Asia

September 17, 2024 @ 6:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Revolut is reportedly preparing for a 2025 launch in India. Potentially targeting millions of India’s consumers in a vital test for the growth strategy of Europe’s most valuable Fintech, Revolut will aim to take advantage of establishing operations in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. London-headquartered Revolut… Read More

September 16, 2024 @ 9:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank, a dedicated banking partner to more than 1 million small and medium enterprises across ASEAN, today announced a strategic investment in Funding Societies | Modalku (Funding Societies), which is said to be the largest unified digital finance platform for micro, small and medium enterprises… Read More

September 16, 2024 @ 8:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PGIM, the $1.33 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc., has received Financial Services Permission (FSP) to operate in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, “located in the heart of the city’s financial district.” Establishing… Read More

September 16, 2024 @ 6:29 am By JD Alois  |  

Stablecoin issuer Circle has revealed a collaboration with Sony Block Solutions Labs. According to a release, the partnership aims to boost innovation in decentralized tech on Soneium, a public  Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain ecosystem. USDC, Circle’s dollar-based stablecoin, will be integrated into Soneium. Circle explains that… Read More

September 15, 2024 @ 9:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Bangladeshi consumer technology provider Pathao has announced raising $12 million in a pre-Series B funding round as the company shifts its focus towards fintech. The latest investment brings Pathao’s total capital raised to over $50 million, marking the largest pre-Series B funding for any Bangladeshi… Read More

September 14, 2024 @ 4:54 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based Fintech group M-DAQ Global Pte. Ltd. has launched its Wallex cross-border foreign exchange (FX) and payment solution in Malaysia, following its acquisition of B2B payments service provider Easy Pay Transfers Sdn. Bhd. The launch of Wallex marks the expansion of M-DAQ’s footprint in the… Read More

September 14, 2024 @ 12:49 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Shanghai has unveiled an ambitious action plan to position itself as a global Fintech hub, with 31 measures aimed at upgrading the city’s financial technology landscape over the next three to five years. The action plan, released by the municipal government on Friday, outlines a… Read More

September 14, 2024 @ 6:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech firm Razorpay is pleased to introduce QuickBuy, which is described as the company’s 1-click order placement solution designed that aims to “to simplify and speed up the checkout experience.” Powered by Razorpay’s robust data network and advanced personalization capabilities, QuickBuy reportedly “transforms the traditional,… Read More

September 12, 2024 @ 10:25 am By JD Alois  |  

Fasset has announced IOWN, an Ethereum layer 2 blockchain for Real World Assets (RWA). Based in the UAE, the company states that it has moved forward with the project following the approval of its Credit Token Licence from the Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA),… Read More

September 11, 2024 @ 9:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JST Digital, a global financial services firm specializing in digital assets, today announced that its Singapore subsidiary, JST Digital & Technology Pte. Ltd. (JST Singapore) has received an in-principle approval for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to provide digital payment token… Read More

September 11, 2024 @ 9:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Standard Chartered (LON: STAN) has announced its digital asset custody service in the UAE. The offering has been granted a licence by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a global financial hub, “following the memorandum of understanding (MoU)… Read More

September 9, 2024 @ 10:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Sumsub has announced that Local Data Processing (LDP) capabilities are now available in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, specifically in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This infrastructure reaffirms Sumsub’s dedication to “ensuring data privacy and regional compliance, following the successful launch in the MEA… Read More

September 9, 2024 @ 9:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The joint Taskforce on SME Lending, established by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB), recently held its inaugural meeting attended by representatives from the HKMA, HKAB, and 14 banks actively involved in lending to small and medium-sized… Read More

September 9, 2024 @ 4:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

House Financial Services Committee Republicans have issued a statement on their efforts to “combat the economic threat from the Chinese Communist Party.” China has become more jingoist under the leadership of  President Xi Jinping. The Chairman of the CCP has sought to curtail economic freedom… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 9:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Smartkarma, a Singapore-based global investment intelligence platform, has acquired Helixtap, a global commodities alternative data and insights platform, in a strategic move to enhance its market presence and proprietary data services. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Smartkarma’s efforts to broaden its coverage across… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 5:40 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in collaboration with the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), launched a joint operation to target unlicensed businesses soliciting investments at a Fintech exhibition in Bangkok on Saturday. The operation followed reports from the… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 10:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

barq, a Saudi financial services startup, has partnered with Mastercard (NYSE: MA) to empower its customers with a range of payment acceptance solutions through Mastercard Gateway. The strategic agreement will see barq leverage Mastercard Gateway technology “to further equip its merchants and consumers around the… Read More

September 8, 2024 @ 7:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Checkout.com says it has helped Holiday Extras streamline and increase the performance of their payment processes through the use of virtual cards, resulting in increased automation, improved operational efficiency, and positive financial outcomes. Holiday Extras, which claims to be the market leader in holiday extras, is… Read More

September 7, 2024 @ 11:35 am By Michael Wong  |  

Jingdong Technology Holding Co. Ltd., the fintech arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, is poised to acquire Home Credit Consumer Finance Co. Ltd., China’s first wholly foreign-owned consumer finance firm, according to sources cited by Caixin. The acquisition, which awaits approval from the National Financial… Read More

September 7, 2024 @ 10:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Grath, a global platform for financial services and regulatory compliance technology, is expanding its presence into the Middle East with the opening of a new office in the prestigious Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC). This expansion is said to mark a significant milestone in Grath’s… Read More