Asia

November 21, 2024 @ 9:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tarabut, an open banking platform operating in the MENA region, and Geidea, Saudi Arabia’s payments solutions provider, have entered a strategic partnership to explore and develop SME financing solutions, subject to regulatory approvals. SMEs represent 1.3 million businesses in Saudi Arabia, and they face a… Read More

November 18, 2024 @ 11:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Singapore e-commerce market is growing at a steady pace and is now expected to register a “strong” compound annual growth rate of “8.9% between 2024 and 2028 to reach SGD33.3 billion ($24.8 billion) in 2028,” forecasts GlobalData, a data and analytics company. GlobalData’s E-Commerce… Read More

November 18, 2024 @ 10:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A Bengali man was recently taken into police custody, allegedly in connection with the massive $235 million WazirX crypto hack reported earlier this year. Delhi authorities (in India) apparently made a significant breakthrough in the WazirX hacking incident, by arresting a suspect residing in West… Read More

November 18, 2024 @ 10:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korean authorities are reportedly investigating crypto exchange Upbit for numerous KYC (Know Your Customer) violations. Due to these reported compliance failures at the Korean exchange, Upbit might have to pay fines as high as $71,500 for each case along with potential issues with its… Read More

November 17, 2024 @ 9:08 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A group of prominent Philippine financial institutions has teamed up with Web 3.0 fintech firm JUST Finance to introduce PHPX, the first bank-collateralized Philippine Peso stablecoin. This initiative, led by UnionBank of the Philippines (UBX), RCBC, Cantilan Bank, and Rural Bank of Guinobatan, along with… Read More

November 17, 2024 @ 6:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Kaspersky is announcing the opening of its latest Transparency Center in Seoul, South Korea, reaffirming its commitment to delivering the best security assurance for its products and services. Located in the Kaspersky office, the new facility will provide “the company’s stakeholders with services ranging from… Read More

November 17, 2024 @ 6:06 pm By Michael Wong  |  

FortiCard, a Singapore-based global Fintech firm, has announced the establishment of its subsidiary in the United States and the acquisition of a Money Services Business (MSB) license issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This development marks… Read More

November 17, 2024 @ 6:04 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Dubai-based spend management platform Pemo announced raising $7 million in a Pre-Series A funding round. The investment comes as the company seeks to accelerate its growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, including plans to expand into Saudi Arabia. The funding round was co-led… Read More

November 15, 2024 @ 6:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

=   A total of 11,808 deals (mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals) were reportedly announced in the Asia-Pacific region during January to October 2024, which was a YoY decline of “4.8% compared to the 12,406 deals announced during the same period… Read More

November 14, 2024 @ 3:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

HKMA and multilateral organizations aim to enhance strategic partnership for climate investment in Asia. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority joined hands with multilateral organizations, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World… Read More

November 13, 2024 @ 4:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Visa (V: NYSE) flexible credential is going global by transforming the traditional payment card for a digital future. First in the United States, Visa Flexible Credential will reportedly roll out with the Affirm Card, a debit card that allows eligible consumers to buy now and… Read More

November 11, 2024 @ 10:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

QCP Trading Pte. Ltd. received an In-Principle Approval (IPA) for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) License from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The IPA represents a step toward “full” licensing, allowing QCP Trading to prepare to offer regulated spot trading services for digital payment… Read More

November 11, 2024 @ 7:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Funding Societies | Modalku, theunified digital finance platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Southeast Asia today announced signing the third credit facility* with HSBC under its ASEAN Growth Fund. The transaction, an accumulative commitment of over $100 million, includes the annual credit… Read More

November 11, 2024 @ 2:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) is pleased to announce plans to digitize and automate the in-kind creation and redemption process for relevant exchange-traded products (ETP) in 2025 through the adoption of a “web-based platform, subject to technical readiness and regulatory approval.” This platform… Read More

November 11, 2024 @ 1:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tencent announced a partnership with Visa (NYSE: V) to introduce its palm recognition technology for digital payments in international markets. The service will first be rolled out in Singapore, where Visa cardholders from participating banks, including DBS, OCBC, and UOB, will be “part of the… Read More

November 10, 2024 @ 10:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Stablecoin issuance and use is rising around the world, with the market projected to reach $3 trillion within the next five years. This, according to an update from Fintech firm Ripple. Key to this continued growth are crypto regulations that will help advance the use… Read More

November 10, 2024 @ 10:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PwC has released their research report, entitled FinTech in ASEAN 2024: A Decade of Innovation. PwC noted that during the past decade, the global FinTech landscape has evolved rapidly, transforming financial services and “driving digital inclusion worldwide.” Yet, the research report explained that considerable challenges… Read More

November 10, 2024 @ 10:01 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

SentBe, a Korean global FX total solutions provider, partnered with Visa to implement Visa Direct’s card transfer service, which allows for real-time overseas payment through Visa’s global payment network. SentBe is the first in the Korean fintech industry to implement a Visa Direct card transfer… Read More

November 10, 2024 @ 5:05 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fintech companies from mainland China are increasingly choosing Hong Kong as the base for their headquarters, attracted by the city’s capital accessibility and a strong talent pool. These firms are leveraging Hong Kong’s strategic position to expand their operations into ASEAN markets. KN Group, a… Read More

November 10, 2024 @ 1:12 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

B2B embedded finance platform Toqio has signed an agreement with the global e-commerce company DSA. The partnership with the UK- and Hong Kong-based company is Toqio’s maiden step into logistics after establishing itself as a partner to corporate firms in the hospitality and pharmaceuticals sectors,… Read More