Asia

September 9, 2024 @ 4:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

House Financial Services Committee Republicans have issued a statement on their efforts to “combat the economic threat from the Chinese Communist Party.” China has become more jingoist under the leadership of  President Xi Jinping. The Chairman of the CCP has sought to curtail economic freedom… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 9:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Smartkarma, a Singapore-based global investment intelligence platform, has acquired Helixtap, a global commodities alternative data and insights platform, in a strategic move to enhance its market presence and proprietary data services. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Smartkarma’s efforts to broaden its coverage across… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in collaboration with the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), launched a joint operation to target unlicensed businesses soliciting investments at a Fintech exhibition in Bangkok on Saturday. The operation followed reports from the… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 10:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

barq, a Saudi financial services startup, has partnered with Mastercard (NYSE: MA) to empower its customers with a range of payment acceptance solutions through Mastercard Gateway. The strategic agreement will see barq leverage Mastercard Gateway technology “to further equip its merchants and consumers around the… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 7:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Checkout.com says it has helped Holiday Extras streamline and increase the performance of their payment processes through the use of virtual cards, resulting in increased automation, improved operational efficiency, and positive financial outcomes. Holiday Extras, which claims to be the market leader in holiday extras, is… Read More

September 7, 2024 @ 11:35 am By Michael Wong  |  

Jingdong Technology Holding Co. Ltd., the fintech arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, is poised to acquire Home Credit Consumer Finance Co. Ltd., China’s first wholly foreign-owned consumer finance firm, according to sources cited by Caixin. The acquisition, which awaits approval from the National Financial… Read More

September 7, 2024 @ 10:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Grath, a global platform for financial services and regulatory compliance technology, is expanding its presence into the Middle East with the opening of a new office in the prestigious Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC). This expansion is said to mark a significant milestone in Grath’s… Read More

September 5, 2024 @ 12:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether Operations Limited, which claims to be one of the largest companies in the digital asset industry, and Reku, a crypto exchange platform, are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration to broaden Indonesians’ understanding of crypto assets and blockchain technology. This initiative will be executed… Read More

September 5, 2024 @ 11:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple, the provider of digital asset infrastructure, announced that Yonsei University in South Korea is the latest partner to join its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) program. This new partnership with one of South Korea’s academic institutions “marks Ripple’s 58th UBRI partnership globally, and its… Read More

September 4, 2024 @ 10:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ziina, the UAE’s financial platform supporting consumers and businesses, announced that it has raised $22 million in a Series A round led by Altos Ventures. Other investors participating in this investment round reportedly “include Fintech Collective, Avenir Growth, Activant Capital, Y Combinator, FJ Labs, MEVP,… Read More

September 4, 2024 @ 8:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tabby, the MENA’s shopping and financial services app, has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tweeq, a Saudi-based digital wallet licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), during 24 Fintech, Saudi’s flagship fintech event. Tweeq will continue to operate independently, and… Read More

September 4, 2024 @ 8:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

BillEase, the digital consumer finance platform in the Philippines, today announced TPG’s The Rise Fund has signed definitive documentation to lead a significant strategic investment in the company. With the investment, The Rise Fund, the multi-sector strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform, is leading… Read More

September 3, 2024 @ 11:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has proposed an investment of up to $130 million in Asialink Finance Corp, a prominent lender to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines. The financing package, aimed at bolstering Asialink’s lending… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 9:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently caught up with Terence Kwok, CEO and Founder of Humanity Protocol. Terence Kwok spearheads Humanity Protocol, an organization dedicated to amplifying human potential amidst the transformative impact of artificial intelligence. He is a technology entrepreneur from Hong Kong and the CEO and founder… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 1:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In line with the Third Financial Sector Strategy issued by Qatar Central Bank, the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) have announced the launch of the QFC Digital Assets Framework, a comprehensive and innovative regime for the creation and… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 12:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Uppsala Security, a provider of tools and services for crypto AML/CTF, transaction risk management, regulatory compliance, transaction tracking, and cybersecurity, is pleased to announce the collaboration between Chainkeeper, its Crypto AI-powered Investigator, and the Burrito Wallet. The joint venture between Chainkeeper and Burrito Wallet is… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 11:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (Alpha FMC), a global provider of specialist consultancy services to the financial services industry, is pleased to announce the opening of a new branch in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre of the UAE’s capital. With this new… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 10:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

During a keynote presentation at Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, Mastercard (NYSE: MA)  announced the worldwide launch of its new Payment Passkey Service to make online shopping more secure and easier than ever. Debuting first in India as a pilot with some of the nation’s… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 10:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant International announced its participation in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) Project Ensemble Sandbox, focusing on “Liquidity Management”, one of its four main themes. Launched in March this year, Project Ensemble is the HKMA’s wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC) project aimed “at fostering… Read More

September 2, 2024 @ 9:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

OKX, a global crypto exchange and Web3 technology company, announced that its local entity, OKX SG Pte. Ltd., received a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and appointed Gracie Lin as CEO of OKX SG. The license granted under… Read More