January 22, 2026 @ 10:17 am By Michael Wong  |  

A bipartisan pair of US senators introduced legislation that would ease a key compliance cost for early-stage companies raising money online, lifting the point at which small businesses must pay for an independent accountant review when using securities crowdfunding. Similar legislation in the House has… Read More

January 21, 2026 @ 10:10 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Moroccan Fintech Woliz has raised $2.2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by insurer Sanlam Maroc to build a digital ecosystem for neighbourhood merchants, as investors hunt for ways to modernise a retail sector that still runs largely on cash and paper. Woliz, which… Read More

January 19, 2026 @ 8:28 am By Michael Wong  |  

Aether Holdings’ Alpha Edge Media has acquired Coinstack, an institutional-focused cryptocurrency newsletter and media platform with more than 340,000 subscribers, as the Nasdaq-listed Fintech group expands its financial content and data business. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Coinstack will continue to operate… Read More

January 19, 2026 @ 12:51 am By Michael Wong  |  

Veera, a Singapore-based crypto financial services platform focused on self-custody wallets and decentralised finance tools, has raised $10 million across its pre-seed and seed funding rounds as it expands its on-chain financial services and prepares to roll out a crypto-linked payment card. The company said… Read More

January 18, 2026 @ 2:46 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Fujitsu Ltd and Standard Chartered’s innovation unit SC Ventures have laid out a roadmap for Qubitra Technologies, a London-headquartered joint venture aimed at speeding up commercial use of quantum computing in finance. The partners said the business, previously incubated as “Project Quanta” announced in September… Read More

January 17, 2026 @ 9:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

Global payment volumes on cryptocurrency-linked cards climbed to about $1.5 billion a month in August, up from roughly $100 million a month in January 2023, as stablecoins increasingly move from trading and remittances into everyday spending, digital finance data platform Artemis said in a report…. Read More

January 14, 2026 @ 2:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

Pakistan’s fintech sector has expanded digital access over the past decade, but the harder task is getting people to use digital payments in everyday life as cash retains a strong grip on daily commerce, Pakistan’s The Tribune reported, citing an Asian Development Bank (ADB) assessment… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 12:46 am By Michael Wong  |  

Republic Polytechnic (RP) rolled out a campus-wide artificial intelligence (AI) transformation strategy, pledging to redesign curricula, upskill staff, and broaden partnerships with technology firms as Singapore pushes to build a deeper pipeline of AI-skilled talent. RP said the initiative aims to embed practical and responsible… Read More

January 11, 2026 @ 10:13 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s top anti-graft official has warned that the absence of clear laws governing online crowdfunding has opened the door to widespread abuse of public donations, as authorities probe alleged misuse linked to high-profile fundraising campaigns. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki said irresponsible… Read More

January 11, 2026 @ 3:17 pm By Michael Wong  |  

PhotonPay, a stablecoin-based payments infrastructure provider, said it had raised a Series B funding round of “tens of millions of dollars” led by IDG Capital, as investors step up bets on blockchain-enabled rails for cross-border commerce. Hillhouse Investment also participated alongside Enlight Capital, Lightspeed Faction,… Read More

January 11, 2026 @ 3:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Rain, which provides infrastructure that lets companies issue stablecoin-linked wallets and payment cards, said it raised $250 million in a Series C round led by ICONIQ, valuing the company at $1.95 billion. The financing also drew participation from Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Bessemer Venture Partners, Galaxy… Read More

January 11, 2026 @ 1:11 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Nasdaq said Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) will join the Nasdaq-100 Index and a set of related benchmarks on Jan. 20, 2026, replacing AstraZeneca, in a change that could prompt portfolio rebalancing among funds that track the widely followed gauge. The exchange operator said the move will… Read More

January 10, 2026 @ 5:21 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Lafayette Digital Acquisition Corp. I, a newly formed special purpose acquisition company focused on financial technology, said it had priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $250 million, adding to a tentative revival in new SPAC listings in the US. The Cayman Islands-registered company sold… Read More

January 10, 2026 @ 5:16 pm By Michael Wong  |  

BV Investment Partners, a U.S. private equity firm focused on tech-enabled business services, has raised $2.465 billion for its latest buyout vehicle, hitting the fund’s hard cap and beating its initial $2.0 billion target, the firm said. The Boston-based investor said the fund reached a… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 10:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Turkmenistan has legalised cryptocurrency mining and the operation of crypto exchanges, a rare policy shift for one of the world’s most tightly controlled states as it looks to modernise parts of an economy dominated by natural gas exports, according to reports. President Serdar Berdymukhamedov signed… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 8:21 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Currenc Group Inc said it has agreed to sell its 60% stake in Malaysian cross-border payments hub Tranglo Sdn Bhd to New Margin Holding Limited for $400 million in cash, marking the first completed step in the Nasdaq-listed fintech firm’s broader restructuring and value-unlocking plan…. Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 8:45 am By Michael Wong  |  

The United Arab Emirates has issued two federal decree laws revamping the governance of its capital markets, strengthening the independence and powers of the country’s securities regulator as the Gulf state seeks to bolster investor confidence and align its financial framework with global standards. The… Read More

January 3, 2026 @ 1:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Governments are accelerating coordinated oversight of cryptocurrency markets as a new international reporting regime takes hold, signalling tighter tax enforcement and pushing digital assets closer to mainstream financial regulation, the Financial Times reported. According to the report, 48 jurisdictions have committed to begin their first… Read More

January 3, 2026 @ 1:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Knight Fintech, an Indian provider of banking and digital lending infrastructure, has raised $23.6 million in a Series A funding round led by Accel, the company said. The round also saw participation from IIFL and Rocket Capital, along with existing investors Prime Venture Partners, 3one4… Read More

January 1, 2026 @ 9:57 am By Michael Wong  |  

Truemed, a US-based health payments startup that enables consumers to use tax-advantaged health accounts for preventive care, has raised $34 million in a Series A funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, as investors bet on growing demand for alternatives to traditional, treatment-focused… Read More