Asia

April 15, 2025 @ 10:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

GXS Bank announced that it has received regulatory approval to acquire Validus Capital Pte Ltd, the Singapore subsidiary of Validus Investment Holdings Pte Ltd. This is the first such acquisition of a local financial technology company “by a homegrown digital bank in Singapore.” Validus Capital… Read More

April 14, 2025 @ 9:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A research paper from ThruHQ, entitled, “Egyptian B2B directory” unveils what appears tobe a “significant disconnect” in Egypt’s online business-to-business sector. The latest research findings, which are said to be derived from the curation of ThruHQ‘s initial batch of listings, indicate that while “95% of… Read More

April 13, 2025 @ 3:37 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The National Bank of Oman (NBO) has launched a fully digital account opening feature on its mobile app, allowing users to open accounts without visiting a branch or submitting physical documents, as part of its broader shift toward mobile-first banking services. The app-based feature enables… Read More

April 13, 2025 @ 12:36 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The gold reserves of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates rose 7% in January to AED24.571 billion ($6.69 billion), up from AED22.981 billion in December 2024, according to data from the central bank’s monthly statistical bulletin. The rise in gold holdings was part… Read More

April 12, 2025 @ 6:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) have solidified their commitment to regional financial security by entering into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at significantly enhancing cybersecurity measures and combating the escalating threat of digital fraud. The agreement, formally executed by… Read More

April 12, 2025 @ 6:06 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Haball, a Pakistani supply chain financing and payments fintech, has closed a $52 million pre-Series A funding round comprising equity investment and a strategic financing allocation. Financing is focused on efforts in Pakistan and an expansion into the GCC. The round’s equity component of US$5… Read More

April 12, 2025 @ 5:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong Investment Corporation Ltd (HKIC) and fintech platform WeLab announced a strategic partnership to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven financial services, aiming to promote digital financial inclusion across Asia. The collaboration will enable WeLab to expand its exploration of AI applications, including developing innovative AI… Read More

April 12, 2025 @ 11:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) jointly announced a series of measures aimed at enhancing the prevention and detection of financial crime, including fraud and money laundering. Authorities are responding to a… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 3:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Weixin Pay users can now receive cross-border transfers from Xoom, a PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) service and a digital remittances provider. This new partnership between Tenpay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, and Xoom allows Weixin Pay users to “receive money directly into their Weixin Pay Wallet… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 2:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), the world’s derivatives and securities exchange network, announced the expansion of its Derivatives Market Intelligence team with the hiring of Wei Liao as Director, Derivatives Market Intelligence. Based in Hong Kong, Ms. Liao will lead the “buildout of Cboe’s… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 2:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Checkout.com, a global digital payments company, announced its intention to expand its card issuing capabilities in the UAE. Checkout.com aims to roll out domestic card issuance “in the region in 2026, pending regulatory approval.” This will enable businesses to launch branded cards, whether physical or… Read More

April 11, 2025 @ 12:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

Institutional participation in crypto markets is key to their success and ability to scale. While many established institutions are already participating in this sector of finance, the growth will take some time. This week, global bank Standard Chartered and crypto exchange OKX revealed a partnership… Read More

April 10, 2025 @ 10:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Airwallex, a payments and financial platform, reported FY2024 performance in Singapore. According to a release from global Fintech Airwallex, FY2024 revenue in Singapore more than doubled, growing 153% YoY, fueled “by strong transaction volumes and a standout Q4.” Lucy Liu, President and Co-founder, Airwallex said:… Read More

April 8, 2025 @ 11:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Euroclear is pleased to announce its participation in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) Project Ensemble. Project Ensemble, launched in March 2024, is a HKMA initiative aimed at fostering and “shaping the tokenization ecosystem in Hong Kong.” This project brings together professionals and industry veterans… Read More

April 7, 2025 @ 9:59 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released statistics for the second quarter of 2024 on stored value facility (SVF) schemes, showing continued growth in both usage and transaction value. By the end of Q2 2024, the total number of SVF accounts in use reached 75.36… Read More

April 7, 2025 @ 8:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Digital asset platform Fasset has partnered with Dinari to tokenize $1 billion of US equities, which are available to investors, according to a company statement. Fasset is a Dubai-based blockchain firm. Dinari, through its blockchain-based tokenization technology, aims to enable investing in anything from anywhere…. Read More

April 6, 2025 @ 12:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Schroders Capital’s Infrastructure team in Asia announces the first close of a China renewable energy strategy following a $100 million anchor investment commitment from Apple. The actively-managed strategy targets renewable infrastructure investments in late-stage development and construction wind and solar assets “across China, aiming to… Read More

April 5, 2025 @ 6:37 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry will present two draft laws — the Royal Decree on Digital Assets and the Royal Decree on Cybercrime Prevention and Suppression — for Cabinet approval on April 8, with expectations that the laws could come into force before… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Fuse, founded by TrueLayer veterans, has raised $6.6 million in a funding round led by Northzone. Other investors include Flourish Ventures, Alter Global, and angel investors. Fuse is a payments Fintech targeting the MENA region. The company says it is focusing on the “payments bottlenecks”… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 8:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The PwC Global Crypto Regulation Report 2025 offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolving regulatory environment for digital assets across more than 50 jurisdictions. The PwC research report underscores significant policy shifts and emerging trends, reflecting a global push to balance innovation with financial stability… Read More