Asia

November 19, 2023 @ 2:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bordier & Cie (Singapore) is Sygnum Singapore’s first B2B client since the latter received its MAS Major Payment Institutions license in October 2023 and launched its regulated Digital Payment Token (DPT) brokerage service. Globally, Sygnum has enabled “the 15+ banks and international financial institutions on… Read More

November 19, 2023 @ 2:43 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Jordan Ahli Bank, a Jordanian financial institution with over six decades of banking experience, has announced its full compliance with the country’s Open Banking and Open Finance regulations. The bank said it has partnered with Open Banking and financial innovation firm Fintech Galaxy to boost… Read More

November 19, 2023 @ 2:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Ant International, Grab, and StraitsX have announced a collaborative effort to explore the potential application of Purpose Bound Money (PBM) in cross-border payments. PBM is a protocol that specifies the conditions upon which an underlying digital currency can be used and first introduced by MAS… Read More

November 19, 2023 @ 12:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

At the XI Congress of Financiers of Kazakhstan, a new central bank digital currency (CBDC)-linked debit card – the Digital Tenge Card – was presented. As a part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the national currency, the first payment transaction was “made at the… Read More

November 19, 2023 @ 5:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank announces that all transactions from Maybank2u Biz app and web platforms will require Secure2u authorisation. All Maybank2u Biz account holders are “recommended to activate the Secure2u authorization before 26 November 2023. Any activation of Secure2u for Maybank2u Biz app after 26 November 2023 will require a… Read More

November 18, 2023 @ 5:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) have jointly introduced a real-time payment systems linkage connecting Singapore’s PayNow and Malaysia’s DuitNow. This initiative builds upon the earlier QR payment linkage announced on March 31, 2023, facilitating cross-border QR payments to merchants…. Read More

November 18, 2023 @ 5:46 pm By Michael Wong  |  

BC Technology Group, the digital asset and fintech-focused parent of digital asset platform OSL, has announced raising approximately HK$710 million from crypto group BGX. The deal, which still requires the approval of BC Group’s shareholders, will give BGX a 30% stake in the company. OSL… Read More

November 18, 2023 @ 12:08 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fintech lending is expected to surpass traditional banking by 2030, according to a recent report by the Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL). The forecast by CAFRAL, an independent body established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2011, underscores the profound… Read More

November 17, 2023 @ 5:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Elliptic – the firm enabling blockchain analytics and data intelligence – and CODE – a South Korean Travel Rule solution provider – have launched a partnership which represents Elliptic’s entrance into the Korean market. The new alliance will help companies in the country ramp up… Read More

November 17, 2023 @ 4:58 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) unveiled three initiatives to ensure the safe and innovative use of digital money in Singapore, namely: a blueprint outlining the infrastructure required for a digital Singapore dollar; expanding digital money trials; and a plan to issue a “live” central… Read More

November 17, 2023 @ 8:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

OurCrowd, a global digital investment platform, and RISE, the corporate innovation powerhouse based out of Southeast Asia, announced the launch of the ROCX (Rise OurCrowd Exponential) Fund. The $50 million fund is Thailand’s “first” Israel-focused VC fund and “will invest in early-stage deep technologies in… Read More

November 16, 2023 @ 8:26 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Paxos, the regulated blockchain & tokenization infrastructure platform, secured in principle approval (IPA) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its new Singapore entity, Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. to offer digital payment token services. Paxos Digital Singapore will issue “a new US dollar… Read More

November 14, 2023 @ 8:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com announced that its Dubai entity, CRO DAX Middle East FZE, has been granted a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP) License “for specified virtual asset service activities by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).” Crypto.com’s VASP License is “subject to the Company fully satisfying select… Read More

November 13, 2023 @ 10:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

EduFi has launched the digital student loan platform in Pakistan, on a mission “to empower more students to achieve their academic pursuits.” Education is a lever of economic growth and social development “in any country but poor quality state school provision often drives many families… Read More

November 13, 2023 @ 10:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

dtcpay is pleased to announce their partnership with PlatON, a firm focused on privacy-preserving digital public infrastructure, and Tonghua International’s Allinpay International, a global Fintech payments solution. dtcpay, PlatON, and Allinpay International announce collaboration will “launch an innovative digital currency payment system based on smart… Read More

November 12, 2023 @ 7:42 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Arab Financial Services (AFS), a digital payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, recently hosted a high-level economic delegation from Brussels and discussed potential partnerships within the fintech and financial services sector, highlighting a significant move towards international collaboration in this rapidly evolving… Read More

November 12, 2023 @ 5:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

A landmark agreement has been reached between the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), and the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM), promising to revolutionize fintech cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The “Memorandum of Understanding on Deepening… Read More

November 12, 2023 @ 12:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

MNT-Halan has reportedly closed a $130 million securitization. As Egypt’s “first” unicorn and “fastest-growing” fintech, they’ve now “raised over US$ 400m in 2023, and target US$ 550 by the year’s end.” MNT-Halan has closed five tranches of securitized bond issuances “through its microfinance and consumer… Read More

November 11, 2023 @ 9:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bakkt Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKKT) announced today its planned expansion of crypto capabilities into numerous international markets “with both existing and newly-signed clients by year end.” Latin America: Bakkt and long-standing client Hapi, a stock trading platform, recently furthered their Latin American crypto trading capabilities,… Read More

November 11, 2023 @ 6:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Maybank announced the expansion of its cross-border QR Pay service to China, one of the first in the market for a Malaysian bank, amplifying Maybank’s existing cross-border payment capabilities and enhancing the ease and efficiency of financial transactions. This initiative aims to benefit over 8… Read More