Tagged: japan

April 2, 2025 @ 8:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fireblocks, a digital asset security and infrastructure provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC Group), one of Japan’s largest banks, alongside Ava Labs and TIS Inc. This collaboration aims to explore the potential of stablecoins for wholesale payments,… Read More

March 31, 2025 @ 12:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bitcoin and broader cryptocurrency market is experiencing a whirlwind of activity as we close out the first quarter of 2025. From institutional investments and regulatory shifts to innovative stablecoin developments, the past week alone has delivered updates that signal a maturing yet overly cautious … Read More

March 25, 2025 @ 10:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle Internet Group, Inc., a financial technology company and stablecoin market participant / issuer, announced its commitment to Japan by leveraging its Japanese entity, Circle Japan KK, and local partnerships to drive the adoption of Circle platforms and technologies in Japan. Circle’s partners in Japan… Read More

March 6, 2025 @ 9:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Coalition, the Active Insurance provider designed to prevent digital risk before it strikes, announced a new $30 million equity investment from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. (MSI), a member of MS&AD Insurance Group (MS&AD), the non-life insurer in Japan and across the Asian-Pacific region. The… Read More

February 14, 2025 @ 12:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockstream, the firm focused on Bitcoin-powered financial infrastructure, is expanding its footprint with the opening of a Tokyo office, marking an advance in Bitcoin’s evolution in Japan and across Asian markets. Partnering with Diamond Hands, Japan’s Bitcoin strategic consultancy, and Fulgur Ventures, an investor in… Read More

February 4, 2025 @ 10:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JPX Market Innovation & Research, (JPXI), a provider of Japan’s financial market data, and Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, announced a partnership in order to disseminate data over Snowflake’s platform. Data provision via Snowflake will enable market participants to get access to JPXI’s data… Read More

January 28, 2025 @ 10:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nuvei Corporation, the Canadian fintech company, announces an expansion in Asia-Pacific (APAC), having completed the acquisition of Paywiser Japan Limited, including its acquiring license granted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The license enables Nuvei to progress with launching direct acquiring capabilities… Read More

January 13, 2025 @ 5:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The combined market cap of the top 50 companies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region surged to $8.1 trillion in 2024, reflecting a “20.6% year-on-year increase.” This, according to a report from GlobalData. Tech firms reportedly led the charge, with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and… Read More

December 13, 2024 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fireblocks has strengthened its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by establishing a regional office in Tokyo, Japan. According to the update from Fireblocks, Japan is said to be emerging as a key player in institutional blockchain adoption, driving Fireblocks to grow its presence by providing… Read More

December 4, 2024 @ 11:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japanese publicly listed firm Metaplanet reportedly aims to secure $62 million for acquiring more Bitcoin with its current holdings sitting at a substantial 1,142 BTC. If Metaplanet succeeds in its plans by securing the funds required, it will then proceed to purchase around 652 more… Read More

November 27, 2024 @ 8:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Global digital payments company, Checkout.com, announced its expansion into Japan supported by new direct acquiring capabilities. This move reflects Checkout.com’s commitment to delivering payment solutions across APAC, designed to meet the needs of domestic and global merchants. To lead this expansion, Checkout.com has appointed Noriko… Read More

November 26, 2024 @ 11:25 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

This year has seen a number of seemingly positive developments for the cryptocurrency ecosystem, according to an update from Chainalysis. Chainalysis noted in a blog post that in many ways, crypto has continued to gain mainstream acceptance, following the approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum… Read More

November 18, 2024 @ 11:42 am By JD Alois  |  

MiCA, or Markets in Crypto Assets regulation, is a transformative change in the European Union that provides regulatory clarity for digital assets that are not deemed to be securities. As the market is quite large, MiCA should help boost crypto innovation in the region—something other regions, like… Read More

October 27, 2024 @ 4:48 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Malaysia’s GHL Systems Berhad and Japan’s JCB International Co Ltd have formed a strategic partnership to enable the acceptance of JCB cards for GHL’s merchants in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, the companies said. The collaboration aims to enhance payment convenience for merchants and shoppers… Read More

October 24, 2024 @ 8:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

abrdn plc, a global investment company, announced earlier this month the expansion of its real estate investment business in Japan via its subsidiary, abrdn Japan Limited. This latest update comes as abrdn commences a new investment mandate to manage a residential portfolio in Japan. The… Read More

October 20, 2024 @ 7:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-headquartered Fintech Wise (LSE:WISE) has reportedly gained direct access to Japan’s payment clearing network. As first reported by Reuters, Wise is said to have become the first foreign company to receive approval for direct access to Japan’s bank payment clearing network (know as Zengin). Wise has… Read More

October 16, 2024 @ 7:45 am By JD Alois  |  

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has joined the growing number of regulatory/innovation entities by launching a Fintech Sandbox to support the development of digital assets. Just about everyone acknowledges that at some point, all securities will be digital—potentially enhanced with codable or “smart”… Read More

October 8, 2024 @ 9:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JCB Co., Ltd., Japan’s international payments provider, announced that it enabled Google Pay for its clients. Android(TM) smartphone users are able to now easily use Google Pay in stores where JCB Contactless is accepted, by adding credit/debit cards issued by the JCB Group in Japan… Read More

August 19, 2024 @ 8:48 am By JD Alois  |  

Minnadeooyasan-Hanbai (MOH Nippon) (LSE: MOH)has joined the London Stock Exchange (LSE) via a reverse  merger. According to a note from the company, Minnadeooyasan-Hanbai is the first Japanese firm to trade on the main market of the LSE in over 20 years. The company has changed… Read More

August 12, 2024 @ 10:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In June 2023, the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FSA) amended the Payment Services Act (PSA) to provide an updated regulatory framework for crypto assets and stablecoins. According to an update from Blockdaemon, these regulations have clear implications “for Crypto Asset Exchange Service Providers (CAESP)… Read More