Asia

May 10, 2021 @ 8:23 am By JD Alois  |  

OurCrowd is one of the largest securities crowdfunding platforms in the world. Based in Israel, OurCrowd has been recognized by Pitchbook as the most active venture investor in the country with 24 different deals in 2020. OurCrowd provides a pathway for smaller investors to participate… Read More

May 9, 2021 @ 10:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Chinese banking institutions have introduced central bank digital currency (CBDC) hardware prototypes for several different use cases. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the nation’s central bank, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) have introduced prototype hardware devices that aim to offer support… Read More

May 9, 2021 @ 9:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Kuwait Finance House (KFH), the nation’s first banking institution operating in accordance with the Islamic Shari’a, has introduced a digital wallet service that is being supported through smartphones (and even smart watches). KFH, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, with a market cap… Read More

May 9, 2021 @ 9:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore revealed on May 6, 2021 that it has introduced the sixth edition of the Global Fintech Hackcelerator, with the theme “Harnessing Technology to Power Green Finance.” As mentioned in the… Read More

May 9, 2021 @ 9:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PayMaya, a mobile wallet that’s operating under the purview of PLDT, has reportedly become the first Fintech firm to start using QR Ph for merchants. QR Ph was introduced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the nation’s central bank, with assistance from BancNet and… Read More

May 9, 2021 @ 2:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Earlier this week, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) revealed that it had been working cooperatively with SWIFT, an international provider of secure bank-to-bank messaging services. SWIFT and the UAE reserve bank are reportedly working an initiative that will improve the speed… Read More

May 8, 2021 @ 2:18 pm By Xu Gao  |  

Insurtech Firm Waterdrop Starts Trading on New York Stock Exchange  On May 7th, Waterdrop Inc., China’s leading insurance and healthcare service technology platform, went public on New York Stock Exchange. Founded in 2016, Waterdrop has built an online insurance marketplace (“Shuidibao”) and a medical crowdfunding… Read More

May 7, 2021 @ 10:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

IOST has teamed up with Moonstake in order to support staking functionality for IOST coin on Moonstake wallets. Moonstake began offering services in the staking business in 2020 with the goal to develop the biggest staking network in Asia. Since that time, Moonstake claims it… Read More

May 6, 2021 @ 11:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

GHL Systems has teamed up with payments giant Visa (NYSE:V) in order to become the first in the ASEAN region to offer Visa Instalments for customers using the eGHL Payment Gateway platform. Visa Instalments works by turning pre-approved issuer credit lines into installment payment options… Read More

May 6, 2021 @ 7:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Arab Monetary Fund, which aims to establish policies of Arab monetary cooperation and promote the development of Arab financial markets, has launched “Finxar,” which is a regional Fintech index for tracking the development of the financial technology industry in Arab nations. The United Arab… Read More

May 6, 2021 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Streami has received a strategic investment from the Digital Currency Group (DCG), according to a release. Streami is based in South Korea and operates GOPAX, a crypto exchange. DCG is said to be the second-largest investor in Streami and previously participated in the Series A… Read More

May 5, 2021 @ 11:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

During the past year, firms have been focused on accelerating their digital transformation strategies in order to maintain operations in a post-COVID environment. Their investments in digital technology have been essential to retaining business and clients. Companies now require the tools to conduct business remotely,… Read More

May 5, 2021 @ 10:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

Revere VC, a San Francisco and Hong Kong-based asset management firm, has closed on a $1.35 million seed round. Simultaneously, Revere said it had launched its flagship product called “the Portal”  – a curated VC platform and a fund – “the Prime Access Fund.” Revere… Read More

May 5, 2021 @ 10:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Adyen (AMS: ADYEN), a global payments solution provider, reveals that its Singapore-based business entity has managed to acquire approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The permit will allow Adyen to perform merchant acquisition services under the Payment Services Act 2019 (PSA). Effective from… Read More

May 4, 2021 @ 11:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Uppsala Security has reportedly conducted the very first “Virtual Assets AML Training Program” for partners and government agency compliance officers. Uppsala Security, the provider of tools for Crypto Risk Management and Cybersecurity, revealed on May 4, 2021, that it has begun its Virtual Assets AML… Read More

May 4, 2021 @ 11:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesian peer to peer lender Amartha has acquired $28 million (appr. IDR 405 billion) in capital from Women’s World Banking Capital Partners II (WWB) and MDI Ventures. Amartha‘s round also received contributions from existing investors Mandiri Capital Indonesia and UOB Venture Management. WWB Capital Partners… Read More

May 4, 2021 @ 10:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia-based Bibit.id, a digital investment app provider, has reportedly secured $65 million in capital via a round led by Sequoia Capital India. Bibit’s investment round was also joined by Prosus Ventures, Tencent and Harvard Management Company. Existing investors AC Ventures and East Ventures also took… Read More

May 4, 2021 @ 7:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of Thailand has published a paper on central bank digital currency (CBDCs) entitle the Way Forward for Retail Central Bank Digital Currency in Thailand. Thailand has been a fairly innovation-friendly nation in regards to Fintech. Several years ago, Thailand participated in Project Inthanon,… Read More

May 3, 2021 @ 11:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

China-based MYbank, an online private commercial bank and an affiliate of the Ant Group with a special focus on working with rural areas and SMEs, has revealed that it will be doubling the number of rural counties it serves in the coming years. MYbank and… Read More

May 3, 2021 @ 10:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ping An Insurance has reportedly been named the most valuable insurance brand in the world in the Insurance 2021, 100 Ranking, which is a spot that the company has maintained for the 5th consecutive year. Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy firm, valued the Ping… Read More