Asia

December 17, 2024 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against two individuals and a single entity regarding money laundering to the benefit of North Korea. OFAC says that Lu Huaying and Zhang Jian, working out of the UAE and… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 8:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitpanda recently revealed that it will soon be able to offer their full range of products and services to users residing in the UAE, supported by their commitment to regulation in Europe and, as they expand, into the MENA region and other jurisdictions. The expansion… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 10:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move towards climate accountability, The HBAR Foundation has issued a grant to WinCL to elevate carbon transparency and greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards for SMEs and large enterprises across South Korea. Built on Hedera’s Guardian platform, WinCL’s solution promises streamlined emissions tracking, reporting,… Read More

December 15, 2024 @ 3:45 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

40Seas, a platform addressing trade finance and global accounts receivable management for SMEs, recently announced a new strategic partnership initiative geared towards alleviating the complexities of importing goods from China. The company has partnered with some sourcing agencies and e-commerce fulfillment platforms, including JingSourcing, Portless, NextSmartShip,… Read More

December 13, 2024 @ 4:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Pune-headquartered FPL Technologies, which operates credit card issuance and virtual payments platform One Card, has reportedly acquired about $25.5 million in new funding via an investment round that was led by QED Investors. Peak XV Partners, Z47 (formerly known as Matrix Partners India) and Better… Read More

December 13, 2024 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fireblocks has strengthened its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by establishing a regional office in Tokyo, Japan. According to the update from Fireblocks, Japan is said to be emerging as a key player in institutional blockchain adoption, driving Fireblocks to grow its presence by providing… Read More

December 12, 2024 @ 1:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

BitGo reports that it has submitted an application to establish its Taiwan-based entity, BitGo Taiwan. This furthers their commitment to supporting demand for digital assets within APAC by providing clients with secure solutions. Establishing this entity paves the way for an application to the FSC… Read More

December 12, 2024 @ 9:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Digital asset platform Taurus SA is expanding into Turkey, according to a note distributed by the firm. Taurus shares that the new office is due to the new regulatory framework for digital assets. The expansion is also expected build upon a presence in Dubai and… Read More

December 12, 2024 @ 7:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto industry firms Circle Internet Group Inc. and Binance have joined forces in a partnership announced at Abu Dhabi Finance Week that will expand adoption of USDC and support the development of the global digital assets and wider financial services ecosystem. With the growth and… Read More

December 12, 2024 @ 7:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Paxos, the regulated blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, has partnered with Standard Chartered to enhance Global Dollar (USDG) and Lift Dollar (USDL) reserve management. Through this collaboration, Standard Chartered will provide cash management, trading, and custody services, strengthening the infrastructure supporting the “trusted” digital assets… Read More

December 11, 2024 @ 6:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Airwallex reported strong YoY growth across the APAC region as the global payments and financial operating platform for businesses. In Q3, Airwallex delivered an 83 percent revenue increase YoY and grew transaction volume by “49 percent YoY across the APAC region, as well as significant… Read More

December 11, 2024 @ 5:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alpaca noted that it is cementing its self-clearing foundation through its DTCC membership and product launches, including Options Trading and High Yield Cash Accounts. Alpaca, a brokerage infrastructure tech firm and self-clearing broker-dealer, delivering execution and custody solutions for Stocks, ETFs, and Options, that support… Read More

December 10, 2024 @ 7:17 pm By Michael Wong  |  

CIMB Bank Philippines will not seek a digital banking license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), opting instead to enhance its digital banking capabilities using its existing commercial banking license. The bank believes this approach provides sufficient flexibility to introduce a broader range of… Read More

December 8, 2024 @ 4:11 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Indonesia-based real estate marketplace Lamudi, a subsidiary of Australia’s Digital Classifieds Group, announced the acquisition of Ideal, a Fintech aggregator specializing in mortgage products in Indonesia. This strategic move aims to integrate mortgage facilitation into Lamudi’s platform, offering a more comprehensive solution for property buyers… Read More

December 8, 2024 @ 6:54 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) announced the introduction of two new electronic payment solutions set to launch in mid-2025. These initiatives aim to facilitate the transition from traditional cheques to digital payments for both corporate and… Read More

December 7, 2024 @ 2:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s Temasek announced the formation of a wholly-owned private credit platform. Temasek explained that it has been investing in credit funds for more than 10 years, the announcement noted. In 2016, Temasek assembled a credit & hybrid solutions team to buildout its direct and fund investments… Read More

December 6, 2024 @ 9:10 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Ant International has joined Swift’s Network Interoperability Reference Implementation program, becoming part of a select group of global payment service providers (PSPs) working to enhance interoperability across cross-border payment systems. The initiative, announced on Friday, is structured as a pre-pilot designed to improve payment transparency… Read More

December 3, 2024 @ 9:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Themis, a global firm that’s focused on financial crime prevention, announces the official launch of Tathabbat. This reportedly marks an important step in Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing compliance landscape, aligning with Vision 2030 as well as the Middle Eastern nation’s ongoing push to adopt innovative Know-Your-Finance… Read More

December 3, 2024 @ 8:18 am By Michael Wong  |  

US e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)announced that it has invested more than S$2 billion ($1.49 billion) across its retail and cloud businesses in Singapore in 2023, bolstering its presence in the Southeast Asian market and supporting over 10,000 indirect jobs. The investment encompasses capital expenditure on… Read More

December 2, 2024 @ 10:58 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has recently announced a considerable acceleration of its anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory guidelines for digital currency service providers. The Taiwanese authority has confirmed that it moved the registration deadline to November 30, 2024 from the initial January 1, 2025 date…. Read More