Asia

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

May 9, 2024 @ 10:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Setu, an Indian Fintech company, unveiled Sesame – India’s “first” Large Language Model (LLM) specifically designed for the BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) sector. Developed by Setu in collaboration with indigenous AI research firm Sarvam AI, this breakthrough marks a “ChatGPT Moment” in the… Read More

May 9, 2024 @ 9:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Symphony – the markets infrastructure and technology platform – is expanding its global footprint by establishing a commercial office in the Middle East. The new office will be located in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial center of the UAE’s capital, “underlining Symphony’s… Read More

May 9, 2024 @ 8:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US, UK, and the Philippines are reportedly leading overall interest in small cap cryptocurrency tokens, according to an extensive update from CoinGecko. According to the research report from CoinGecko, the most degen country in crypto is the US, which “represented 16.8% of global interest… Read More

May 8, 2024 @ 4:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) welcomes the pilot launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary data validation platform The Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities announced (6 May) the pilot launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary data validation platform. The platform utilizes blockchain technology and data coding… Read More

May 8, 2024 @ 4:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Yes Bank, a private sector bank in India, and EBANX, a global fintech company specialized in payment solutions for emerging markets, announced a strategic partnership for payment processing in India, for the global digital economy. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in the digital payments… Read More

May 8, 2024 @ 9:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Emirates NBD, a banking group in the MENA (and Türkiye) region, has announced Chainalysis as a key council member of the Digital Asset Lab. Chainalysis, the blockchain data platform, will “join professional services firm PwC, digital asset transfer and direct custody technology platform Fireblocks, and… Read More

May 6, 2024 @ 9:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The UAE card payments market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% between 2024 and 2028 to reach AED764.1 billion ($208.2 billion) in 2028, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company. GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals “that card… Read More

May 6, 2024 @ 8:57 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, has issued new regulations mandating that banks and other financial institutions report significant incidents related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing within 24 hours. The directive, outlined in a circular signed… Read More

May 6, 2024 @ 11:17 am By JD Alois  |  

A legal consultancy has published a report on the regulatory environment for Fintechs in the MENA region. While digital finance is the future of all financial services, the emergence and regulation of various services have differed worldwide.  KARM Legal Consultants has crafted a “Fintech Legal… Read More