Gobi Partners, one of Asia’s most active venture capital firms, has expanded into Japan through JR East’s TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars’ Hub (LiSH) as a Global Network Partner. LiSH, located in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY and linked directly to Tokyo International Airport, opened in May 2025 as part of JR East’s smart-city development. The hub facilitates collaboration between startups, corporates, and researchers on technologies and business models relevant to urban life. “Japan’s innovation ecosystem is hungry for new growth models, while Southeast Asia’s startups are now proving their scalability beyond home markets,” said Thomas G. Tsao, Co-Founder and Chair of Gobi…

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) held the second Joint Climate Finance Conference on 26 November in Dubai. The hybrid event attracted nearly 250 participants from the Middle East and Asia. The conference is a key initiative of the DFSA-HKMA partnership to support climate finance. This year, it focused on financial risks linked to climate change and the role of innovation. Discussions explored how both regions can use their financial and technological strengths to develop solutions that aid the energy transition and broader sustainable development goals. The event also presented findings from the…

In this exclusive roundtable jointly hosted by Fintech News and OneConnect Financial Technology banking C-levels from Philippines debate whether we’ve fallen into the trap of incremental gains and end up dreaming too small about how AI can potentially reconfigure banking. Hear real world use cases of top banks in the Philippines’ are leveraging AI to take their banks to the next level. Roundtable speakers: Matthew Chen, CEO, OneConnect Financial Technology Jerry Ngo, CEO, East West Banking Corporation Manish Bhai, CEO, UNO Bank Lito Villanueva, EVP and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer, RCBC Gigi Puno, CTO, GoTyme Bank Nishy De Silva,…

Wise has completed its direct connection to the Zengin Data Telecommunication System (Zengin System), Japan’s domestic payment network, becoming the first non-bank in the country to connect via the newly introduced API method instead of the legacy Relay Computer system. The company has also become the first Funds Transfer Service Provider to settle payments directly with the Bank of Japan, allowing domestic yen transfers to be processed almost instantly without intermediary banks. Through this connection, Wise can now use recipient name lookup via the TogoATM Switching Service. This allows customers to verify that the intended recipient’s details match bank records…

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that PayMe by HSBC, a prominent mobile wallet in Hong Kong, has successfully migrated its entire platform to the AWS cloud environment. Since its launch in 2017, PayMe has grown to serve over 3.2 million users. The application facilities peer-to-peer transfers, bill splitting, and payments at approximately 34 million merchants across 46 markets via a virtual debit card. The migration aims to deliver specific technical and operational improvements. According to the announcement, moving to the cloud has improved application response times and reduced infrastructure costs through optimised resource utilisation. The shift has also accelerated…

INDODAX, Indonesia’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has formed a partnership with HashKey Exchange, a licensed digital asset platform regulated by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). The two companies have signed a MoU to strengthen infrastructure aimed at improving speed, security, and innovation across Southeast Asia’s digital asset ecosystem. INDODAX CEO William Sutanto said the collaboration comes at the right moment to expand regional cooperation and reinforce Indonesia’s crypto landscape. “We are very pleased to work with HashKey, one of the most trusted and well-regulated digital asset institutions in the world. At Indodax, we share the same vision to build…

Revolut has partnered with Ant International to enable customers to send Chinese Yuan to China using a recipient’s Alipay ID. The service is powered by Ant International’s global remittance solutions. China is among the top five global recipients of remittances in 2024, with an estimated inflow of US$48 billion. It is also the second most common remittance destination for Australia. Revolut’s collaboration with Alipay is positioned to support this demand by offering fast, secure and cost-efficient transfers to China. Transfers can be made using a recipient’s Alipay ID, name and address, with payments processed instantly. “For our customers here in…

DBS Hong Kong and KPay have announced enhancements to DBS MAX Merchant Solutions, introducing a “more-than-payment” ecosystem for Hong Kong’s SMEs. The upgraded platform offers faster and more flexible merchant settlements, alongside tools to support SME operations. The collaboration with KPay integrates the KConnect SaaS marketplace, providing access to services such as Point of Sale (POS) systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, and other business applications. DBS MAX now supports 29 online and offline payment methods and enables settlements as fast as the same working day, with flexible withdrawal options. “The enhancement of DBS MAX Merchant Solutions marks a major…

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), received Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE. During the meeting, Sheikh Mansour executed the first cross-border payment between the UAE and China using central bank digital currency (CBDC) through the newly launched ‘Jisr’ network. The transaction marked the official launch of the platform, developed to support cross-border…

Naver is expected to confirm its plan to acquire Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, at its board meeting scheduled for next week, industry sources said. Naver operates South Korea’s dominant internet portal, while Upbit is the country’s number one and the world’s fourth-largest crypto exchange by trading volume. Dunamu is also planning a board meeting on 26 November to finalise the details of the plan, according to sources familiar with the matter. Yonhap News Agency reported that Naver is seeking a comprehensive stock swap via its fintech subsidiary, Naver Financial, to make Dunamu a wholly…

Cyberport has signed a MoU with Telkom University (Tel-U), an Indonesian private technology university, and its innovation hub, Bandung Techno Park to deepen innovation and technology collaboration between Hong Kong and Indonesia. The partnership focuses on technology transfer, start-up mentorship and access to global markets, with an emphasis on two-way expansion. It aims to accelerate the entry of technology solutions from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland into ASEAN markets under the Belt and Road Initiative, while supporting high-potential Indonesian start-ups seeking opportunities in Hong Kong. The collaboration will prioritise projects in AI, Web3, smart city solutions, e-farming and digital…

Lianlian DigiTech announced the establishment of its Overseas Business Headquarters in Hong Kong, marking a new phase in its global expansion. The move follows the company’s designation as a strategic enterprise partner by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises in October. Lianlian said the new headquarters is intended to strengthen its position as a multinational firm and support its goal of building a global digital payments ecosystem. Zhang Zhengyu, Chairman and Executive Director of Lianlian DigiTech, stated: “Our decision to establish the Overseas Business Headquarters in Hong Kong reflects not only the city’s unique role as…

Tencent Cloud has expanded its partnership with Ryde, a Singapore-based mobility and quick commerce platform. The new phase introduces a Weixin Mini Program in Singapore, building on the previous integration of Tencent Cloud Real-Time Communication (TRTC) technology that enhanced in-app communications within Ryde. Weixin, known internationally as WeChat, is China’s most widely used messaging and social platform. The Weixin/WeChat Mini Program allows Chinese tourists in Singapore to book Ryde rides directly within the platform, without downloading a separate app. The interface supports Simplified Chinese, displays fares in RMB, and accepts payments via Weixin/WeChat Pay. Kenneth Siow, Regional Director for Southeast…

PAObank has been granted Type 1 (dealing in securities) and Type 4 (advising on securities) licenses by the relevant regulator, marking its entry into the wealth sector. The bank’s new wealth service will offer access to a range of investment products, including Hong Kong stocks, US stocks, and funds, broadening its retail banking wealth management offering. PAObank plans to soft-launch the service to selected customers ahead of a wider public release. The service provides broker-level trading functions with the safeguards of a licensed bank, combining features typical of both online brokers and traditional banks. It will also offer pre-market and…

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), have published a joint research report, Scaling Sustainable Debt in Emerging Markets, with BloombergNEF as a knowledge partner. The report examines the potential of labelled debt, including green, blue, social, and sustainability-linked bonds, to support sustainable development in emerging markets. The research finds that sustainable debt markets across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and emerging Asia Pacific (APAC) have significant growth potential. Many issuers and borrowers currently finance sustainable projects with unlabelled instruments. Opportunities for…

AMINA (Hong Kong) (AMINA HK), a subsidiary of Swiss FINMA-regulated AMINA, has received a Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 1 license uplift, enabling it to offer crypto spot trading and asset safeguarding services to professional investors in Hong Kong. This development allows AMINA to operate locally as a regulated crypto services provider while leveraging its global expertise. The services are available to institutions, corporates, and high-net-worth individuals within Hong Kong’s regulatory framework. The license addresses a gap in Hong Kong’s institutional crypto market. Although regulatory frameworks for digital assets exist, professional investors and family offices have had limited access…

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has finalised plans to reclassify certain cryptocurrencies as financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, alongside proposals to reduce taxes on crypto-related income. According to a report by Asahi, the move will place 105 cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ether, under new disclosure rules. Exchanges listing these assets will be required to provide details on key attributes such as whether the token has an identifiable issuer, its underlying blockchain, and its price volatility. The FSA also intends to introduce measures to curb insider trading, potentially banning issuers and exchange executives from trading crypto assets…

Local governments across Japan are ramping up efforts to attract digital nomads as part of a broader push to promote longer and more sustainable stays. This comes amid rising concerns over overtourism affecting major Japanese cities such as Kyoto and Tokyo since the COVID-19 pandemic. “More local governments want digital nomads because they can stay longer than normal tourists,” Ryo Osera, an executive member of the Japan Digital Nomad Association (JDNA), told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview. “They can also spend lots of money because they [tend to] have high-skilled, professional careers.” Established in 2022, the…

Amid the Belt and Road Initiative and expanding financial cooperation between China and Singapore, cross-border payments have become an important mechanism supporting regional trade and people-to-people exchanges. To strengthen financial connectivity, Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) has partnered with UnionPay International (UPI) to enable DBS UnionPay Platinum Debit Cardholders to access a more efficient cross-border payment experience. From now until 31 March 2026, cardholders can receive up to 8% cashback and a 3% waiver on transaction fees when spending in China, providing a total benefit of up to 11%. DBS said the programme supports the growing economic and social exchanges…

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the launch of EnsembleTX, initiating the pilot phase of Project Ensemble. The pilot aims to facilitate real-value transactions involving tokenised deposits and digital assets within a controlled environment. EnsembleTX builds on the outcomes of the Ensemble Sandbox, which since August 2024 has allowed industry participants to test end-to-end use cases for settling digital asset transactions using experimental tokenised deposits. In the pilot phase, the HKMA, participating banks and other industry participants will focus on enabling faster and more transparent settlement of tokenised transactions, initially in tokenised money market fund transactions and real-time liquidity…