Asia

November 6, 2024 @ 10:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) is launching a new Engineering Hub in Singapore, supported by Singapore Economic Development Board, in order to foster the local developer ecosystem. Coinbase noted in a recent update that it is officially introducing an Engineering Hub in Singapore to support the local developer… Read More

November 6, 2024 @ 8:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has launched Pay Local in order to empower digital wallet providers with new ways to pay. With Mastercard Pay Local, digital wallet providers will gain access to more than 2 billion Mastercard cardholders, enabling card-based payments and providing choice to travelers Mastercard… Read More

November 6, 2024 @ 8:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Banque de France and Monetary Authority of Singapore conducted post-quantum cryptography experiment to enhance communication security. The Banque de France (BdF) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today announced the completion of a joint experiment in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) conducted across “continents over conventional… Read More

November 5, 2024 @ 7:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Wise (LSE:WISE), the tech company building the “best” way to move and manage the world’s money has been granted direct access to InstaPay, the Philippines’ real-time payment system, and can settle with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) real-time gross payment system, PhilPaSS Plus. Wise claims… Read More

November 4, 2024 @ 10:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is pleased to announce that it plans to open an office in Riyadh in 2025. The office will now aim to strengthen HKEX’s Middle East presence as the Group looks to promote connectivity between China and the Gulf… Read More

November 4, 2024 @ 11:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital Singapore Pte Ltd has reportedly received approval as a licensed Major Payment Institution from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), marking a key milestone in our global expansion. With this license, Anchorage Digital Singapore now offers a complete, integrated solution including custody, staking,… Read More

November 4, 2024 @ 10:06 am By JD Alois  |  

Open banking enabler Salt Edge has announced a partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to boost its tech stack in regard to its Open Banking Framework and requirement for banks to have APIs for corporate accounts. Bahrain is said to be the first… Read More

November 4, 2024 @ 8:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced plans to support the commercialization of asset tokenization. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) officially announced on November 4, 2024 its plans to advance tokenization in financial services. These include: forming commercial networks to deepen liquidity of… Read More

November 4, 2024 @ 1:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

CBInsights has released their State of CVC Q3’24 Report. According to the detailed research report from the team at CBInsights, CVCs or corporate venture capital funding show “heightened” interest in early-stage rounds, even as CVC deal-making has reportedly fallen to its “lowest level since 2018.”… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 9:42 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 8th Edition in Riyadh to jointly anchor a proposed $1 billion investment fund. The initiative, announced on October 31, is… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 7:18 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Paxos, a blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, has introduced Global Dollar (USDG) – a US dollar-backed stablecoin that Paxos said is “substantively compliant with MAS’ upcoming stablecoin framework.” Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. is the issuer of USDG and is regulated by the Monetary Authority… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 6:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Asia’s economies can embrace services in order to boost growth and productivity, according to an update from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The latest report from the IMF noted that manufacturing has been the engine of growth in Asia, but a transition to “modern, tradable… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 4:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Warburg AI, a UAE-based artificial intelligence company specializing in financial services, has raised $250,000 in seed funding to accelerate the development of its AI-driven financial solutions, according to an announcement. Founded in September 2024 in Sharjah by entrepreneurs Ben Feaver, Lancelot de Brier, and Madiyar… Read More

November 2, 2024 @ 4:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PitchBook has released its report, entitled Q4 2024 Exploring APAC’s Fintech Pathways: Part II: Southeast Asia. PitchBook has shared a deep dive into Southeast Asia’s fast-evolving fintech developments by navigating regional market nuances. According to the research study, the APAC region has many relatively strong… Read More

November 2, 2024 @ 4:13 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the establishment of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a new initiative designed to reinforce Singapore’s standing as a major global fintech hub while promoting international connectivity for impactful financial innovation. The GFTN aims to build on… Read More

October 30, 2024 @ 4:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm Gemini says it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Major Payment Institution (MPI) license application under the Payment Services Act 2019 in order to provide cross-border money transfer as well as digital payment token… Read More

October 29, 2024 @ 4:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle, a global digital financial technology firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HKT, a technology, and telecommunication firm, in order to explore a potential collaboration in developing blockchain-based customer loyalty solutions for merchants in Hong Kong. Leveraging Circle’s expertise in Web3 Services… Read More

October 27, 2024 @ 9:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Like other parts of the world, Asia also requires significant capital in order to upgrade its infrastructure. Andrew Tan in a detailed blog post has recently made the case for making strategic investments in the underserved middle market. Back in 2018, the Global Infrastructure Hub,… Read More

October 27, 2024 @ 4:48 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s GHL Systems Berhad and Japan’s JCB International Co Ltd have formed a strategic partnership to enable the acceptance of JCB cards for GHL’s merchants in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, the companies said. The collaboration aims to enhance payment convenience for merchants and shoppers… Read More

October 26, 2024 @ 3:14 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has launched the IADS Developer Platform, a collaborative venture with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) aimed at fostering innovation between banks and technology firms. This new platform, part of the Interbank Account Data Sharing (IADS)… Read More