Asia

July 6, 2021 @ 10:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The BitOoda team has shared their Weekly Hash report, dated July 5, 2021. The target Bitcoin (BTC) hashrate is down 28% (on weekend reset), the BitOoda team noted in their latest report. China’s Bitcoin mining ban is “playing out, resulting in target Hashrate falling to… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 10:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia’s digital wallet provider OVO has introduced a Shariah-compliant mutual fund product, which reportedly offers a fairly low buy-in for a product of its kind (less than $1). It lets investors instantly cash out their funds in real-time. The Syariah Syailendra OVO Bareksa Tunai Likuid… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 9:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Build for Bahrain Acceleration Program, held in partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay and the US State Department’s MEPI, has now ended with the three winning teams successfully completing the acceleration program and 3-month incubation period (held at Bahrain FinTech Bay). The program (in Bahrain)… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 7:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Capital Bank Group has reportedly chosen open API banking solutions provider Codebase Technologies in order to develop and deploy its first all-digital banking platforms in Jordan and Iraq. Through the partnership, Capital Bank Group will aim to deliver its digital bank offering to its retail… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 7:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Contour, a blockchain or distributed ledger tech (DLT)-enabled trade finance network that was previously called Voltron, has established a new innovation lab in Singapore. Contour says it will be working cooperatively with its wide network of banking institutions, corporates and various other ecosystem partners to… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 12:24 pm By Priyanka Pani  |  

Global cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is bullish about its India plans despite the uncertainties around regulations. Coinbase’s CEO Brian Armstrong announced that the company is building out an “amazing team “ in India. Sharing its ambitious plan, the US-based crypto major said that there has never… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 12:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Kakao Pay, a Fintech division of Kakao, which is the South Korean company that operates the KakaoTalk messenger app, reveals that it has submitted its initial public offering (IPO) filing. The company intends to secure as much 1.632 trillion Korean won (app. $1.4 billion) in… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 10:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Startups currently being supported by the Swiss Innovation agency Innosuisse will soon have the option to visit Japan or South Korea in order to expand their businesses globally. These initiatives will be supported and facilitated by setting up two new camps this year to address… Read More

July 5, 2021 @ 10:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

ZA International reveals that it has entered an agreement with BC Technology Group, which is the parent firm of OSL Digital Securities, a Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)-licensed digital asset service provider. Through the partnership, OSL should become the exclusive digital asset trading partner to… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 7:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong-based digital asset custody provider Hex Trust revealed earlier this week that it has acquired a strategic investment from Cyberport, a local Fintech hub and digital community. The size of the investment has not been shared publicly. The new investment should allow Hex Trust… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 5:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Hong-based digital banking platform Airstar Bank has confirmed the appointment of Xiaomi’s Chief Financial Officer Alain Lam Sai Wai as its new Chairperson of the Board of Directors (BoD). The previous Chair, Lei Jun, the Chinese billionaire businessman who established Xiaomi, has now stepped… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 3:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based Insurtech company Bolttech recently revealed that it has finalized an oversubscribed $180 million Series A round which values the firm at over $1 billion, thus giving it Unicorn status just a year after it began operations. Bolttech’s investment round was led by Activant Capital… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 3:20 pm By Xu Gao  |  

Beijing Subway Begins to Accept Digital RMB According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, digital RMB payments will be accepted on Beijing’s 24 rail transit lines and 4 suburban railways. Those who would like to use the new payment option will need to download… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 3:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based Endowus, a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-approved and licensed digital wealth management platform, reveals that it has acquired an investment from strategic investors UBS AG, Samsung Ventures and Singtel Innov8. The size of the investment has not been disclosed. Venture capital investors Lightspeed Venture… Read More

July 4, 2021 @ 12:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank Negara Malaysia, the nation’s reserve bank, recently revealed that it received 29 different applications for a virtual bank license under the Financial Services Act 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. This has come after a 6-month application period, which came to an… Read More

July 3, 2021 @ 9:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

KT, one of South Korea’s largest telecom companies, reveals that it will be investing KRW 23.6 billion (appr. $20.9 million) into the operations of Webcash Group. The investment will be part of a plan to form an alliance relationship for the B2B sector. Webcash Group… Read More

July 3, 2021 @ 8:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) will be welcoming the first group of participants to take part in its pilot for HKEX Synapse, which is HKEX’s new Stock Connect settlement acceleration solution. As part of the pilot, industry participants such as fund managers, brokers,… Read More

July 2, 2021 @ 9:47 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand is the next jurisdiction to target the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. According to a posting by the securities regulator, the Thai SEC has filed a criminal complaint against Binance for operating a digital asset business without a license…. Read More

July 1, 2021 @ 10:58 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Pakistani digital bank UBL is partnering with Temenos and National Data Consultant to produce an omnichannel digital online banking platform digital banking solution. It builds upon UBL’s launch earlier this year of the Islamic Digital Account and UBL Pay, which allows customers to use phones… Read More

July 1, 2021 @ 4:11 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Cryptocurrency finance service provider Amber Group has raised $100 million in Series B funding from China Renaissance Group, Tiger Brokers, Tiger Global Management, Arena Holdings, Tru Arrow Partners, A&T Capital, Sky9 Capital, DCM Ventures, Gobi Partners, as well as existing investors Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures,… Read More