Asia

November 4, 2024 @ 1:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

CBInsights has released their State of CVC Q3’24 Report. According to the detailed research report from the team at CBInsights, CVCs or corporate venture capital funding show “heightened” interest in early-stage rounds, even as CVC deal-making has reportedly fallen to its “lowest level since 2018.”… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 9:42 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 8th Edition in Riyadh to jointly anchor a proposed $1 billion investment fund. The initiative, announced on October 31, is… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 7:18 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Paxos, a blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, has introduced Global Dollar (USDG) – a US dollar-backed stablecoin that Paxos said is “substantively compliant with MAS’ upcoming stablecoin framework.” Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. is the issuer of USDG and is regulated by the Monetary Authority… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 6:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Asia’s economies can embrace services in order to boost growth and productivity, according to an update from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The latest report from the IMF noted that manufacturing has been the engine of growth in Asia, but a transition to “modern, tradable… Read More

November 3, 2024 @ 4:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Warburg AI, a UAE-based artificial intelligence company specializing in financial services, has raised $250,000 in seed funding to accelerate the development of its AI-driven financial solutions, according to an announcement. Founded in September 2024 in Sharjah by entrepreneurs Ben Feaver, Lancelot de Brier, and Madiyar… Read More

November 2, 2024 @ 4:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PitchBook has released its report, entitled Q4 2024 Exploring APAC’s Fintech Pathways: Part II: Southeast Asia. PitchBook has shared a deep dive into Southeast Asia’s fast-evolving fintech developments by navigating regional market nuances. According to the research study, the APAC region has many relatively strong… Read More

November 2, 2024 @ 4:13 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the establishment of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a new initiative designed to reinforce Singapore’s standing as a major global fintech hub while promoting international connectivity for impactful financial innovation. The GFTN aims to build on… Read More

October 30, 2024 @ 4:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm Gemini says it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Major Payment Institution (MPI) license application under the Payment Services Act 2019 in order to provide cross-border money transfer as well as digital payment token… Read More

October 29, 2024 @ 4:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle, a global digital financial technology firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HKT, a technology, and telecommunication firm, in order to explore a potential collaboration in developing blockchain-based customer loyalty solutions for merchants in Hong Kong. Leveraging Circle’s expertise in Web3 Services… Read More

October 27, 2024 @ 9:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Like other parts of the world, Asia also requires significant capital in order to upgrade its infrastructure. Andrew Tan in a detailed blog post has recently made the case for making strategic investments in the underserved middle market. Back in 2018, the Global Infrastructure Hub,… Read More

October 27, 2024 @ 4:48 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s GHL Systems Berhad and Japan’s JCB International Co Ltd have formed a strategic partnership to enable the acceptance of JCB cards for GHL’s merchants in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, the companies said. The collaboration aims to enhance payment convenience for merchants and shoppers… Read More

October 26, 2024 @ 3:14 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has launched the IADS Developer Platform, a collaborative venture with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) aimed at fostering innovation between banks and technology firms. This new platform, part of the Interbank Account Data Sharing (IADS)… Read More

October 26, 2024 @ 2:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

South Korea is set to strengthen oversight of cross-border virtual asset trading, including cryptocurrency, with revised regulations slated for enactment by late 2025, according to reports. The government aims to revise the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act in collaboration with relevant agencies, intending to curb illegal… Read More

October 26, 2024 @ 1:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

CyBirb, a Web3 security company, announced its official launch within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which is the international financial centre of the UAE’s capital. As mentioned in the update shared by ADMG, this key move now aims to strengthen capabilities in blockchain cybersecurity and… Read More

October 24, 2024 @ 8:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

abrdn plc, a global investment company, announced earlier this month the expansion of its real estate investment business in Japan via its subsidiary, abrdn Japan Limited. This latest update comes as abrdn commences a new investment mandate to manage a residential portfolio in Japan. The… Read More

October 24, 2024 @ 3:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

 SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda delivered a speech earlier today in Hong Kong where he lauded the availability of alternative assets as contributing significantly to our global economies. These alternative assets include private securities, both debt and equity, as well as crypto assets. Commissioner Uyeda explains:… Read More

October 23, 2024 @ 10:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Thunes, which claims to be the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, announced the introduction of its QR Code Payments solution. This allows Members of the Thunes’ Direct Global Network – including mobile wallets, neo-banks, and banks with mobile capabilities – to “connect… Read More

October 23, 2024 @ 9:42 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hata.io, a Malaysia-based digital asset brokerage and exchange in the Asia Pacific region, has raised $4.2 million in a seed funding round aimed at fueling its expansion. The newly secured capital will be used to develop new products and accelerate user acquisition across the Asia… Read More

October 23, 2024 @ 9:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s National Fraud Portal (NFP) has significantly reduced the time required to trace stolen funds by 75%, bringing the process down to just 30 minutes, according to the country’s Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying. Since its launch in April 2024, the NFP has also… Read More

October 23, 2024 @ 8:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SIX and China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) signed an MOU to develop cooperation on securities services topics and to foster a continuing relationship between the parties. The signing session reportedly took place in Beijing, China, at SIBOS. SIX and CCB share three main purposes: the… Read More