Asia

July 15, 2024 @ 4:30 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) announced a significant shift in security protocols for major retail banks. Over the next three months, banks will gradually discontinue using One-Time Passwords (OTPs) for customers who use digital tokens, a… Read More

July 14, 2024 @ 7:38 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s latest blockchain initiative, Net Zero-X, launched this week, introducing a specialized exchange platform for institutional and accredited investors focused on green, clean, and climate tech projects. The platform aims to address the critical financing gaps that are impeding global efforts to transition to a… Read More

July 14, 2024 @ 12:24 pm By Michael Wong  |  

WeBank, a pioneering Fintech giant, says it has established its new global headquarters in Hong Kong. The headquarters is expected to primarily focus on research and development (R&D) and the commercialization of technological solutions aimed at international markets, according to an announcement. The decision to… Read More

July 13, 2024 @ 6:29 am By Michael Wong  |  

Bangladesh’s BRAC Bank has achieved a significant milestone in digital lending in the country by providing over 12,000 digital instant loans, amounting to more than BDT 1 billion (100 crore), within a year of its soft launch. The bank’s Digital Instant Loan facility, recognized as… Read More

July 12, 2024 @ 5:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Pakistan based Fintech firm Sadapay has reportedly laid off around 30% of its employees, which includes sevearl C-suite execs, according to an update shared by local sources. Sadapay claims that the layoffs were made due to cost-cutting measures and the decision was announced during a… Read More

July 10, 2024 @ 11:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Research has revealed 66 percent of travel companies are seeing their profit margins impacted by outdated or complicated payment systems, with nine in 10 expected to prioritize modernising their financial operations this year. In a report released by global payments and financial platform, Airwallex, and… Read More

July 10, 2024 @ 6:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fave Singapore, operating under the registered entity name Beeconomic Singapore Pte. Ltd. and part of the Pine Labs group today announced that it has received an in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) Licence to offer account… Read More

July 10, 2024 @ 12:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alchemy Pay, the fiat-payment gateway, now supports cash payments on its On-ramp service for Taiwan users that enhances the convenience of purchasing crypto-assets. Users can now place the order and pay with cash in Taiwan’s local fiat currency, TWD, at popular offline convenience stores “such… Read More

July 9, 2024 @ 9:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) have announced that major retail banks in Singapore will progressively phase out the use of One-Time Passwords (OTPs) for bank account login by customers who are digital token users within the… Read More

July 8, 2024 @ 11:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  Kenny Chan, GM at StraitsX, recently shared key insights with Crowdfund Insider. StraitsX is a payments infrastructure for the digital assets space in Southeast Asia. The company is also a Major Payment Institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and is part of… Read More

July 8, 2024 @ 9:34 am By Michael Wong  |  

Total funding for Southeast Asian (SEA) Fintech startups dropped 25% to $899 million in the first half of 2024 from $1.2 billion in the same period last year, according to a report released by Tracxn. The global SaaS-based market intelligence platform’s “Geo Semi-Annual Report: SEA… Read More

July 7, 2024 @ 4:30 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) SheTrades Initiative, Visa, and the Qatar Fintech Hub (QFTH) operated by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have unveiled the latest phase of their partnership aimed at bolstering youth and women entrepreneurs in Kuwait and Qatar. This collaboration introduces “Small Steps to… Read More

July 7, 2024 @ 3:32 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Azimut Egypt, a subsidiary of the global asset management firm Azimut International Holding, announced that it has secured the first Fintech license from Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) for its new digital investment platform, “azinvest.” This marks a significant milestone in Egypt’s asset management sector… Read More

July 4, 2024 @ 10:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Gupshup, the Conversation Cloud, announced its partnership with Tonik Bank, the digital-only neobank in the Philippines, to develop a Generative AI chatbot for Tonik’s mobile app. The solution aims to provide Tonik’s customers “with instant and accurate answers to frequently asked questions, improving the way… Read More

July 3, 2024 @ 8:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

AXA IM Alts, a global firm focused on alternative investments with $200 billion (€184 billion) of assets under management, has expanded its global network with the opening of its first office in the Middle East. AXA IM Alts has been granted its financial services permission… Read More

July 3, 2024 @ 3:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

MultiSafepay (MSP), an Amsterdam-based payment service provider, and Antom global merchant payment services, a payment and digitization services provider under Ant International, announced that MultiSafepay has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ant International and will integrate with Antom to promote convenient, secure and accessible payment… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 8:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has reportedly permitted two new Fintech startups to test their innovative solutions in SAMA’s regulatory sandbox. As noted in the update from SAMA, “Sulfah for Finance” is authorized to launch a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform and “Wadaie for FinTech” to… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 12:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Paxos, the regulated blockchain & tokenization infrastructure platform, received full approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Singapore entity, Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. to “offer digital payment token services as a Major Payments Institution.” The approval enables Paxos to “issue stablecoins… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 9:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On 1 July 2024, Clearstream introduced a direct link to South Korea with the Korea Securities Depository (KSD). This innovative link is expected to provide clients “with seamless market access to settle and safe keep Korean government bonds, including Korean Treasury Bonds (KTBs) and Monetary… Read More

June 30, 2024 @ 9:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank introduced the single device feature for sole proprietors where users can link up to five Maybank2u (M2U) access in the MAE app, enabling them to manage their finances in an easier and more seamless manner. This includes a combination of one individual account and… Read More