Tagged: japan

July 24, 2020 @ 9:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Carlos Ghosn, once the Chairman of Nissan and now a bit of a fugitive, fled Japan in 2019 after being charged by authorities for allegations of misappropriated funds pertaining to the automotive firm. In December of 2019, Ghosn evaded the watchful eyes of Japenese authorities… Read More

July 20, 2020 @ 9:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The global COVID-19 crisis has forced many businesses to either shut down or make significant changes to their business models. Individuals and companies are increasingly using digital platforms and services to conduct transactions or complete routine tasks that they normally carried out at physical locations…. Read More

July 19, 2020 @ 7:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan Communications Inc., a company that engages in the provision of wireless data communication services via in-house software solutions, has partnered with Pakistan‘s Saffran Group, a multinational technology development company. Through the partnership, the companies will invest in financial technology projects in Pakistan via the… Read More

July 10, 2020 @ 2:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokyo-based digital currency exchange bitFlyer has teamed up with Brave International SEZC, a subsidiary of Brave Software, Inc., the developer of the Internet browser – which monetizes web browsing by using the Basic Attention Token (BAT). As mentioned in a release shared with CI, bitFlyer… Read More

June 27, 2020 @ 10:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings, a Japanese financial services holding company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo with over 82 billion JPY in annual revenue, is planning to establish a security token exchange. Tokai Tokyo, which is primarily involved in offering brokerage services via its subsidiary Tokai Tokio… Read More

June 23, 2020 @ 12:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, the nation’s ruling-party, is reportedly planning to make it easier for local banking institutions to branch out into different sectors, which could help them compete with or even push back against emerging Fintech firms and other tech startups. The party’s… Read More

June 22, 2020 @ 9:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Thailand-based Fintech firm SYNQA, the parent company of OmiseGo (previously called Omise Holdings), has reportedly secured $80 million in capital via a Series C investment round led by SCB 10x, a subsidiary of the Siam Commercial Bank. Asia-based VC group SPARX also took part in… Read More

June 15, 2020 @ 11:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Many developing and developed countries across the globe are considering or already developing and testing their own central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). China might be creating an East Asia virtual currency platform, according to a report from the Nikkei Asian Review. The new currency might… Read More

June 10, 2020 @ 11:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

US-based ChargeAfter, a global network that enables retailers to match their consumers with credit and financing offers, has received an investment from the VC division of Japan’s financial services giant MUFG. The actual amount invested has not been shared publicly. However, the announcement noted that… Read More

June 5, 2020 @ 3:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan’s largest banks will be looking into the potential benefits of using electronic money and digital currencies in order to make banks and cashless payments systems interoperable. The initiative has been launched by Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the world’s fifth-largest bank in terms of… Read More

June 2, 2020 @ 9:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange (BitMEX), one of the largest cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges in the world, says that they “no longer think that dated volatility-related bets are an effective way to protect portfolios because they are now too expensive.” THe BitMEX team stated: “We believe that inflation… Read More

June 2, 2020 @ 11:40 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Accelerating program Plug and Play Japan announced on Tuesday it has selected 104 startups in six verticals (IoT, Fintech, Insurtech, Mobility, Brand & Retail, and Hardtech & Health ) together with 38 corporate partners for the Summer/Fall 2020 Batch acceleration program, which will be run… Read More

May 28, 2020 @ 11:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SATYA MicroCapital Ltd, a fast-growing micro-lending firm based in India, has secured INR 105 crore (appr. $13.85 million) in equity funding from Gojo & Company, Inc. This is reportedly one of the first investments in the nation’s microfinance sector after the COVID-19 outbreak, and government-enforced… Read More

May 28, 2020 @ 12:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Skymind Global Ventures (SGV), the venture arm of Skymind, has announced its first spin-off – Konduit.  According to the company, Konduit offers a portfolio of open source tools that support machine learning practitioners. The company’s goal is to bridge the gap between research and enterprise… Read More

May 27, 2020 @ 1:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fundbox, a Fintech firm focused on “disrupting” the global $21 trillion B2B commerce ecosystem with its payment and credit network for B2B transactions, confirmed on May 26, 2020, that it received a fresh equity investment from MUFG Innovation Partners Co., Ltd., the corporate VC division… Read More

May 19, 2020 @ 12:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

JCB, which is Japan’s largest credit card issuer, has teamed up with Tokyo-based TECHFUND, a leading technology accelerator, in order to develop a sustainable blockchain-powered transaction system. As noted in a May 15 announcement, the partnership will involve leveraging TECHFUND’s expertise on cryptocurrency staking and… Read More

May 18, 2020 @ 7:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Norbert Gehrke, founder and representative director at Tokyo Fintech, an initiative that supports community-led innovation in Japan’s financial services sector, notes that the country’s economy and business transactions are still “highly paper-based.” Gehrke has worked as managing director at Goldman Sachs’ Technology Division and Barclays… Read More

May 17, 2020 @ 11:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple company partner and investor, SBI Holdings, is planning to integrate the Fintech firm’s technology, in order to process transactions via ATMs throughout Japan. SBI’s management noted in its recent financial report that it will integrate the Ripple technology-based settlements solution, MoneyTap, with ATMs operated… Read More

May 10, 2020 @ 8:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan is reportedly planning to ease its investment rules and requirements, in order to make it more convenient for banks to invest in Fintech companies. The country is hoping that more relaxed investment guidelines will promote the local lending industry. The lenient policies should help… Read More

May 1, 2020 @ 1:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), has certified two organizations as Certified Financial Instruments and Exchange Associations. As confirmed in an announcement made on April 30, 2020, the FSA has officially recognized the Japan STO (security token offering) Association and the Japan Virtual… Read More