Asia

January 30, 2020 @ 4:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  India-based non-for-profit organization, the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG), has reportedly proposed issuing a digital Indian rupee in its draft National Strategy on Blockchain. A central bank digital rupee, or CBDR, would be issued and managed on a permissioned (private) blockchain network, where… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 9:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dubai-headquartered Sarwa confirmed on January 27 that it had finalized an $8.4 million Series A investment round, which was led by Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO). The firm’s hybrid automated investment platform aims to simplify the process of investing while making it more affordable. Sarwa’s platform… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 6:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

India-based Infibeam Avenues Limited, an established online payment solutions and enterprise software solutions developer, recently recorded the highest ever digital payment processing volume of approximately INR 159 billion (appr. $2.23 billion) during a period of significant slowdown in the nation’s economy and also amidst tough… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 4:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Nashik Merchant’s Co-op Bank (NAMCO), a Maharashtra-headquartered co-operative bank has decided to go digital. The Indian co-op bank has reportedly teamed up with India Transact Services Limited (ITSL), in order to introduce point of sale (PoS) terminals for all of its merchant accounts. This… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 2:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

India-based consumer lending firm MoneyTap has secured around $7.14 million through a  Series B equity and debt financing round from investors, including Aquiline Technology Growth (ATG), RTP Global and Sequoia India. Additionally, several Korea and Japan-based investors took part in the round. Existing investors Prime… Read More

January 28, 2020 @ 12:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Westpac-backed VC fund Reinventure aims to increase its presence in Asia’s Fintech economy. Reinventure has reportedly joined a $90 million investment round for Kredivo’s owner, Indonesia’s fast-growing “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) platform. Asia Growth Fund and Square Peg led Reinventure’s latest round for FinAccel,… Read More

January 28, 2020 @ 1:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Zipmex, a Singapore-based crypto-asset exchange focused on offering retail and institutional investors the ability to make secure investments in cryptocurrencies, has reportedly acquired an operational license in Thailand, awarded by the Asian country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Zipmex crypto trading platform currently offers… Read More

January 27, 2020 @ 5:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank of Thailand is reportedly considering issuing licenses to digital banks, which aim to provide greater financial inclusion while catering to changing consumer requirements in the digital age. New Fintech industry participants are encouraging competition and disruption in Thailand’s banking sector. These startups aim… Read More

January 27, 2020 @ 4:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Chinese e-commerce company Zall Smart Commerce Group will establish operations in Singapore’s evolving financial industry. Zall’s management noted that the firm is part of a consortium that’s applying for a digital wholesale banking license in Singapore. Global eTrade Services, a CrimsonLogic Pte division, and Marubeni… Read More

January 26, 2020 @ 4:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

It seems like there’s some good news finally for freelancers based in Pakistan. Global payments company Payoneer has teamed up with local firm JazzCash, a mobile payment provider, in order to allow Pakistani residents to receive funds from their Payoneer accounts directly into their JazzCash… Read More

January 26, 2020 @ 9:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Portland-based WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX), an established financial technology (Fintech) service provider, confirmed on January 24 that it’s planning to make two new acquisitions worth an estimated $1.7 billion. The Fintech firm has reportedly finalized an agreement to acquire Singapore-headquartered eNett, a provider of business-to-business… Read More

January 26, 2020 @ 7:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokopedia, an Indonesia-based e-commerce marketplace, is reportedly in the final stages of closing an investment round valued at around $1.5 billion from Japan’s Softbank, China’s Alibaba Group and Singapore-based Temasek. The Tokopedia marketplace, which is notably the largest of its kind in Indonesia, is now… Read More

January 25, 2020 @ 11:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Fintech Hive has announced the introduction of their investment-focused accelerator program for startups and other small companies in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) regions. The Fintech Hive Scale Up program will provide partnership and investment opportunities for… Read More

January 25, 2020 @ 10:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A group of around 70 Japanese lawmakers from the nation’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is reportedly preparing a proposal that recommends issuing a virtual currency. Norihiro Nakayama, a member of the party and parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs, stated (on January 24): “China is moving… Read More

January 24, 2020 @ 12:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The rapidly evolving digital banking sector has been receiving a significant amount of venture capital investments. India-headquartered neobank Nupay recently acquired an undisclosed amount of capital from several investors led by integrated incubator and accelerator platform, Venture Catalysts. Navin Puri, ex-country head of Branch Banking… Read More

January 24, 2020 @ 11:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Digital Asset Human Capital Trends Report was recently commissioned by the Blockchain Association, an organization of active industry participants who promote efforts related to innovation and the collaboration needed to support US leadership of the crypto-assets sector. The companies included in the research sample… Read More

January 23, 2020 @ 9:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Leading multinational payments firm Western Union (NYSE: WU) has teamed up with established India-based Airtel Payments Bank, in order to process remittance services. The partnership will allow Airtel Payments Bank clients to direct Western Union transactions into their individual bank accounts via the banking section… Read More

January 22, 2020 @ 5:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bhavik Vasa, an experienced Fintech entrepreneur and former CBO of the first online wallet ItzCash in India, has introduced a new financial technology project, called GetVantage, which is a revenue-based financing (RBF) platform for the e-commerce industry. GetVantage has acquired capital from several early-stage investment… Read More

January 22, 2020 @ 9:43 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com announced on Wednesday it is launching a package of premium rewards and benefits that are specifically for its Obsidian Black, Rose Gold, and Icy White cardholders.  Crypto.com reported that the package builds on the existing benefits for these cardholders which… Read More

January 22, 2020 @ 8:22 am By JD Alois  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has posted a deck on its investigation into Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs). Project LionRock is the CBDC blockchain from Hong Kong and Inthanon is from Thailand as the two partnered in the project. The HKMA said it developed… Read More