Asia

August 6, 2026 @ 5:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokyo-based JPYC Inc., the issuer of Japan’s regulated yen-pegged stablecoin, has completed an extension of its Series B funding round, bringing the cumulative total raised in the series to roughly 6 billion yen (about $38 million). The company disclosed the development in an official announcement,… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 9:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bahrain-based fintech Infinios has launched operational stablecoin settlement services in partnership with Mastercard (NYSE:MA), reportedly becoming the first issuer in the Kingdom of Bahrain to do so. The move enables the use of regulated stable digital currencies for settlement processes and positions Bahrain more strongly as… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 9:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Google, part of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), has introduced a significant enhancement to its popular digital payments platform in India by incorporating advanced artificial intelligence capabilities directly into the Google Pay application. This development, aimed exclusively at consumers based in the country, centers on a new conversational tool… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 9:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A unit of one of Southeast Asia’s largest technology groups is exploring the development of a broader regional digital banking network, with Singapore serving as its operational and strategic base. MariBank, the digital banking arm of Sea Limited, is positioning the city-state as a launchpad… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 3:13 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A Dubai-based cryptocurrency platform with ties to Iranian interests has been reported to have transferred substantial digital assets to Binance, raising questions about potential efforts to circumvent international financial restrictions. According to a detailed investigation, the unlicensed exchange known as Shelbit, operated by Iranian expatriate… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 8:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

South Korea’s cryptocurrency platform Bithumb has outlined a multi-year plan to go public, targeting completion of its initial public offering in 2028. The exchange shared details of this roadmap in an official customer notice on August 3, 2026, emphasizing that the process is designed to… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 7:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) mobile payment platform has officially become available in the Philippines, allowing consumers to make contactless transactions using their iPhones and compatible Apple devices. The long-anticipated expansion lets eligible users add supported debit and credit cards to the Wallet app and complete payments with… Read More

August 4, 2026 @ 3:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Hong Kong authorities have highlighted a major online romance fraud in which a middle-aged insurance professional lost more than HK$26 million (approximately US$3.3 million) after being drawn into a scheme centered on a bogus cryptocurrency trading application. According to police figures released via the force’s… Read More

August 3, 2026 @ 9:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is advancing efforts to incorporate emerging digital financial tools into its operations while preparing to establish a new presence in Hong Kong and expanding its fundraising activities to new levels. According to senior bank officials, the multilateral institution is examining… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 7:38 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based investment firm GMA Capital Partners and ACMF Group have launched a fund that will provide up to 7 billion baht, or about $207 million, in structured financing to companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and their principal shareholders. The Thai SET Fund… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 6:01 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Total deposits held with Hong Kong’s authorized institutions rose 0.1% in June from the previous month, as growth in Hong Kong dollar deposits offset a decline in foreign currency deposits, while bank lending continued to strengthen, official data showed. Figures released by the Hong Kong… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 5:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) have launched an industry-wide taskforce to strengthen the financial sector’s cyber and technology resilience against threats posed by frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models. The AI-Driven Cyber and Technology Risk Taskforce (ACT),… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 3:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two Iranian companies central to what it describes as an illicit insurance program targeting commercial ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz. Announced on July 29, 2026, the designations target… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 2:39 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore-based Airwallex has emerged as Southeast Asia’s most heavily funded payments startup, raising a total of $1.9 billion in disclosed equity funding, according to a new report by market intelligence platform Tracxn. The report, titled Southeast Asia’s Payment Startups Powering the Future of Digital Commerce,… Read More

August 2, 2026 @ 10:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Russian officials have enacted a significant expansion of restrictions on digital currency mining, targeting the nation’s capital and nearby territories in a move driven by concerns over electricity demand. Under a government resolution, activities involving the extraction of cryptocurrency, including involvement in mining pools, will… Read More

August 1, 2026 @ 12:33 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Private equity (PE) investment in Southeast Asia declined sharply in the second quarter of 2026, as investors remained selective amid geopolitical uncertainty and a subdued dealmaking environment, according to EY-Parthenon. The region recorded 10 private equity deals worth $935.5 million during the quarter, compared with… Read More

August 1, 2026 @ 12:28 am By Michael Wong  |  

Asia-Pacific recorded 247 initial public offerings that raised $46.8 billion in the first half of 2026, up 6% in volume and 60% in value from a year earlier, as Greater China remained among the world’s most active equity capital markets, according to EY. The region… Read More

July 30, 2026 @ 6:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On-chain investigator Specter has reported that losses tied to compromised hot wallets associated with Singapore payments firm Triple-A have risen further, reaching an estimated $11.8 million. This marks an increase from the more than $9.3 million initially identified late Friday. Specter first publicly highlighted the… Read More

July 29, 2026 @ 9:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Emirates has activated a new digital payment pathway that lets qualifying customers settle flight bookings with cryptocurrency via Crypto.com Pay. The feature is now live on the airline’s website and mobile application, giving travellers an additional method beyond traditional cards and transfers. The service is… Read More

July 28, 2026 @ 3:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet Inc., one of the world’s largest public corporate holders of Bitcoin, is progressing efforts to develop credit instruments supported by its cryptocurrency reserves. These initiatives, which industry observers have described as potential Bitcoin-backed bonds or “Bitbonds,” form part of the company’s broader Project… Read More