Asia

April 26, 2026 @ 10:21 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

OS and AI technology company Banma Intelligence and Alipay this week launched a new AI cockpit solution integrating Alipay AI Pay, enabling drivers to complete purchases by voice command directly from their vehicle. “In the past two years, smart cockpits have achieved rapid advances in… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 5:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia is emerging as Asia’s most concentrated Fintech market, underscoring both the region’s maturity and the significant growth potential in less-developed ecosystems across the continent, according to a new study. The analysis by Singapore-based UnaFinancial found that Southeast Asia hosts an average of 14… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD)  has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to offer brokerage services in the city-state, marking a key step in the U.S.-based fintech firm’s expansion into Asia’s fast-growing retail investment market. The approval allows Robinhood to move closer to launching a… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 10:01 am By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s Ministry of Digital and Microsoft have launched Microsoft Elevate, a national artificial intelligence (AI) capacity-building initiative to strengthen the country’s AI talent pipeline as it seeks to become a regional AI hub. The program, aligned with Malaysia’s AI Nation 2030 ambitions, expands the country’s… Read More

April 26, 2026 @ 12:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Elliptic noted that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued its inaugural pair of stablecoin issuer licenses. The approvals, announced on April 10, 2026, came just eight months after the territory’s Stablecoins Ordinance officially launched on August 1, 2025. The two recipients—global banking leaders… Read More

April 25, 2026 @ 4:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Southeast Asia’s private equity market remained under pressure in 2025 as deal value declined and exit activity weakened, highlighting ongoing liquidity challenges for private capital investors, according to a new report by Bain & Company. Total deal value in the region fell about 10% year-on-year… Read More

April 25, 2026 @ 4:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore SMEs do not appear to lack interest in artificial intelligence. What many lack is a clear starting point, and the financing, partners, and safeguards to move from experimentation to deployment. DBS, Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority are seeking to address that… Read More

April 25, 2026 @ 10:25 am By Michael Wong  |  

For South Korean travelers in Vietnam, paying for coffee, taxis, or hotel bills may soon feel much more like paying at home. BIDV, Vietnam National Payment Corporation (NAPAS), South Korea’s KEB Hana Bank, and GLN International have launched a cross-border QR code payment service linking… Read More

April 24, 2026 @ 3:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Recent analysis from Citi Research, part of Citi (NYSE: C), underscores a pivotal shift in artificial intelligence usage, particularly in high-engagement markets like China. A survey of 1,800 consumers who had interacted with AI tools in the prior month found that about 70% engage with… Read More

April 21, 2026 @ 9:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Vodafone Fiji has partnered with Entrust in order to roll out digital debit card issuance through its popular M-PAiSA mobile wallet, marking a significant step toward instant, contactless payments in the Pacific island nation. The collaboration introduces seamless digital-first experiences for customers, allowing them to… Read More

April 21, 2026 @ 11:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Regulatory technology provider Trulioo has reported steady expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, attributing a 51 percent year-on-year increase in business verification volume during 2025 to its latest advancements in identifying ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs). The company, which specializes in global identity verification, fraud prevention, and… Read More

April 20, 2026 @ 7:59 am By Michael Wong  |  

Financial institutions are moving further into blockchain-based settlement infrastructure, with Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB) launching a stablecoin minting and redemption service aimed at corporate and high-net-worth clients. The Bahrain-based lender said the new offering enables clients to convert fiat currencies into digital tokens, and vice… Read More

April 19, 2026 @ 9:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

EBANX—an international technology firm known for its expertise in facilitating cross-border payment solutions tailored to developing regions—has announced plans to launch operations in five additional nations. These include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Turkey, marking a strategic push to broaden its presence in dynamic markets… Read More

April 19, 2026 @ 2:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tabby, a fintech company currently operating in the Middle East, has obtained a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. This regulatory approval, announced in mid-April 2026, represents a significant advancement for the firm as it broadens its… Read More

April 19, 2026 @ 1:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam-based Farmnet, the trading arm of agricultural supply chain firm TechCoop, has secured a $11.75 million senior secured loan from Symbiotics, underscoring a growing shift among Southeast Asian startups toward alternative financing as venture capital remains tight. The facility, described as the first offshore institutional… Read More

April 18, 2026 @ 2:26 am By Michael Wong  |  

Climate-focused venture capital is increasingly targeting the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence, as surging compute demand and power consumption create new investment opportunities across the digital economy. Vietnam-based Earth Venture Capital said it participated in Sygaldry Technologies’ $139 million financing round, which included a $34 million… Read More

April 16, 2026 @ 11:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple Labs has joined forces with Kyobo Life Insurance to launch the country’s inaugural tokenized government bond settlement system powered by blockchain technology. The collab represents Ripple’s initial venture with a Korean insurance provider and marks a pivotal advancement in building robust, institution-level digital asset… Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 10:00 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Bitget Wallet is exploring the integration of self-custodial crypto payments into Japan’s stablecoin payment ecosystem through discussions with Netstars, a payment infrastructure provider. The initiative centers on how Web3 wallets can connect to existing merchant networks, marking a potential step toward bringing stablecoin payments into… Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 8:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s central bank has called for the introduction of circuit-breaker systems in the virtual asset market to enhance safeguards against extreme volatility and operational failures. The recommendation appears in the Bank of Korea’s latest Payment and Settlement Trends report, released on April 13, 2026…. Read More

April 13, 2026 @ 3:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

There has again been a significant setback for diplomatic efforts in South Asia that were aimed at de-escalating the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict. Unfortunately, the United States and Iran again failed to reach any agreement during high-level discussions held in Pakistan’s capital. The meetings, which took… Read More