Asia

September 6, 2026 @ 5:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Informal money-transfer systems such as hawala have grown more organised and now lean heavily on digital tools to hide criminal proceeds, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report concludes. Drawing on information from about 45 countries and organisations, including Pakistan and India, the Paris-based body… Read More

September 6, 2026 @ 3:16 pm By Michael Wong  |  

German development finance institution DEG is proposing an additional $10 million loan to JC Growth Credit Fund 1 LP, a venture debt vehicle managed by Singapore-based investment firm January Capital, according to a disclosure seen by CrowdFund Insider. The proposed financing would top up an… Read More

September 6, 2026 @ 2:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea is preparing what appears to be one of the most progressive official programs yet to put conventional capital-market products onto blockchain rails. On September 4, 2026, the Financial Services Commission presented a staged policy roadmap for tokenized securities after a public-private council meeting… Read More

September 4, 2026 @ 12:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has reached an agreement to buy Tokyo-based COMWARE Co., Ltd., a move designed to expand its mid-market offering in Japan and deepen the capabilities of Accenture Edge, a unit created in June 2026 to help smaller and mid-sized firms use artificial intelligence… Read More

September 3, 2026 @ 2:48 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has committed S$220 million ($173 million) over three years to support financial technology development, artificial intelligence adoption, and industry infrastructure under the fourth edition of its Financial Sector Technology and Innovation Scheme. The renewed programme, known as FSTI 4.0,… Read More

September 3, 2026 @ 12:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Alpaca and Indonesia’s exchange have taken a formal step toward linking local brokers with overseas markets. On September 1, 2026, Alpaca co-founder and CEO Yoshi Yokokawa and Indonesia Stock Exchange President Director Jeffrey Hendrik signed an agreement at IDX’s main hall in Jakarta. The pact… Read More

September 2, 2026 @ 10:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s central bank has taken a further step toward turning its long-planned stablecoin regime into law. On 1 September 2026 the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) published a consultation on proposed changes to the Payment Services Act 2019. The package would give legal force to… Read More

September 2, 2026 @ 3:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Five years on from Asia-Pacific’s venture capital surge, most startups funded at the peak remain in business, but far fewer have kept advancing through new rounds, later stages or exits. A PitchBook resaerch study published in late August 2026 tracks the 24,602 unique APAC-headquartered companies… Read More

September 2, 2026 @ 1:07 am By Michael Wong  |  

Ant International’s Alipay+ has connected with the Philippines’ national QR payment system, allowing international visitors to pay merchants through supported overseas e-wallets and banking apps. The integration with QR Ph means participating merchants can accept payments from Alipay+ partner users through their existing QR codes… Read More

September 1, 2026 @ 9:49 am By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s Forest City Special Financial Zone is offering a 5% corporate tax rate to eligible fintech companies and payment-system operators, as the development seeks to attract technology-enabled financial services businesses near Singapore. The preferential rate is available for 10 consecutive assessment years and may be… Read More

September 1, 2026 @ 9:43 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based payments platform HitPay has integrated its payment infrastructure with Superbench, allowing business-to-consumer service providers to manage customer inquiries, bookings, and payments through a single system. The partnership adds embedded payments to Superbench’s AI-powered customer engagement platform, covering transactions from online deposits to in-person point-of-sale… Read More

September 1, 2026 @ 9:17 am By Michael Wong  |  

Deposits held with Hong Kong banks increased in July, while renminbi deposits and cross-border trade settlements recorded stronger growth, according to data released by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Total deposits with authorized institutions rose 0.9% in July 2026, with Hong Kong dollar and… Read More

September 1, 2026 @ 7:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Vietnam is reportedly building a supervised market for tokenized real-world assets, treating blockchain not as a speculative venue but as a new channel for raising capital against tangible economic activity. The core legal instrument is Government Resolution 05/2025/NQ-CP, signed on 9 September 2025. It launched… Read More

August 31, 2026 @ 9:04 am By JD Alois  |  

The European Commission says the following platforms now fall under the Digital Securities Act (DSA). According to an EU statement, ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox now qualify as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) because they have topped 45 million… Read More

August 31, 2026 @ 1:51 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong-listed Virtual Mind Holding Company Limited has entered into an investment cooperation agreement with Gauss Technology (HK) Limited to establish a joint venture focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and continuous learning. Under the agreement signed on Aug. 28, Virtual Mind and Gauss Technology intend… Read More

August 30, 2026 @ 5:31 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Chinese AI company AInnovation Technology Group acquired a 51% equity interest in industrial software company Qingdao AInnovation ALP Intelligent Industrial Technology Co., Ltd. for a total consideration of RMB122.4 million ($17.1 million), according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing seen by CrowdFund Insider. AInnovation… Read More

August 30, 2026 @ 9:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed investing up to $500 million in a risk-sharing facility with Japan’s Mizuho Bank to expand supply chain financing in emerging markets. The proposed facility will have a total size of $1 billion and cover a portfolio of supply… Read More

August 30, 2026 @ 8:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dunamu, the company behind South Korea’s digital-asset platform Upbit, has formed a strategic alliance with Visa (NYSE: V) to build new payment and financial products at the intersection of stablecoins, cross-border transfers, and artificial intelligence. The two firms presented a joint roadmap at Visa’s Global… Read More

August 30, 2026 @ 2:20 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and The South East Asian Central Banks Research and Training Centre (SEACEN Centre) held their fourth Financial Leadership Training Program in Hong Kong from Aug. 25 to… Read More

August 29, 2026 @ 2:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fintech investment in Singapore fell sharply in the first half of 2026 as investors became more selective and capital was concentrated in a smaller number of larger transactions, according to KPMG’s latest Pulse of Fintech report. Singapore fintech companies attracted more than $499 million across… Read More