Asia

April 5, 2026 @ 3:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Rosella, an AI-native commercial insurance brokerage focused on the U.S. small and mid-market segment, said it has raised A$3.7 million ($2.3 million) in pre-seed funding led by Peak XV Partners and Intact Private Capital. The transaction comes as investors continue to back startups trying to… Read More

April 5, 2026 @ 5:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Checkout.com is solidifying its position as a key player in digital payments, reporting steady expansion across the Asia-Pacific region alongside new technological collaborations that aim to streamline operations for large-scale businesses and simplify experiences for international travelers. The Fintech company’s latest developments highlight its ability… Read More

April 5, 2026 @ 12:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

Bank Indonesia and the Bank of Korea have launched a cross-border QR payment link that allows Indonesians to pay in South Korea using QRIS through their domestic mobile apps, in the latest push by Asian central banks to build faster and cheaper regional payment networks…. Read More

April 4, 2026 @ 3:14 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Western Union has completed its acquisition of Dash, the Singapore-based digital wallet previously owned by Singtel, giving the U.S. payments company its first wallet in Asia-Pacific as it pushes deeper into digital financial services beyond its traditional remittance business. The deal, first announced in October… Read More

April 3, 2026 @ 3:38 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Rain, the enterprise-grade infrastructure for stablecoin-powered payments, is partnering with Episode Six, a payment technology company and card issuer processor. Episode Six will serve as a key processing partner for Rain’s credit, debit, and prepaid card programs. The initial focus is on Asia-Pacific (APAC), where… Read More

April 3, 2026 @ 1:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In arguably one of the most audacious cryptocurrency thefts of the year, attackers believed to be linked to North Korea siphoned approximately $285 million in user funds from Drift Protocol on April 1, 2026. TRM Labs pointed out that the operation, completed in roughly 12… Read More

April 2, 2026 @ 7:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

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

April 2, 2026 @ 3:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

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

March 29, 2026 @ 7:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

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

March 29, 2026 @ 7:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

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

March 29, 2026 @ 6:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 29, 2026 @ 7:54 am By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 28, 2026 @ 6:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 28, 2026 @ 2:10 pm By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 27, 2026 @ 8:35 am By Omar Faridi  |  

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

March 26, 2026 @ 1:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

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

March 25, 2026 @ 12:34 am By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 23, 2026 @ 1:48 am By Michael Wong  |  

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

March 23, 2026 @ 1:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

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

March 23, 2026 @ 12:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

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