July 4, 2025 @ 8:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The venture capital landscape in 2025 continues to be shaped by transformative trends, with mega-rounds and AI-driven unicorns dominating the startup ecosystem. According to recent reports from CB Insights, the first half of 2025 has seen significant activity in high-value funding rounds and the emergence… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 7:14 am By Michael Wong  |  

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposed law that would have created a state-managed reserve fund for digital assets seized through criminal forfeiture, citing concerns it could undermine cooperation with local law enforcement. House Bill 2324, which narrowly passed the state legislature with a… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 2:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BNP Paribas Cardif has finalized the acquisition of AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) and signed a long-term partnership with the AXA Group to manage a large part of its assets. This operationwill “enable the BNP Paribas Group to create a leading European asset management platform with… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 1:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

World Network, formerly Worldcoin, continues to redefine the blockchain landscape by prioritizing real humans over bots, fostering financial inclusion, and empowering developers. Recent updates from the project highlight its commitment to scaling a global, human-focused digital identity and financial ecosystem. With innovations like stablecoin integration,… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 1:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

New insights from Experian reveal that more than a third (35%) of UK businesses reported being targeted by AI-related fraud in the first quarter of 2025, compared to just 23% last year. The sharp rise is being driven by the “use of deepfakes, identity theft, voice… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 12:51 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s central bank will strengthen liquidity risk management rules and overhaul its data collection regime for fund managers, as it seeks to bolster resilience in the country’s asset management sector amid heightened global economic uncertainty. In a keynote speech at the Investment Management Association of… Read More

July 4, 2025 @ 12:49 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Web3 personalities shared their thoughts on several issues before heading off to the beach. Big, Beautiful Bill must clarify staking and mining rewards “Today’s crypto and tax issue has been a work in progress since 2019 – that’s when I first sat down with the… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 10:32 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Asia-Pacific crowdfunding market is projected to surge nearly fourfold to $1.93 billion by 2033 from $496.77 million in 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 16.33%, according to a new industry report published by ResearchAndMarkets. The report incorporates adjacent sectors rewards (e-commerce)… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 10:31 pm By Michael Wong  |  

DeFi Technologies Inc., a Nasdaq-listed digital asset management firm, has expanded into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and MENA region through the registration of DEFI DMCC in Dubai, according to an announcement. The company opened a new office at Jumeirah Lake Towers and launched a… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 9:29 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Oman Investment Authority (OIA) ended 2024 with $53 billion in assets under management and a net profit of $4.12 billion, enabling a $2.1 billion transfer to the state budget and reinforcing its fiscal importance, according to an announcement. Ranked among the top ten global sovereign… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 8:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Vietnam-based artificial intelligence startup AI Hay has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Southeast Asia-focused venture capital firm Argor Capital, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The latest round, which also drew participation from existing investors Square Peg,… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 11:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On July 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Aeza Group, a Russia-based bulletproof hosting (BPH) services provider, for its role in facilitating cybercriminal activities targeting victims in the United States and globally. Bulletproof hosting… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 10:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

DailyPay, a provider of On-Demand Pay as well as financial wellness solutions, announced a $200 million asset-backed securitization (ABS) of its On-Demand Pay receivables. This transaction, backed by some of the world’s financial institutions, establishes “a new asset class and extends DailyPay’s capacity to partner… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 9:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard Start Path is offering a new Security Solutions program designed to support startups that are developing technologies in “cybersecurity, fraud mitigation, digital identity, and payment resiliency.” OneID, Scamnetic, Spec, VanishID, and Shield-IoT are “the first startups to participate following a global application and vetting… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 8:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Betterment, which claims to be one of the largest independent digital financial advisors, released its Retail Investor Survey examining how investors are navigating a financial landscape “marked by inflation concerns, political uncertainty, and market volatility.” Betterment’s Retail Investor Survey “surveyed 1,200 investors across four generations… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 7:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A report from CoinGecko has examined the performance of Ethereum versus Solana. As we cross the midpoint of 2025, the competition between Solana and Ethereum, two of the most prominent Layer 1 blockchains, continues to captivate the crypto sector. Both ecosystems have faced significant challenges… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 6:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Web3 ecosystem, built on the promise of decentralized technologies, continues to face significant security challenges as it grows into a cornerstone of global finance, according to CertiK, a blockchain security firm, which has released its Hack3d report. The Web3 Security Quarterly Report for Q2… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 3:52 am By JD Alois  |  

Qonto has filed for a banking license, according to a public statement. Qonto, a Fintech that is already serving more than 600,000 SMEs and freelancers in eight different countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Austria. Qonto is currently operating under… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 3:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

From 1 August 2025, PostFinance is permanently reducing the prices for transfers in pounds sterling to the United Kingdom to a fixed fee of 9 francs, and for euro transfers to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to 7 francs. In doing so, PostFinance is… Read More

July 3, 2025 @ 2:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

SIX has reportedly completed its acquisition of Aquis, creating a pan-European exchange innovator with an aggregated 15% market share and access to 16 capital markets across Europe. By combining Aquis’ technology with the multi-asset class services of SIX, the transaction strengthens “the position of SIX… Read More