Asia

August 30, 2025 @ 3:46 pm By Michael Wong  |  

About 70% of organisations in the Asia Pacific expect agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to significantly disrupt their business models within the next 18 months, with the banking sector likely to see the largest impact, Moneythor said. Vivek Seetharaman, Chief Product Officer at Moneythor, a provider… Read More

August 30, 2025 @ 12:31 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Supported by Swift’s infrastructure, Ant International, a global Fintech provider, and Standard Chartered Bank have launched live production trials for a bank-to-wallet payment solution using the ISO 20022 financial messaging standards. Through Alipay+, the global wallet gateway service under Ant International, the first transactions were completed… Read More

August 28, 2025 @ 10:25 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move to strengthen its position as a global enabler of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced two significant acquisitions: NeuraFlash, a Salesforce and generative AI consulting firm, and SI&C Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based provider of advanced digital technology and consulting… Read More

August 28, 2025 @ 12:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

zkMe has teamed up with SlowMist, the blockchain security firm claiming to be “trusted” by industry participants including Binance, OKX, HTX, and Crypto.com. This collaboration integrates zkMe’s  zero-knowledge proof technology with SlowMist’s security infrastructure, “enabling privacy-preserving compliance solutions that unlock secure blockchain services for enterprises… Read More

August 28, 2025 @ 7:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant move to democratize access to sophisticated investment opportunities, Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd. has announced a strategic partnership with Barings, a global investment management firm. This collaboration aims to provide Moomoo Singapore’s retail investors with access to “institutional-grade” private credit investments, a… Read More

August 26, 2025 @ 9:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

OCBC (SGX: O39), one of Singapore’s established banking institutions, has launched a US$1 billion digital US commercial paper (CP) program powered by blockchain technology. This initiative marks a step forward in leveraging distributed ledger technology to enhance efficiency, transparency, and security in short-term financing instruments. The… Read More

August 26, 2025 @ 9:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

HSBC Holdings Plc (NYSE: HSBC) has announced a substantial investment in Dowsure, a Chinese fintech company specializing in cross-border e-commerce financing. The investment, part of a Series C funding round led by HSBC, marks a deepening of the partnership that began in 2023 between the… Read More

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