Asia

May 7, 2025 @ 7:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech PhonePe announced the launch of its “next-gen” SmartSpeaker, an upgraded version, designed to meet the evolving business needs of merchants. Built on the foundation of the original SmartSpeaker, the “next-gen version is Made in India.” The latest upgrade reportedly “retains the features of its… Read More

May 7, 2025 @ 7:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Akur8, the pricing and reserving Platform, is pleased to announce a collaboration with Post Telecommunication Joint Stock Insurance Corporation (PTI), a non-life insurer in Vietnam. PTI will leverage Akur8 Pricing platform to “strengthen its actuarial capabilities and deliver both fair and competitive insurance pricing in… Read More

May 7, 2025 @ 4:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Bahrain’s Labour Fund (Tamkeen) announced a partnership to explore the launch of the Mastercard Strive program in the Middle East, aimed at advancing financial and digital readiness for SMEs in Bahrain. This collaboration seeks to empower Bahraini… Read More

May 7, 2025 @ 11:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether, which claims to be the largest company in the digital assets industry today, announced it has created a native deployment of Tether’s USD₮ on the Kaia blockchain. LINE NEXT Corp., LINE’s venture dedicated to developing and expanding the Web3 ecosystem, and Kaia, a public… Read More

May 7, 2025 @ 7:58 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant Group, the fintech affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE: BABA), is reportedly weighing a significant move to list its international arm, Ant International, on the Hong Kong stock exchange. This development signals a push to unlock value in its global operations, as the company… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 9:03 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

MAG, a real estate developer in the United Arab Emirates, has signed a $3 billion tokenization agreement with MultiBank Group, a financial derivatives institution based in Dubai, and Mavryk, a blockchain firm, marking what the parties claim is the largest real-world asset tokenization initiative globally… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 4:03 am By Michael Wong  |  

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Singapore-based Trigger Asset Management have launched a strategic partnership to mobilize capital and expand support for startups and businesses aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative, named “Origin,” is led by UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab)… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 10:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto exchange Kraken recently uncovered a sophisticated attempt by a North Korean hacker to infiltrate its operations through a seemingly innocuous job application. The incident, detailed by Kraken on May 1, 2025, highlights the evolving tactics of state-sponsored cyber threats targeting the crypto industry, with… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 9:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Indonesia’s antitrust regulator has launched preliminary tribunal proceedings against 97 online lending startups over suspected cartel practices involving daily interest rate caps, Indonesian news site Katadata reported. The Indonesia Competition Commission (KPPU) said the investigation revealed indications of a coordinated agreement among peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 8:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Global Fintech Adyen (ADYEN:AMS) has recently announced an expanded partnership with Vietnam Airlines and the release of its Q1 2025 business update. Recently, Adyen revealed an enhanced collaboration with Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam’s flag carrier and a member of the Skyteam Alliance. This partnership, which began… Read More

May 3, 2025 @ 11:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Alice Li, the Head of North America of Foresight Ventures, a crypto VC that bridges East and West. With a research-driven approach and offices in the US and Singapore, they claim to be a key player focused on crypto investment and incubation. During our… Read More

May 3, 2025 @ 10:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam will begin a two-year regulatory sandbox for selected fintech services, including peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, credit scoring, and open banking data sharing, starting July 1, under a government decree issued earlier this week. Decree 94, released on April 29, establishes a controlled testing environment for… Read More

May 2, 2025 @ 4:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Swiss-based banking technology provider Temenos (SIX: TEMN) initiated a major workforce reduction, eliminating several hundred positions across its offices in India. This move is part of a broader strategic realignment aimed at optimizing the company’s global operations and enhancing its focus on high-growth markets. The… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 2:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) financial landscape in 2025 is poised for transformative shifts, driven by evolving regulatory frameworks and the rapid adoption of blockchain-based digital currencies. Citigroup’s recent reports offer critical insights into these trends, highlighting the interplay between regulatory developments and technological breakthroughs. As financial… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 9:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant development for India’s startup ecosystem, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly detained Puneet Singh Jaggi, co-founder of BluSmart, from a Delhi hotel on April 25, 2025. The detention is said to be linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities at Gensol… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 1:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle Internet Group, Inc., a global financial technology company and stablecoin market participant, announced it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to operate as a money services provider. This IPA marks a significant step towards Circle securing… Read More

April 28, 2025 @ 6:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Thunes, the so-called “Smart Superhighway” to move money around the world, is proud to announce the raise of its $150 million Series D at a valuation increase over its last round. Thunes welcomes Apis Partners and Vitruvian Partners, two private equity firms, both globally recognized… Read More

April 28, 2025 @ 6:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Kaspersky’s GReAT team has uncovered a new Lazarus campaign, combining a watering hole attack with the “exploitation of vulnerabilities in third-party software to target organizations in South Korea.” During the research, company experts have also “discovered a zero-day vulnerability in the widely used South Korean… Read More

April 28, 2025 @ 7:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BitGo, the infrastructure provider of digital asset solutions, is pleased to announce that its Dubai subsidiary, BitGo Custody MENA FZE, has received a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP) operating license to provide Virtual Asset Custody Services and Staking, from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)…. Read More

April 27, 2025 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Ant Bank (Hong Kong), the digital banking arm of Ant International, has received a $100 million capital infusion from its parent company as it seeks to scale up its services and broaden its role in Hong Kong’s digital financial ecosystem. The funding, according to an… Read More