Asia

July 21, 2026 @ 9:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Animoca Brands Corporation Limited has released its annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, highlighting a period of strategic repositioning during one of the most difficult phases for the digital asset sector. The company, known for its involvement in blockchain, gaming, and… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 10:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued new guidelines setting out its expectations for the annual audit of payment service providers (PSPs), requiring licensed firms to strengthen oversight of risk management, regulatory compliance, and controls as the city-state’s digital payments sector expands. The Guidelines… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 3:53 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Brokerage infrastructure provider Alpaca raises $135M Peak XV led the raise with participation from Elefund, Opera Tech Ventures, the venture capital arm of BNP Paribas Group, and Unbound. It follows Alpaca’s $150 million Series D from January, which valued the company at $1.15 billion. Flex… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 1:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The debut of Moonshot AI’s latest flagship artificial intelligence model has sent ripples through global financial markets, highlighting the growing influence of rapid AI advancements on traditional investment narratives. Released around mid-July 2026, the Kimi K3 demonstrated impressive capabilities that prompted immediate concerns among investors… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 1:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin Japan Inc., a publicly listed Japanese company that has maintained zero Bitcoin holdings on its balance sheet to date, has reportedly entered into a significant financing agreement with EVO Fund. This collaboration paves the way for the firm’s long-anticipated entry into digital asset accumulation… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan’s logistics industry continues to grapple with severe workforce shortages driven by an aging population, declining birth rates, and regulatory changes limiting driver hours. As traditional recruitment struggles persist, financial tools are emerging as part of the solution. One key development involves the adoption of… Read More

July 20, 2026 @ 4:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Alibaba Cloud has unveiled its Agent Native Cloud architecture, designed specifically to support the deployment, orchestration, and scaling of sophisticated AI agents in enterprise environments. This new infrastructure marks a shift from traditional cloud computing focused on managing raw compute resources to a system optimized… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 7:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-founded crypto payments infrastructure provider Paymonade has received a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license from Liechtenstein’s Financial Market Authority. The license allows it to offer regulated crypto-asset services across all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) member states under a single passportable license. The approval comes… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 6:08 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A consortium led by Swedish private equity firm EQT has raised its tender offer for Japanese online platform operator Kakaku.com to 3,450 yen ($21.25) per share, overtaking a competing proposal from a consortium led by SoftBank-owned LY Corp and Bain Capital as the battle for… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 2:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Multicoin Capital has provided $1.75 million in seed funding as the sole institutional backer for Trasia Labs, the developer of a specialized perpetual futures trading platform built natively on Hyperliquid. This transaction represents Multicoin’s entry into the Hyperliquid ecosystem and supports a project explicitly designed… Read More

July 19, 2026 @ 1:04 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Deep Finance Capital has launched in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), positioning itself as the emirate’s first AI-native asset manager. The DFSA-regulated firm will serve institutional and professional investors across real estate, private equity, commodities and special situations. Deep Finance Capital emerged from Rasameel… Read More

July 18, 2026 @ 6:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital bank Revolut has obtained in-principle approval to deliver virtual asset services across the UAE. The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai granted the preliminary license, positioning the company to introduce broker-dealer activities, asset management and investment services, as well as exchange functionalities in… Read More

July 17, 2026 @ 3:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SBI Holdings has wrapped up its acquisition of Coinhako, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange and services provider. The deal, which secures a controlling interest for SBI, marks the latest step in the company’s ambitious push to build a comprehensive global network for tokenized assets, stablecoins, and… Read More

July 17, 2026 @ 3:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based digital payments Fintech Triple-A has taken a major step forward in its Middle East expansion by obtaining in-principle approval (IPA) from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai. This milestone positions the company to offer regulated broker-dealer services involving virtual assets once it… Read More

July 17, 2026 @ 1:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Remitly Global, Inc. has obtained a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license paired with an Exchange Business Category IV authorization from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE). This approval positions the company among the early international remittance specialists to gain such credentials in… Read More

July 16, 2026 @ 9:21 am By JD Alois  |  

Ondo Finance, a firm focused on tokenizing RWAs, has formed a partnership with SBI Group to tokenize assets in Japan. SBI Group is one of Japan’s largest financial services conglomerates, operating in banking, investing, asset management, and, more recently, digital assets. In a post on… Read More

July 15, 2026 @ 8:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of a significant escalation of financial pressure on Tehran, the United States has taken action to immobilize substantial digital currency holdings allegedly linked to Iran’s government. This move underscores Washington’s ongoing strategy to curb the flow of funds that could support activities deemed… Read More

July 15, 2026 @ 5:24 am By JD Alois  |  

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has approved its first tokenized fund. The Baillie Gifford Enhanced Yield Fund (BAGEY) is an actively managed fund that holds short-duration government and corporate bonds. Baillie Gifford is an independent investment manager owned and operated by 54… Read More

July 15, 2026 @ 1:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea is taking significant steps to modernize its approach to public asset oversight by incorporating emerging digital assets. The Ministry of Economy and Finance is preparing draft legislation to create a unified basic law for managing state-owned properties, explicitly extending its coverage to innovative… Read More

July 14, 2026 @ 8:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tabby, the fintech platform operating across the Middle East region, has introduced Tabby Cash—a spending account that combines a rewarding cashback card with cost-free money transfers. This marks a significant expansion as the company evolves from its roots in flexible payments into a comprehensive everyday… Read More