Asia

May 22, 2025 @ 10:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin Suisse, the Swiss crypto financial service provider, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary BTCS (Middle East) Ltd. has received an In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM. This milestone represents “a step forward in Bitcoin Suisse’s strategic expansion,… Read More

May 22, 2025 @ 8:11 am By Michael Wong  |  

Airwallex, a global payments and financial platform, has secured $300 million in a Series F funding round, lifting its valuation to $6.2 billion and further solidifying its position as one of the world’s most valuable Fintechs. The round includes $150 million in secondary share sales… Read More

May 21, 2025 @ 11:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

StraitsX, Southeast Asia’s digital payment infrastructure provider, announced the launch of its Singapore dollar-backed stablecoin, XSGD, on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a “decentralized” layer-1 blockchain. The deployment marks the first phase of a broader collaboration with Ripple, a contributor to the XRP Ledger and a… Read More

May 21, 2025 @ 7:45 am By JD Alois  |  

The Hong Kong government approved stablecoin legislation today. The new law provides for fiat-referenced stablecoins (FRC) for issuers in Hong Kong. The goal is to further enhance Hong Kong’s “virtual asset activities.” The new rules will come into effect this year. The Stablecoins Ordinance requires… Read More

May 19, 2025 @ 8:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Global digital payment solutions provider Checkout.com has entered a strategic partnership with du Pay, one of the UAE’s fintech platforms focused on advancing financial inclusion and accessibility. This collab enables du Pay to leverage Checkout.com’s robust and scalable payments infrastructure to deliver “high performance payments and… Read More

May 19, 2025 @ 7:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple, the provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions,  announced new clients in the UAE utilizing Ripple Payments. Ripple Payments employs blockchain, digital assets, and a global network of payout partners to “deliver reliable cross-border payments and on/off ramps for banks, crypto companies, and… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 10:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Dubai Finance (DOF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com, a global cryptocurrency trading platform, to facilitate government service fee payments using cryptocurrencies—marking a pioneering milestone in digital finance on a global scale. The agreement was formalized by Ahmad Ali Meftah, Executive Director… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 10:47 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and GFH Financial Group have formed a strategic partnership to develop a comprehensive book on Islamic capital markets, in a move aimed at reinforcing Bahrain’s status as a global hub for Islamic finance education and innovation. The… Read More

May 18, 2025 @ 7:48 am By Michael Wong  |  

Gulf International Bank B.S.C. (GIB) has closed its debut $500 million syndicated Murabaha financing facility, marking a milestone in its funding strategy and expanding its footprint in the Islamic finance market, according to a company announcement. The three-year Shariah-compliant facility was significantly oversubscribed, attracting strong… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 12:02 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed reforms aimed at simplifying initial public offering (IPO) requirements and expanding outreach to investors, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the city-state’s position as a competitive equities hub. In a consultation paper, MAS outlined a three-pronged… Read More

May 17, 2025 @ 11:01 am By Michael Wong  |  

BillEase, a digital consumer finance platform in the Philippines, has partnered with Maya Business, the country’s largest digital payments processor, to bring its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service to Maya’s ecosystem. The integration enables installment-based payments at checkout via QRPh-enabled point-of-sale (POS) terminals and… Read More

May 14, 2025 @ 2:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Global fintech platform Pine Labs and India’s private sector J&K Bank, seek to enhance credit issuance in India by introducing a tech-first RuPay Credit Card for the bank’s customers. The RuPay Credit Card can also be “linked to UPI for seamless credit transactions.” Developed using… Read More

May 13, 2025 @ 11:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hidden Road announced that its ADGM entity, Hidden Road Partners CIV (AD) Limited, received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to operate as a regulated financial services firm. Pending final regulatory approval, Hidden Road will be “authorized to offer… Read More

May 12, 2025 @ 10:39 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

EBANX, a global technology company specializing in payment services for emerging markets, has integrated UPI Autopay — the recurring payments feature of India’s instant payments system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — into its cross-border payments platform. Operating in India in a partnership with YES BANX, a private sector… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 9:54 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

AltNovel, an Abu Dhabi-based private markets platform regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), has partnered with 3iQ, a global digital asset investment manager, to launch the AltNovel Digital Access Portfolio, what it claims is the first ever digital asset multi-strategy fund in the… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 7:03 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global payments and digital assets platform ONE.io has partnered with BoomFi to launch ONE Gateway, a new service embedding cryptocurrency payment capabilities into its core offerings, the companies said. The integration allows ONE.io clients to accept major cryptocurrencies through pay links, invoices, checkout flows, and… Read More

May 11, 2025 @ 11:56 am By Michael Wong  |  

Development finance institutions Swedfund, Finnfund, and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) have jointly committed $55 million in loans to Indonesian microfinance platform Amartha, the groups said in a joint statement. The financing is part of a broader syndicated facility of up to… Read More

May 10, 2025 @ 1:21 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) mobilized a record $8.7 billion in nonsovereign cofinancing in 2024, highlighting the expanding role of private sector partnerships in driving development across Asia and the Pacific, the bank said in a statement. The milestone contributed to a total cofinancing volume… Read More

May 10, 2025 @ 12:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Cryptocurrency exchange HTX and TRON founder Justin Sun have launched the Mars Program: Special Edition, a $6 million campaign offering one user a fully funded space voyage, Business News Asia reported. The campaign, which runs from May 7 to May 13 (UTC), invites all HTX… Read More

May 10, 2025 @ 11:26 am By Michael Wong  |  

Filipinos spent approximately 1.54 billion seconds — or about 49 years — using non-bank digital lending applications in 2024, according to new analysis released by digital lender Digido. The study examined activity across 47 digital lending apps registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),… Read More