Asia

August 26, 2026 @ 10:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan is preparing to develop a financial infrastructure that would allow near-instantaneous, around-the-clock settlement of stock and Japanese government bond transactions through distributed ledger technology (DLT), commonly known as blockchain. According to reports, this initiative aims to modernize the country’s payment and securities settlement systems,… Read More

August 26, 2026 @ 10:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Visa (NYSE: V) has joined a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-supported effort aimed at bridging conventional financial payment systems with those built around stablecoins. The initiative, known as BLOOM (Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency), seeks to expand the settlement options available to banks and other institutions… Read More

August 25, 2026 @ 8:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Global asset management firm Franklin Templeton has joined forces with Hong Kong-based digital asset platform HashKey Exchange to make a tokenized money market fund available to investors throughout Asian markets. The collaboration marks another significant step in bringing traditional finance products onto blockchain infrastructure while… Read More

August 25, 2026 @ 8:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

India is set to introduce its inaugural tokenized corporate bonds in September, marking a significant step toward integrating blockchain technology into the country’s debt markets for near-instant transaction settlements. According to multiple sources familiar with the plans, this pilot initiative will be led by REC… Read More

August 25, 2026 @ 3:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Stripe, the global payments and financial infrastructure company, is commemorating ten years of operations in Singapore by rolling out a series of enhancements designed to help Asian companies expand internationally more efficiently. The updates focus on multi-currency treasury features, additional local payment options, and simplified… Read More

August 25, 2026 @ 5:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BitGo Holdings (NYSE: BTGO) has announced that its South Korean subsidiary has obtained official registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider. This development enables the firm to deliver specialized custody and transfer solutions tailored to professional clients within one of the region’s fast-growing cryptocurrency ecosystems…. Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 8:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore-based fintech Chocolate Finance is extending its reach past individual savers by introducing a dedicated cash management product aimed at companies. Just two years after introducing its consumer platform, the firm is rolling out Chocolate Business, a solution designed to help organizations generate returns on… Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 2:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Singapore’s DBS Bank (SGX: D05) has expanded the use of specialised agentic artificial intelligence tools to support roughly 1,500 relationship managers and credit risk managers worldwide in handling corporate credit assessments.The initiative, announced in mid-August 2026, follows a successful pilot involving 150 staff members. The… Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 2:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

Global consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton has agreed to make a strategic investment in Japanese independent financial advisory firm Financial Standard, as the private equity firm seeks to tap growth in Japan’s expanding wealth management market. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed…. Read More

August 24, 2026 @ 1:25 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s national accountancy body has agreed to deepen cooperation with its Indian counterpart on artificial intelligence training and professional qualification recognition, potentially extending a Singapore-developed AI programme to more than 1.5 million members and students in India. The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 11:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Laser Digital Japan Co., Ltd. has finalized its registration as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under the Payment Services Act. The Tokyo-based firm, the local arm of Nomura’s digital assets subsidiary Laser Digital, announced the milestone on August 21, 2026. This marks the first… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 8:18 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Thredd to underpin Cashi’s Hong Kong stablecoin card debut Thredd contributes issuer processing infrastructure for Cashi, whose app lets users send and hold digital assets. The card can facilitate daily spending. In Hong Kong, users get virtual Visa cards and Google Pay support. Apple Pay… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 8:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong broadcaster TVB Limited is planning an artificial intelligence computing venture with private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners that could receive up to HK$2 billion ($255 million) in equity investment from Gaw Capital, according to a stock exchange filing seen by CrowdFund Insider. TVB… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 6:00 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Asia-Pacific central banks have agreed to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence and scam prevention as financial authorities grapple with emerging risks to consumers and the region’s financial systems, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. and his counterparts approved initiatives… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 5:36 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Chinese fintech firm Lianlian DigiTech is expanding into AI-powered agentic payments as its global payments business recorded double-digit growth in the first half of 2026, according to its latest Hong Kong stock exchange filing. The digital payments company said it is developing an Agent Wallet… Read More

August 23, 2026 @ 1:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s financial regulator has taken a major step toward modernizing oversight of digital asset markets by rolling out an artificial intelligence system designed to detect and analyze unfair trading practices in real time. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced on August 20, 2026, that… Read More

August 22, 2026 @ 5:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates briefly held two employees of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance in recent weeks as part of police investigations into possible financial wrongdoing linked to activity on the platform. The workers were intercepted while passing through airports in the Emirates and… Read More

August 22, 2026 @ 6:47 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-headquartered DayOne Data Centers has secured a four-year S$530 million ($415 million) green loan from DBS, OCBC, and UOB to finance its first data centre in Singapore, as demand for digital infrastructure grows alongside artificial intelligence and cloud computing. DBS said the 20-megawatt facility could… Read More

August 20, 2026 @ 8:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Japanese firm Metaplanet is expanding its bitcoin strategy into the United States by taking a controlling interest in Nasdaq-listed Super League Enterprise. Under a definitive agreement announced on August 18, 2026, Metaplanet will transfer 2,100 bitcoin—valued at roughly $132.1 million—plus $2.5 million in cash. In… Read More

August 20, 2026 @ 1:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bengaluru-based fintech company Navi has secured a $100 million investment from Dutch technology investor Prosus, marking the firm’s first raise of external institutional capital. The deal, announced on August 19, 2026, involves MIH Payments Holdings BV, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Prosus, and remains… Read More