Asia

Bithumb Postpones IPO Plans as Crypto Exchanges Hit Pause Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

Bithumb, one of South Korea’s cryptocurrency exchanges, has pushed its initial public offering (IPO) plans further into the future, targeting a listing no earlier than after 2028. This marks another extension from earlier IPO plans that once eyed a public debut as soon as the… Read More

Bitget now Offers Crypto Card Enabled by Visa

Bitget has partnered with Visa and DCS to launch the Bitget Card across various markets in the Asia Pacific (APAC). Powered by Visa, the card will allow users to spend with crypto. At first, the card will be digital-only, but a physical card is expected to arrive… Read More

Impersonation Scam Lands CoinDCX Founders in Police Custody, Highlighting Deeper Operational Issues in Crypto Ecosystem

In a concerning case that unfolded earlier this week, the co-founders of CoinDCX—one of India’s cryptocurrency exchanges—found themselves in police custody over allegations of a ₹71.6 lakh fraud. Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal were arrested in Bengaluru by officers from Thane’s Mumbra police station and… Read More

SadaPay Restored After AWS Bahrain Outage

SadaPay, one of Pakistan’s digital wallets, has fully restored its mobile app following a complete service blackout on March 25. The interruption was triggered by a drone strike linked to escalating tensions between Iran and regional powers, which directly damaged Amazon Web Services infrastructure in… Read More

Indonesia Fines 97 P2P Lenders $44M Over Cartel Practices

Indonesia’s antitrust agency has fined 97 peer-to-peer lending companies a combined Rp755 billion ($44.6 million) after finding them guilty of coordinating interest-rate practices in a cartel scheme, according to a report by The Jakarta Post. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission, or KPPU, said the lenders… Read More

Asia Pacific Data Centre Pipeline Hits Record 19.4GW, Led By Southeast Asia

Asia Pacific’s data centre development pipeline hit a record 19.4 gigawatts in 2025, underscoring a shift toward large-scale execution as hyperscale cloud and artificial intelligence demand accelerates across the region, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The pipeline includes 3.7GW under construction and 15.7GW in planning,… Read More

Singapore’s Tazapay Secures $36m Series B to Expand Cross-Border Payment Rails

Singapore-based payments infrastructure provider Tazapay has closed a Series B extension led by Circle Ventures, bringing its total Series B funding to $36 million. The funding comes as the startup looks to expand its regulatory licenses and scale cross-border payment services across emerging markets. New… Read More

Thailand Sets New E-commerce Rules to Curb Unfair Trade Practices

Thailand’s trade regulator has rolled out new guidelines for e-commerce platforms, sharpening scrutiny of pricing and business conduct as Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy tries to keep its fast-growing digital marketplace competitive. The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand, or TCCT, said the new framework took effect… Read More

Digital Bank Revolut Set to Base 40% of its Workforce in India by 2026

Digital bank Revolut has unveiled plans to station roughly 40 percent of its entire international workforce in India by the end of 2026. The move forms part of a major scaling of its global capability centre (GCC) in the country, signaling a deeper integration of… Read More

Singapore’s Equities Market Set for Overhaul Following Comprehensive Review

Singapore’s equities market is set for an overhaul following the release of the final report by the Equities Market Review Group, established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in August 2024. Chaired by Minister for National Development and MAS Deputy Chairman Chee Hong Tat,… Read More

Gobi Partners Eyes Vietnam National VC Fund as Hanoi Pushes Deep-Tech Growth

Malaysia- and Hong Kong-based venture capital firm Gobi Partners is seeking to invest in Vietnam, including through the country’s newly established national venture capital fund, as Hanoi steps up efforts to channel more capital into strategic technology sectors. A Gobi delegation led by co-founder and… Read More

Singapore’s MAS Rolls Out AI Risk Toolkit for Banks, Insurers, and Capital Markets Firms

Singapore’s central bank has released an industry-developed toolkit to help financial institutions manage risks from artificial intelligence, as regulators and banks move from broad AI principles to more practical controls for generative and agentic AI. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it had concluded… Read More

Digital Banking Platform Zindigi Launches Pakistan’s Fintech Credit Card

In a key development for Pakistan’s outdated financial services sector, the digital banking platform Zindigi has officially rolled out the country’s inaugural fintech credit card. The launch occurred on Thursday, positioning Zindigi as a trailblazer in bridging traditional banking gaps through technology-driven solutions. Users can… Read More

Hong Kong Q4 Credit Card Spending Rises As Overseas Purchases Jump

Credit card circulation and spending in Hong Kong rose sharply in the fourth quarter of 2025, with overseas retail spending posting the fastest growth, as consumers stepped up card use toward year-end, official data showed. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said that the total number… Read More

SE Asia Superapp Grab 2025 Revenue Hits Record $3.37bn as Malaysia Stays Top Market

Grab Holdings’ revenue rose 20% in 2025 to a record $3.37 billion, as Southeast Asia’s biggest super app added users, lifted engagement across its platform, and kept incentives under tighter control, according to its annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and… Read More

Crypto.com, KG Inicis Partner to Streamline Digital Asset Payments in South Korea

Crypto.com has forged a new alliance with KG Inicis, South Korea’s payment gateway and value-added network operator, marking a key development in the integration of digital assets into everyday commerce. Announced on March 17, 2026, the partnership focuses on embedding Crypto.com’s Pay solution within KG… Read More

Bursa Malaysia Seeks Feedback on Rules to Allow Digital Currency ETFs

Bursa Malaysia launched a public consultation on proposed rule changes to allow the listing and trading of digital currency exchange-traded funds, marking another step in Malaysia’s push to widen regulated access to digital assets through mainstream capital market products. The exchange said the proposed amendments… Read More

Singapore VC Empyrean Sky Raises $90m to Back AI-Robotics Startups

Singapore-based venture capital firm Empyrean Sky Partners said it has secured $90 million in the first close of its Global Technology Fund, marking what the firm described as the fastest initial close of 2026 as it targets $200 million for investments in next-generation industrial technologies…. Read More

Saudi AI Startup Infobrim Secures Angel Funding at $3.5m Valuation

Saudi artificial intelligence startup Infobrim has secured its first strategic angel investment at a $3.5 million valuation, as the Riyadh-based company looks to expand its software platform for enterprise data analytics and ride growing demand for AI tools in the kingdom. Financial details of the… Read More

Philippines SEC Proposes Lifting Moratorium on New Online Lending Platforms

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed lifting a moratorium on new online lending platforms, reopening the market to new digital lenders while imposing tougher capital, disclosure, and consumer-protection rules on financing and lending companies. The draft circular, published for comment on March… Read More

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