Asia

September 11, 2023 @ 10:50 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Under its chairmanship of ASEAN this year, Indonesia is placing a strong emphasis on the expansion and enhancement of the region’s local currency transaction (LCT) network. The move is aimed at fortifying trade and investment, streamlining cross-border payments, and advancing financial asset substitutability. Iss Savitri… Read More

September 11, 2023 @ 10:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Globe, the telecommunications service provider and digital solutions platform in the Philippines, has partnered with international insurtech bolttech in order “to launch Gadget Xchange, a new mobile device program that will make postpaid device switching easier, no questions asked.” The innovative program reportedly “offers greater… Read More

September 11, 2023 @ 5:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital asset firm Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) provided a clarification following a an update indicating that the exchange operator will be suspending business operations for consumers residing in India. As widely reported, Coinbase India clients will cautioned via an email message that crypto services will no longer… Read More

September 11, 2023 @ 7:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Animoca Brands Corporation Limited, the company advancing digital property rights for gaming and the open metaverse, announced it has received binding commitments for a funding round to accelerate Mocaverse, one of the Company’s marquee projects. Animoca Brands has raised US$20 million (approximately A$31.3 million) via… Read More

September 11, 2023 @ 7:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) have advanced policy and regulatory recommendations “to identify and respond to macroeconomic and financial stability risks associated with crypto-assets.” Crypto-assets have been in existence “for more than a decade and have displayed significant volatility…. Read More

September 10, 2023 @ 11:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

LHV Bank, the UK’s newest licensed bank, has rolled out a new loan system for its SME Lending division, transitioning to the cloud-based banking system of its SaaS partner, Tuum. This move consolidates the bank’s architecture, “enhances resource allocation, and establishes a robust futureproof framework,… Read More

September 10, 2023 @ 5:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant Group Digital Technologies has launched a brand called ZAN which comprises of a full suite of blockchain application development products and services “for both institutional and individual Web3 developers.” For institutional customers, ZAN provides “a solution to help them issue and manage real world… Read More

September 10, 2023 @ 11:21 am By Michael Wong  |  

Tykhe Capital Group Limited (Tykhe) unveiled the PRINCE Token today, marking Hong Kong’s premier real estate fund security token offering (STO) accessible to professional investors. This initiative is the inaugural STO sanctioned under the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) regulations. Enabled by Tykhe’s virtual asset… Read More

September 10, 2023 @ 11:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant Group unveiled its financial large language model at the 2023 INCLUSION·Conference on the Bund, alongside two new applications powered by the financial LLM including Zhixiaobao 2.0, an intelligent financial assistant for consumers, and Zhixiaozhu 1.0, an intelligent business assistant serving financial industry professionals. According… Read More

September 10, 2023 @ 10:55 am By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) signed a commitment letter for a bilateral loan valued at $300 million. The loan, with a tenure of seven years, is primarily targeted at enhancing financial accessibility for small- and… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 4:35 pm By Michael Wong  |  

In a notable demonstration of faith in Central Asia’s growth potential, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has invested and mobilized a staggering $1.6 billion in the region during fiscal year 2023 (FY23). This investment, the highest ever for… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 3:43 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), a top-tier exchange group globally, marked the inauguration of its latest office in London this week, further amplifying its international influence. A celebratory reception was held in The City of London. Nicolas Aguzin, HKEX Chief Executive Officer, alongside… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 3:38 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The global trade finance gap soared to an unprecedented $2.5 trillion in 2022, escalating from $1.7 trillion two years prior, reveals the 2023 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth and Jobs Survey presented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today. This gap represents the discrepancy between requests… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 3:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Faruk Fatih Özer, the former Chief Executive of collapsed Turkey-based cryptocurrency exchange Thodex, has reportedly been sentenced to 11,196 years in prison on Thursday (September 7, 2023). Stealing around $2 billion from his clients led to the CEO of one of Turkey’s biggest virtual currency… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 12:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Central Asian fintech Alif makes its mark in the UAE with Alif Pay, providing financial services and global remittance for UAE residents. Digital transformation professional Shafique Ibrahim takes on the role as Alif Pay’s CEO, spearheading the launch and “reinforcing the platform’s innovative approach to financial… Read More

September 9, 2023 @ 10:34 am By Michael Wong  |  

Tokyo-based intelligent robotics startup Mujin has announced raising $85 million in its Series C funding round, further boosting its market share in the realm of AI-powered robotics for manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain operations. The funding round saw participation from top investors, including Japan’s SBI… Read More

September 8, 2023 @ 4:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Inpay, which claims to be one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintech companies, and Cambodia Post Bank Plc. (CPBank), one of Cambodia’s commercial banks, have “entered into a partnership to introduce international money transfer services in Cambodia.” Through the partnership, CPBank’s customers in Cambodia and abroad “will… Read More

September 8, 2023 @ 4:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

HAYVN, a digital asset-focused financial institution delivering Payments, Trading, Custody, Asset Management and Research, announced a partnership with crypto hardware manufacturer, Ledger. The partnership will see HAYVN “provide safe and robust off-ramping rails to users of Ledger’s Ledger Live service.” Ledger Live allows users “to… Read More

September 8, 2023 @ 11:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Uppsala Security, which claims to be a pioneer in providing top-tier security tools and services for Crypto Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF), Transaction Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance, and Transaction Tracking, is pleased to announce the signing of an industry-academia joint MOU with Hoseo University’s Department of… Read More

September 7, 2023 @ 10:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) and Fintech Saudi have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding during Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023 “to advance the growth and development of the Saudi Arabia fintech industry.” The announcement marks another step “towards powering an inclusive digital economy and advancing… Read More