Asia

May 19, 2024 @ 12:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Backbase, the global enabler of Engagement Banking, Orient Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB), a private bank in Vietnam, together with SmartOSC, the digital enabler, announce the go-live of the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform to launch OCB’s OMNI 4.0 app. The OCB OMNI 4.0 version reportedly… Read More

May 19, 2024 @ 10:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Private market exchange ADDX Pte. Ltd., regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has launched the blockchain-based ADDX Fixed Income Marketplace and pioneered a Multi-Issuer Debt Issuance Program for companies to conveniently issue digitized commercial paper and bonds. The Digitized Bonds are expected to “be… Read More

May 19, 2024 @ 9:29 am By Michael Wong  |  

Woori Bank, a major South Korean commercial lender, has officially entered the competition to secure a license for the country’s fourth internet-only bank. The bank confirmed that it had submitted a letter of intent to join the Korea Credit Data (KCD) led consortium. This move… Read More

May 18, 2024 @ 1:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Foodics, the provider of restaurant management and financial tech solutions in the MENA region, has officially inaugurated its new office in New Cairo in Egypt. This strategic expansion marks “a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing growth within the Egyptian market and emphasizes its dedication… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 8:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PhonePe announced that it has enabled UPI payment acceptance in collaboration with LankaPay across LankaQR merchant points at a session held in Colombo. The session saw participation from Shri Santosh Jha, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, as the Chief Guest, who highlighted… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 6:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Emirates NBD, which is one of the banking groups in the MENA and Turkey region, has partnered with Pine Labs, a merchant commerce omnichannel platform, to ensure that companies across the region have access to the latest, and best, payment solutions. As part of its… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 10:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We spoke to co-founder of PayFuture Technologies Dubai, Zaki Farooq on why businesses should overcome their reluctance to enter emerging markets to tap into a world of opportunity. Emerging markets are one of the fastest developing sectors of the global economy and many new businesses are establishing… Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 6:00 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

dLocal, a cross-border payment platform specializing in high-growth markets, today expanded its partnership with Deel, a global HR and payroll platform that helps businesses scale their remote workforce capabilities. The expansion includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in Asia, and Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Saudi… Read More

May 15, 2024 @ 4:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Hashgraph Association (THA) has revealed a partnership with the Qatar Financial Centre to launch a Digital Assets Venture Studio. The goal is to support regulatory compliant DeFi solutions and digital assets leveraging Hashgraph. The Venture Studio will commit $50 million to startups over the… Read More

May 15, 2024 @ 1:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockdaemon officially announces expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a new office and corporate entity established in Abu Dhabi under the Registration Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). With this expansion, Blockdaemon will now “offer institutional-grade node and validator infrastructure solutions, and… Read More

May 14, 2024 @ 10:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alraedah Digital Solutions, a technology company and the innovation arm of Alraedah Digital Group, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with ABHI, a MENAP-based Fintech specializing in Earned Wage Access and Invoice Factoring. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in Alraedah’s commitment “to fostering… Read More

May 13, 2024 @ 10:58 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mashreq, a financial institution in the MENA region, announced that it has selected Silent Eight to provide Name Screening and Adverse Media Alert Adjudication automation capabilities related to sanctions and anti-money laundering regulatory requirements. Silent Eight is a RegTech company whose artificial intelligence-based platform “offers… Read More

May 13, 2024 @ 10:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payment cards remain the most preferred payment tool for e-commerce purchases in South Korea, collectively accounting for over half (54%) of the total e-commerce payments in 2023, signifying a strong preference for secure and convenient transactions among the online shoppers, finds GlobalData, a data and… Read More

May 13, 2024 @ 7:07 pm By Michael Wong  |  

CIFDAQ, a Fintech company specializing in a comprehensive array of blockchain-based services, announced the inauguration of its operations across India, with a strategic aim to harness the potential of the nation’s burgeoning digital finance sector. Founded with the vision to streamline blockchain applications for mainstream… Read More

May 12, 2024 @ 7:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Many countries have launched or are in the process of launching instant payment rails, which are transforming how payments are made and processed, the researchers at Juniper Research noted. However, one key limitation with national payment rails is “that they can only facilitate payments domestically,… Read More

May 12, 2024 @ 7:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nium, the global enabler of real-time cross-border payments, announced a partnership with Emirates NBD, a banking group in the MENA and Türkiye region, to empower customers with a cutting-edge global payments solution that will aim to “redefine the financial services landscape in the Middle East… Read More

May 12, 2024 @ 11:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is pleased to announce plans to launch weekly single stock options for 10 Hong Kong-listed equities, the latest derivatives market enhancement that will give investors even more choice to manage risks and execute trading strategies. HKEX plans to… Read More

May 11, 2024 @ 5:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Global Fintech platform Airwallex is in discussions with several Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds as it seeks to raise capital for regional expansion, according to CEO Jack Zhang. The Melbourne-based startup has engaged with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Co, and Saudi Arabia’s Public… Read More

May 11, 2024 @ 5:19 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Indian government has granted Binance and Kucoin, offshore cryptocurrency exchanges, the approval to register and operate as virtual asset service providers in India. This pivotal decision allows them to engage in a broad array of digital asset services,… Read More

May 11, 2024 @ 4:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Thunes, a global money movement innovator, has joined forces with Pomelo, a credit-powered remittance company and credit card issuer, to introduce a groundbreaking international money transfer solution from the United States to the Philippines. This strategic partnership transforms the way remittances “are handled via Thunes’… Read More