Asia

June 7, 2025 @ 5:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in the way consumers shop across Asia Pacific, with more than a third now relying on AI tools to assist with purchase decisions, according to Adyen’s 2025 Annual Retail Report. Based on a survey of 41,000 consumers in… Read More

June 6, 2025 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ctrl Alt, a tokenization infrastructure platform, has officially secured its license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to operate as a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP). Notably, Ctrl Alt claims it is the first VASP authorized to conduct issuer-related services. This milestone marks a… Read More

June 4, 2025 @ 5:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

Aspire, a Singapore-based finance platform for businesses, has integrated with global payment infrastructure provider Stripe to enhance its payment capabilities, allowing users across Asia to accept a wider range of payment methods and improve cash flow management. The integration enables Aspire users to receive payments… Read More

June 4, 2025 @ 4:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MY E.G. Services Berhad, Malaysia’s e-government and digital services provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Trade Data Exchange Services Pte. Ltd. (SGTraDex), Singapore’s digital infrastructure for trade data exchange. The partnership seeks to enable both parties to facilitate digital cross-border trade between… Read More

June 3, 2025 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant International announced its collaboration with HSBC on the bank’s new Tokenised Deposit Service in Hong Kong. The service will support treasury management “with real-time, always-on HKD and USD payments between corporate wallets held by a corporate client at HSBC Hong Kong.” The Tokenised Deposit… Read More

June 2, 2025 @ 9:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of Data Protection at ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, and the Office of Data Protection of Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration “in data protection and the enforcement of privacy… Read More

June 1, 2025 @ 11:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly advance cybersecurity innovation tailored to the evolving needs of the financial… Read More

May 31, 2025 @ 8:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

SingWealth Holdings has acquired an insurance brokerage license in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reinforcing its presence in North Asia and expanding its footprint beyond Singapore. The move represents a major step in the company’s strategy to deliver cross-border financial services and deepen its role in… Read More

May 30, 2025 @ 3:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payment technology firm, Tribe Payments, has announced a strategic partnership with global Treasury Operating System (TOS), Finmo, to deliver integrated, end-to-end payment and treasury services to banking and fintech clients across key growth markets – notably Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe. The partnership combines Tribe’s issuer… Read More

May 29, 2025 @ 10:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Vault Wealth Limited, MENA’s digital private wealth platform built for the modern affluent, announced its public launch, alongside an investment round led “by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA), with continued support from Outliers VC.” This marks Peak XV Partners’ first wealthtech… Read More

May 29, 2025 @ 8:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Tribe Payments has announced a partnership with Finmo to offer end-to-end payment and treasury services to banking and Fintech clients across key growth markets, specifically the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe. Tribe’s issuer and acquirer processing platform will be integrated with Finmo’s treasury and financial management… Read More

May 28, 2025 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Carta, the software platform purpose-built for private capital, announced its Financial Services Permission (FSP) from ADGM’s Financial Services Authority (FSRA), unlocking a new phase of growth in the MENA region. This milestone advances Carta’s global mission “to make private markets more accessible, transparent, and equitable.”… Read More

May 27, 2025 @ 9:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Careem Pay, the fintech arm of the Careem Everything App, has introduced a new international money transfer service to Jordan. This addition to Careem Pay’s remittance network enables users to send money directly from the UAE to Jordanian bank accounts, catering to the needs of… Read More

May 27, 2025 @ 9:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The venture capital (VC) funding activity in China has experienced a notable contraction in the first four months of 2025, with the latest data showcasing a decline in both “deal volume and value, signaling a challenging environment for startups and investors alike.” The total number… Read More

May 27, 2025 @ 9:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On the back of Hong Kong passing the stablecoin bill, Evan Auyang, Group President of Animoca Brands, thinks it signals that this city is doing what few other jurisdictions have achieved: offering stablecoin issuers real, regulatory clarity without stifling innovation. And the timing is telling,… Read More

May 27, 2025 @ 7:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a report titled All Roads Lead to China, TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence firm, has unveiled the intricate web of Chinese underground banking networks that have emerged as the financial linchpin of global illicit activities. These networks, leveraging both traditional and modern financial mechanisms,… Read More

May 25, 2025 @ 3:31 pm By Michael Wong  |  

UAE-based Fintech startup Gainz has closed a seven-figure pre-seed funding round, combining equity and debt, as it looks to transform access to Shariah-compliant alternative financing for underserved small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The round was led by Antler MENAP,… Read More

May 25, 2025 @ 3:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has launched the region’s first tokenized real estate investment project via the Prypco Mint platform, in a landmark step toward redefining property investment in the Middle East. The initiative, developed in collaboration with Prypco, VARA, the Central Bank of the… Read More

May 24, 2025 @ 6:11 pm By Michael Wong  |  

India has established a new Payments Regulatory Board (PRB), a significant move that restructures the oversight of the country’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. The formation of the PRB under the Payments Regulatory Board Regulations, 2025, reflects a hybrid model of governance between the Reserve… Read More

May 24, 2025 @ 4:10 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Pakistan’s financial markets regulator has banned 141 fraudulent digital loan applications as part of an intensified crackdown on online financial scams, according to 24NewsHD. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said the platforms were offering interest-free loans via Facebook and other social media… Read More