Asia

September 24, 2023 @ 8:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In order to support innovation, financial inclusion as well as the emerging digital financial services ecosystem, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reportedly issued In-Principle Approvals for launching five digital retail-focused banking platforms. Pakistan’s newly approved online banks reportedly include HugoBank, KT Bank Pakistan… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 4:11 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, raised concerns regarding the influence of social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop on the operations and sales of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and traditional market merchants. He opined that platforms like TikTok should stick to… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 3:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

In what is being touted as Singapore‘s most significant money laundering operation, authorities reported a staggering increase in the total value of assets confiscated, now amounting to S$2.4 billion ($1.76 billion), according to a police announcement. The huge inventory of seized assets now encompasses over… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 3:47 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Nagad, a Mobile Financial Service (MFS) provider in Bangladesh, is on the verge of launching a digital bank. The company expects to receive its license from the Bangladesh Bank, the country’s central bank, in the coming months. Sadaf Roksana, co-founder and executive director of Nagad… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 2:58 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Deepcoin Labs, a venture capital firm with a specialization in blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and digital assets, has been granted the “Proprietary Trading in Crypto-commodities” registration by the Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC). This recognition coincides with the unveiling of a $10 million fund, explicitly earmarked to… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 9:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The latest edition of Accenture’s (NYSE: ACN) China Digital Transformation Index shows that just 2% of Chinese companies are “undertaking the holistic, continuous digital transformation steps needed to drive long term, sustainable growth.” Samantha Zhu, chairperson of Accenture Greater China, said: “A convergence of external… Read More

September 23, 2023 @ 6:10 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Recent preliminary data reveals that in July, outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks (U/KBs), excluding reverse repurchase (RRP) placements with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), witnessed a 7.7% year-on-year growth, a slight decrease from the 7.8% reported in June. When assessed on a… Read More

September 23, 2023 @ 10:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

International insurtech bolttech welcomed leading impact investment firm LeapFrog Investments as a new strategic investor in an extension of its Series B round. LeapFrog’s $50 million investment adds to bolttech’s recent Series B funding round, now totaling US$246 million. bolttech will use the proceeds from… Read More

September 22, 2023 @ 8:31 am By Michael Wong  |  

Chinese digital payment giant Ant Group has officially integrated seven prominent Asian e-wallets and payment apps into its “Alipay+-in-China” Program (A+China Program). The firm confirmed that users of mPay (Macao SAR, China), Hipay (Mongolia), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC (Singapore), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss Pay… Read More

September 22, 2023 @ 1:11 am By Michael Wong  |  

Starting next year, four top insurance companies headquartered in Singapore – AIA Singapore, Income Insurance, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore, and The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company – will undergo heightened capital requirements, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced. Specifically, the four insurers will… Read More

September 21, 2023 @ 3:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ebury, a global financial solutions provider, is pleased to announce its partnership with 360tf, one of the pioneers of trade finance facilities in the UAE region. This collaboration will aim to improve how 360tf’s clients “access international trade solutions, providing seamless and direct access to… Read More

September 20, 2023 @ 7:26 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Sumsub, an international verification platform, has entered into a partnership with dtcpay, a prominent payment service provider based in Singapore. This collaboration aims to enhance the security and reliability of digital currency transactions, specifically in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, UK, and Europe. A significant element… Read More

September 20, 2023 @ 7:27 am By Michael Wong  |  

SMI Vantage Limited, Singapore-based firm dedicated to cultivating new economy investments, is venturing into the cryptocurrency space by initiating a Bitcoin mining operation in Malaysia. The company disclosed the signing of a rental offer agreement via its wholly-owned subsidiary, SMI CS Pte Ltd. As per… Read More

September 18, 2023 @ 9:47 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s e-government service provider, MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG), is joining forces with China’s state-owned Guangxi Beitou IT Innovation Technology Investment Group Co., Ltd. (Beitou IT Innovation) to pioneer an international digital identity credentials service using the Zetrix blockchain. Unveiled at the recent China-ASEAN Expo… Read More

September 18, 2023 @ 9:32 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) has revealed that significant retail banks in the city-state have bolstered their security protocols against malware scams, introducing enhancements and new countermeasures to adapt to the ever-evolving threat landscape. In a bid to safeguard their varied customer base… Read More

September 17, 2023 @ 5:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the city’s central bank, has released its Q2/2023 payment card statistics, revealing that the total number of credit cards in circulation in Hong Kong reached 19.71 million by the end of the second quarter. This indicates a marginal growth… Read More

September 17, 2023 @ 2:35 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a public advisory warning against crypto businesses that are presenting themselves as “banks” or labeling their products as “deposits”. The regulatory body emphasizes that such misrepresentations may violate the Banking Ordinance. There have been instances of crypto… Read More

September 16, 2023 @ 10:40 am By Michael Wong  |  

Global payments company Circle Internet Financial (Circle) and Southeast Asia’s super app Grab announced a groundbreaking partnership that aims to usher in Web3 customer experiences in Singapore. This innovative collaboration will see the integration of Circle’s new Web3 Services platform directly into the Grab app…. Read More

September 16, 2023 @ 10:18 am By Michael Wong  |  

The recently introduced ASEAN QR Code innovation promises to open up a broader market for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by facilitating seamless cross-border payments, Pandu Sjahrir, the legacy lead of ASEAN QR Code, told Indonesia’s news agency ANTARA. This integration offers a platform… Read More

September 16, 2023 @ 10:15 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong-based virtual insurer Bowtie has successfully wrapped up a $34.9 million Series B2 funding round, the company has confirmed. The latest financial injection was led by Sun Life Hong Kong Limited, and saw significant contributions from Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Bowtie’s announcement highlighted that… Read More