Asia

June 10, 2025 @ 10:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Services Authority (FSRA) of ADGM announced the implementation of amendments to its regulatory framework for digital assets, with immediate effect. The implementation of these amendments follows “extensive industry engagement and feedback received on Consultation Paper No. 11 of 2024.” As stated in the… Read More

June 10, 2025 @ 9:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Backbase, the global enabler of AI-powered banking technology, announces that Bank Muamalat has officially launched ATLAS by Bank Muamalat (ATLAS), Malaysia’s first Islamic digital-only bank centered on faith and lifestyle alignment. This milestone represents a transformative “leap in Bank Muamalat’s journey to redefine Islamic banking,… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong will implement its new Stablecoins Ordinance on August 1, formalizing the city’s regulatory framework for stablecoin-related activities and introducing a licensing regime aimed at strengthening oversight of the fast-growing digital asset sector. The ordinance, which was officially gazetted on May 30, is a… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

South Korea’s NAVER Corp. is launching a new venture investment arm in Silicon Valley, a move that underscores its ambition to expand its global presence and accelerate innovation by backing early-stage startups in North America. The initiative, NAVER Ventures, will focus on identifying and supporting… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 3:55 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippines and India are accelerating efforts to strengthen collaboration in financial technology and broader development cooperation, as both nations seek to harness digital innovation to drive economic growth. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto recently held talks with Indian Ambassador Harsh Jain to identify new avenues… Read More

June 8, 2025 @ 4:52 am By Michael Wong  |  

UBTECH Education, in partnership with the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) under the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Education, has formally launched the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Artificial Intelligence Education Development Initiative. The program is set to transform AI education… Read More

June 7, 2025 @ 5:28 pm By Michael Wong  |  

TBC Bank Group PLC has issued a $200 million bond to accelerate the growth of TBC Uzbekistan, its rapidly expanding digital banking arm, as the group deepens its footprint in Central Asia’s largest economy. The synthetic three-year bond, denominated in Uzbek sum and settled in… Read More

June 7, 2025 @ 5:25 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in the way consumers shop across Asia Pacific, with more than a third now relying on AI tools to assist with purchase decisions, according to Adyen’s 2025 Annual Retail Report. Based on a survey of 41,000 consumers in… Read More

June 6, 2025 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ctrl Alt, a tokenization infrastructure platform, has officially secured its license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to operate as a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP). Notably, Ctrl Alt claims it is the first VASP authorized to conduct issuer-related services. This milestone marks a… Read More

June 4, 2025 @ 5:13 am By Michael Wong  |  

Aspire, a Singapore-based finance platform for businesses, has integrated with global payment infrastructure provider Stripe to enhance its payment capabilities, allowing users across Asia to accept a wider range of payment methods and improve cash flow management. The integration enables Aspire users to receive payments… Read More

June 4, 2025 @ 4:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MY E.G. Services Berhad, Malaysia’s e-government and digital services provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Trade Data Exchange Services Pte. Ltd. (SGTraDex), Singapore’s digital infrastructure for trade data exchange. The partnership seeks to enable both parties to facilitate digital cross-border trade between… Read More

June 3, 2025 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant International announced its collaboration with HSBC on the bank’s new Tokenised Deposit Service in Hong Kong. The service will support treasury management “with real-time, always-on HKD and USD payments between corporate wallets held by a corporate client at HSBC Hong Kong.” The Tokenised Deposit… Read More

June 2, 2025 @ 9:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of Data Protection at ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, and the Office of Data Protection of Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration “in data protection and the enforcement of privacy… Read More

June 1, 2025 @ 11:22 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly advance cybersecurity innovation tailored to the evolving needs of the financial… Read More

May 31, 2025 @ 8:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

SingWealth Holdings has acquired an insurance brokerage license in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reinforcing its presence in North Asia and expanding its footprint beyond Singapore. The move represents a major step in the company’s strategy to deliver cross-border financial services and deepen its role in… Read More

May 30, 2025 @ 3:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payment technology firm, Tribe Payments, has announced a strategic partnership with global Treasury Operating System (TOS), Finmo, to deliver integrated, end-to-end payment and treasury services to banking and fintech clients across key growth markets – notably Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe. The partnership combines Tribe’s issuer… Read More

May 29, 2025 @ 10:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Vault Wealth Limited, MENA’s digital private wealth platform built for the modern affluent, announced its public launch, alongside an investment round led “by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA), with continued support from Outliers VC.” This marks Peak XV Partners’ first wealthtech… Read More

May 29, 2025 @ 8:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Tribe Payments has announced a partnership with Finmo to offer end-to-end payment and treasury services to banking and Fintech clients across key growth markets, specifically the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe. Tribe’s issuer and acquirer processing platform will be integrated with Finmo’s treasury and financial management… Read More

May 28, 2025 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Carta, the software platform purpose-built for private capital, announced its Financial Services Permission (FSP) from ADGM’s Financial Services Authority (FSRA), unlocking a new phase of growth in the MENA region. This milestone advances Carta’s global mission “to make private markets more accessible, transparent, and equitable.”… Read More

May 27, 2025 @ 9:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Careem Pay, the fintech arm of the Careem Everything App, has introduced a new international money transfer service to Jordan. This addition to Careem Pay’s remittance network enables users to send money directly from the UAE to Jordanian bank accounts, catering to the needs of… Read More