Asia

August 1, 2026 @ 12:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Private equity (PE) investment in Southeast Asia declined sharply in the second quarter of 2026, as investors remained selective amid geopolitical uncertainty and a subdued dealmaking environment, according to EY-Parthenon. The region recorded 10 private equity deals worth $935.5 million during the quarter, compared with… Read More

August 1, 2026 @ 12:28 am By Michael Wong  |  

Asia-Pacific recorded 247 initial public offerings that raised $46.8 billion in the first half of 2026, up 6% in volume and 60% in value from a year earlier, as Greater China remained among the world’s most active equity capital markets, according to EY. The region… Read More

July 30, 2026 @ 6:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On-chain investigator Specter has reported that losses tied to compromised hot wallets associated with Singapore payments firm Triple-A have risen further, reaching an estimated $11.8 million. This marks an increase from the more than $9.3 million initially identified late Friday. Specter first publicly highlighted the… Read More

July 29, 2026 @ 9:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Emirates has activated a new digital payment pathway that lets qualifying customers settle flight bookings with cryptocurrency via Crypto.com Pay. The feature is now live on the airline’s website and mobile application, giving travellers an additional method beyond traditional cards and transfers. The service is… Read More

July 28, 2026 @ 3:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet Inc., one of the world’s largest public corporate holders of Bitcoin, is progressing efforts to develop credit instruments supported by its cryptocurrency reserves. These initiatives, which industry observers have described as potential Bitcoin-backed bonds or “Bitbonds,” form part of the company’s broader Project… Read More

July 28, 2026 @ 7:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A state-backed Chinese company has started mass production of domestically developed immersion deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, a critical technology for advanced semiconductor manufacturing previously dominated by Dutch firm ASML. The development, first reported by The Information and later detailed by Reuters, marks progress in Beijing’s… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 8:44 am By Michael Wong  |  

Early-stage companies developing solutions in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, inclusive finance, and other priority sectors may receive up to $400,000 in seed funding under a new program launched by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ADB Ventures, the venture… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 6:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

One of South Korea’s commercial banks is preparing to introduce a new blockchain-powered option for corporate clients engaged in international trade. KB Kookmin Bank announced plans to introduce a specialized payment service next month that leverages JPMorgan’s Kinexys distributed-ledger network. The offering targets importers and… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 5:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

International digital payments provider Checkout.com has secured preliminary authorization for a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. This regulatory step positions the company to expand its local services by combining payment acceptance functions with card issuance capabilities within… Read More

July 27, 2026 @ 1:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

An artificial intelligence agent has moved beyond recommending suppliers and completed an actual business purchase in Greater China, carrying out tasks that would typically require several separate procurement and payment steps. Visa and Hong Kong-listed Lianlian DigiTech said Lianlian’s LoopXPay agent completed what the companies… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 9:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has enhanced its regulatory framework for authorised leveraged and inverse products, giving product providers greater flexibility in managing their products while drawing investors’ attention to their nature as daily trading instruments. The regulator said Hong Kong’s leveraged and… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 6:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) has partnered with Abu Dhabi-owned Mubadala Capital and infrastructure specialist KAIO to create a regulated digital token representing Mubadala’s evergreen private markets fund. The announcement, made on July 23, 2026, marks one of the clearest signals yet that major institutional players are embracing… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 3:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The United States has imposed sanctions on an Istanbul-based financial technology firm and its Iranian chairman, accusing the company of facilitating payments within a network designed to circumvent restrictions targeting Iran. On Friday, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Zedpay Financial… Read More

July 26, 2026 @ 12:22 am By Michael Wong  |  

Cash remittances sent home by overseas Filipinos rose 2.0% in May from a year earlier to $2.71 billion, extending steady growth that continued to support household income and domestic demand, central bank data accessed by CrowdFund Insider showed. The increase brought cash remittances in the… Read More

July 25, 2026 @ 10:32 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has relaxed key listing requirements, including lowering thresholds for companies seeking weighted voting rights structures and expanding confidential filing arrangements, as the bourse steps up efforts to attract more initial public offerings and reinforce the city’s position as a… Read More

July 24, 2026 @ 8:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Poolin, a once-prominent cryptocurrency mining pool operator, has initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States as part of efforts to dispose of its Texas-based facilities and conclude its activities. The Singapore-headquartered firm, along with its American subsidiaries Lonestar Dream Inc. and Lonestar Taproot… Read More

July 23, 2026 @ 11:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

US based digital assets company Circle has entered into strategic collaborations with prominent local players Kakao Group and Toss Bank. These partnerships aim to test and advance blockchain-powered payment systems and stablecoin applications tailored to the Korean market. Circle, known mainly as the issuer of… Read More

July 23, 2026 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mirae Asset Group has obtained clearance from the nation’s antitrust authority for its planned purchase of cryptocurrency platform Korbit. This approval represents a notable first for a major financial conglomerate’s affiliate acquiring a licensed virtual asset exchange, underscoring the accelerating blend of traditional investment channels… Read More

July 22, 2026 @ 3:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a specialized unit focused on cryptocurrency-related offenses. This new division aims to tackle the rising misuse of digital assets in illicit activities, including money laundering, terrorism financing, and various forms of financial fraud. The Cryptocurrency Investigation Unit operates… Read More

July 22, 2026 @ 12:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has formally launched the sanction process against Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, the nation’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. The regulator recently delivered an inspection report to the company regarding last year’s significant hacking event, marking the first… Read More