Asia

August 25, 2024 @ 6:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has uncovered unsatisfactory practices at several “deemed-to-be-licensed” cryptocurrency exchange platforms during recent on-site inspections, according to a Bloomberg report. These findings come as the city pushes forward with its ambition to become a leading digital-asset hub, but faces… Read More

August 25, 2024 @ 6:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Financial technology (fintech) investments in China showed a modest recovery at the end of 2023 and continued into 2024, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech H1’24 report. Among the top ten fintech deals in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, five were from Mainland China and Hong… Read More

August 25, 2024 @ 6:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

MoneySmart Group, a personal finance company in Southeast Asia, has rejected MoneyHero Group’s unsolicited, non-binding offer to acquire 100% of its shares. The offer, which MoneySmart’s board deemed neither serious nor credible, was dismissed unanimously due to its misalignment with the company’s strategic objectives and the… Read More

August 25, 2024 @ 5:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Global Fintech Thunes noted that the Philippines is swiftly emerging as a fast-growing digital payments hub in Southeast Asia, fueled by significant advancements in its financial sector. Thunes explained in a blog post that government initiatives, particularly from the BSP, have driven “a surge in… Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 10:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Zumo, the B2B digital assets infrastructure, has signed the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration, reinforcing its commitment to a greener financial services industry as it extends its reach further into the region. The Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration “is a voluntary membership-based initiative launched by… Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 7:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PhonePe announced the launch of Credit Line on UPI on its platform. Consumers who avail credit lines from their banks “can now link these credit lines to UPI on PhonePe and seamlessly make merchant payments.” This feature enables consumers to “make purchases with ease across millions… Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 3:13 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) have launched a joint Taskforce on SME Lending, intensifying efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they navigate a challenging economic landscape. The new Taskforce, announced by HKMA Chief… Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 8:42 am By Michael Wong  |  

Ecofinance, a European financial technology company, has officially forayed into Southeast Asia by launching its operations in the Philippines. The firm introduced a new consumer brand, Honey Loan, as part of efforts to tap into the region’s burgeoning fintech landscape space, according to the announcement…. Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 8:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) and its consolidated subsidiary, MUFG Bank, Ltd., announced a significant additional investment of INR 27,988 million (approximately $339 million) in DMI Finance Private Limited, a digital financial services provider based in India. This investment is part of MUFG’s ongoing… Read More

August 24, 2024 @ 7:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

China’s supreme court has updated its interpretation of the nation’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws in order recognize “virtual asset” transfers for the first time ever. China passed its AML law on January 1, 2007, making the most recent update its first major one in 20… Read More

August 23, 2024 @ 11:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether, which claims to be one of the largest companies in the digital asset industry, announced plans for the addition of a new stablecoin that is pegged to the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED). Set to be launched in collaboration with UAE’s multi-billion dollar tech… Read More

August 20, 2024 @ 10:41 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

SentBe is preparing to launch its individual small-scale overseas remittance service globally. The move follows the launch of SentBiz KRW Collection for businesses needing Korean Won collection and multi-currency settlements within the Korean market. Targeting those who need to send money outside of their country,… Read More

August 20, 2024 @ 8:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Valverde Investment Partners, a Singapore-based independent investment management firm specializing in ASEAN equities, has appointed global Fintech Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) to enhance its portfolio management, trade order management, and risk analytics processes. This enhancement will support Valverde’s newest fund launch and “strengthen… Read More

August 20, 2024 @ 2:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitpanda are pleased to announce that The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBANK) has become the first bank in the UAE to partner with Bitpanda Technology Solutions to unlock digital assets. RAKBANK is one of the major banks in the UAE, and one of the… Read More

August 19, 2024 @ 10:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Adyen (ADYEN:AMS), the global payments platform of choice for many of the world’s leading companies, today announced its expansion in India, following the grant of authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as an Online Payment Aggregator in India for domestic and cross-border… Read More

August 19, 2024 @ 7:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Uppsala Security, a provider of tools and services for crypto AML/CTF, transaction risk management, regulatory compliance, transaction tracking, and cybersecurity, is pleased to announce the rebranding of its flagship platform, Sentinel Protocol, to ChainBounty. Since its launch in 2018, Sentinel Protocol has reportedly been “at… Read More

August 19, 2024 @ 11:53 am By JD Alois  |  

Gate Ventures, part of Gate.io, and the Blockchain Center in Abu Dhabi have announced a collaboration on a $100 million fund to support early-stage blockchain firms. The new fund, Falcon Gate Ventures, is on a mission to drive blockchain innovation on a global scale. Abdulla… Read More

August 19, 2024 @ 8:48 am By JD Alois  |  

Minnadeooyasan-Hanbai (MOH Nippon) (LSE: MOH)has joined the London Stock Exchange (LSE) via a reverse  merger. According to a note from the company, Minnadeooyasan-Hanbai is the first Japanese firm to trade on the main market of the LSE in over 20 years. The company has changed… Read More

August 18, 2024 @ 7:47 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, along with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held the 2nd Financial Inclusion Forum for the Labor and Employers Sector on July 30 at the BSP’s Manila Head Office. The discussions centered… Read More

August 18, 2024 @ 4:46 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Artificial intelligence startup Rebellions has merged with Sapeon Korea, a subsidiary of SK Telecom in a move to challenge the dominance of Nvidia in the global AI chip market. Rebellions, a fabless chip designer, brings a valuation of approximately 900 billion won ($664 million) to… Read More