcoin’s… Read More

August 24, 2025 @ 8:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The UAE Central Bank’s Emirates Institute of Finance (EIF) has partnered with HSBC Bank, Al Maryah Community Bank and technology firms Presight and Core42 to explore artificial intelligence applications in financial services, the central bank said. The collaboration aims to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity… Read More

August 24, 2025 @ 11:59 am By Michael Wong  |  

Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), the operator of the country’s national payments network, has expanded its partnership with China’s Ant International to strengthen cross-border digital payments, boost tourism and advance financial technology cooperation. The two firms signed a renewed memorandum of understanding (MoU) that… Read More

August 22, 2025 @ 3:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

On August 21, 2025, China’s mainland stock market reached a significant milestone as the Shanghai Composite Index closed at its highest level since August 2015, climbing 0.13% to 3,771.10 points. The blue-chip CSI300 index also saw gains, rising 0.39% on the same day. As first… Read More

August 22, 2025 @ 10:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm OKX has announced significant updates that underscore its commitment to innovation, regulatory compliance, and user trust. These developments include the launch of On-Chain Earn in Singapore, the appointment of Marcus Hughes as Vice President of Global Government Relations, and a renewed focus… Read More

August 22, 2025 @ 8:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple, a firm focused on enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, and SBI Holdings, a Japanese financial services conglomerate and its subsidiary SBI VC Trade Co., Ltd., a provider of crypto asset exchange business (jointly SBI Group), announced an MOU for SBI VC Trade, “a licensed… Read More

August 21, 2025 @ 11:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Libeara, a tokenization platform incubated by SC Ventures by Standard Chartered is pleased to announced that it has received an in-principle approval (IPA) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Capital Markets Services (CMS) license. This in-principle approval represents “a significant regulatory milestone… Read More

August 21, 2025 @ 8:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Stripe has reportedly introduced over 50 upgrades to accelerate global growth for Asian businesses. The announcements were shared at Stripe Tour Singapore 2025, “where over 1,300 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and developers gathered for the company’s annual conference in Southeast Asia.” Updates included: Stripe Reader S710, Stripe’s… Read More

August 20, 2025 @ 5:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nium, the infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, announced the expansion of Verify, its account validation service, in Europe, through a strengthened strategic partnership with iPiD, the provider of the Know Your Payee (KYP) solution, iPiD Node. As part of this deepening collaboration, iPiD is also… Read More

August 16, 2025 @ 9:26 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Thailand will launch a program on Monday allowing foreign visitors to convert cryptocurrency into Thai baht for payments, as the government seeks to revive tourism following a decline in Chinese visitors. The “TouristDigiPay” initiative will be announced at a press conference led by Deputy Prime… Read More

August 16, 2025 @ 8:29 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global payment platform SUNRATE acquired a payment business license in China following its purchase of a complete stake in Transfar Pay, a subsidiary of Shenzhen-listed Transfar Group. The RMB 315 million ($43.8 million) acquisition received approval from Chinese regulatory authorities. Transfar Group disclosed the transaction… Read More

August 16, 2025 @ 7:36 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysian telecommunications company Axiata Group Berhad signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications to enhance cybersecurity capabilities and develop digital talent in the Southeast Asian nation. The agreement establishes cooperation between Axiata and the ministry across cyber threat intelligence, incident… Read More

August 16, 2025 @ 7:18 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s central bank and securities regulator issued a joint warning against speculative trading driven by stablecoin licensing announcements and social media posts. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Securities and Futures Commission said they observed market movements linked to corporate announcements, news reports, and… Read More

August 15, 2025 @ 3:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Schroders Greencoat, the specialist energy transition manager of Schroders Capital, and JERA Nex, the global renewable energy developer, are pleased to announce that Schroders Greencoat has taken “a 50% stake in JERA Nex’s US solar portfolio.” The portfolio is comprised of the “300MW Oxbow Solar… Read More

August 15, 2025 @ 7:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tuum, the core banking provider, has been selected by Oliver Business Development (OBD) Holding to power its newly licensed e-banking services in the MEA region called Uptex Bank. The partnership marks Tuum’s first customer in the Middle East and reinforces its strategy to “support financial… Read More

August 15, 2025 @ 1:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire CyberCX, a privately-owned cybersecurity services provider serving private and public sector organizations across Australia, New Zealand and internationally. The move represents Accenture’s largest cybersecurity “acquisition to date and will bolster Accenture’s cybersecurity services in Asia Pacific.” It will… Read More

August 14, 2025 @ 10:16 am By JD Alois  |  

KAIO, a firm that aims to tokenize real-world assets, says it has enlisted Hedera to bring institutional funds on the blockchain. KAIO says that it has now incorporated several separate funds: Laser Digital Carry Fund (LCF) – a market-neutral, low-correlation digital asset fund BlackRock ICS… Read More

August 11, 2025 @ 10:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Asia-Pacific region’s initial public offering market continued its upward trajectory despite market volatility and geopolitical tensions. In the first seven months of 2025, 385 listings raised a “$28.4 billion in the region, which marks a 32.6% year-on-year (YoY) increase in IPO proceeds.” Greater China… Read More