Region

Hong Kong’s SFC is set to approve spot Bitcoin ETFs, offering new investment avenues.

Crypto criminals with more than US$3.76 billion in profits may face life in South Korea.

Only two exchanges are licensed to provide crypto trading services to Hong Kong’s retail sector so far.

Crypto derivatives exchange Bybit seeks to enter Hong Kong’s market with a new license application.

Hong Kong could welcome its first spot Bitcoin ETF, courtesy of Harvest Global’s recent filing.

HashKey Group achieves unicorn status following a US$100 million funding round, reaching a US$1.2 billion valuation.

Major crypto exchanges vanish from Apple’s App Store in India, adhering to FIU mandates.

Upbit joins 15 other crypto firms permitted to provide digital payment token services in Singapore.

Tokenization is on the rise not only in the private sector. In Asia, governments are leading the charge to use this technology for the greater public good.

Indian crypto companies flock to Dubai, escaping high local taxes and finding solace in the emirate’s favorable regulatory environment.

Silicon Valley venture giant Andreessen Horowitz plants flag in London: fuels UK’s ascent as a Web3 innovator.

Three SFC-authorized crypto ETFs will be available on UBS’ Hong Kong platform.

The UK’s crypto hub dream is coming to life while some attendees of Apefest 2023 in Hong Kong complaint on severe eye pain post-event.

Prosecutors have reportedly identified new suspects after searching nine locations related to JPEX.

Blockchain-based gaming and remittances among top drivers toward adoption in central and South Asia.

The move is part of SC Ventures’ expansion into the United Arab Emirates.

The proposed guidelines will work as a liquidity stress test for stablecoin issuers, according to the EBA.

HSBC’s new service is expected to launch in 2024.

The partnership aims to reduce the high costs and lengthy transfer times associated with traditional remittance payments.

Hong Kong’s legal system provides a solid foundation for crypto-related services, said SEBA Group CEO Franz Bergmueller.

Over 1,000 crypto firms will have to complete their applications by Nov. 17 to avoid regulatory consequences.

The joint study aims to create the infrastructure for issuing regulatory-compliant stablecoins for improved cross-border settlement.

Hong Kong is charging ahead in its digital currency initiatives, but more must be done to address the e-HKD’s environmental impact and security concerns.

SBF is found guilty of fraud, Hong Kong hosts Fintech Week, Neo advances Web3, Backpack launches NFT exchange, and more.

The US$5 million fund aims to help Vauld users who can’t withdraw their assets from the platform.

The XRP token now stands to benefit from legal and regulatory clarity in the DIFC, according to the announcement.

The registration enables PayPal to advertise its crypto services to U.K. customers.

The collaboration aims to build institutional crypto services in Japan.

Backpack said it also secured operational licenses in other jurisdictions.

The MAS said that its previous tokenization pilots demonstrated great potential benefits of the technology.

The U.K. intends to introduce rules on fiat-backed stablecoins in early 2024, according to the government’s latest cryptocurrency policy update published on Monday.  See related article: Singapore, Thailand clarify crypto rules; NFTs become new cultural frontier Fast Facts See related article: Blockchain tech in Thailand gets boost from new pro-crypto lead

The move is part of an Asia Pacific expansion effort by the cryptocurrency custodian.

The lender, known as K-bank, said it will also open three additional crypto subsidiaries.

Bitcoin soars to its highest price in a year and a half as Grayscale’s legal victory against the U.S. SEC gets finalized.

Taiwan’s new bill mandates crypto platform permits, addressing self-regulation gaps.

Global regulatory pressure on the world’s largest exchange continues to take its toll.

The United States is the region’s top driver of crypto activity.

Astar Network and Startale Labs partner with Japanese telecom giant KDDI to boost Web3 adoption.

Coins.ph, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the Philippines with millions of users, appeared to have lost 12.2 million XRP tokens, The Block reported on Friday.

Web3 leaders gather in the Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai and we take a deep dive on the woes of crypto’s largest exchange, Binance.

Binance announced it has secured new fiat partners for euro services after its former partner cut ties with the exchange last month.

Coinbase said that the regulatory clarity MiCA provides to the industry is “hugely welcome.”

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Japan a new frontier for Binance? AI art sweeps NFT sales. ETF buzz electrifies Bitcoin.

The central bank said that the preparation phase is not a decision on the issuance of a digital euro.

The U.K. is also listed as the 14th economy on Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index.

The survey aimed to measure the public attitude towards virtual asset investments, following the JPEX incident.

The new data sharing rules will go into effect 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal.

The plight of the Philippines — which has a high rate of crypto adoption but is also plagued by fraud — offers a window into why the industry’s ‘do your own research’ mantra isn’t enough.

Israeli police requested information on 200 additional crypto accounts.

Few tokens and too many exchanges are a bad recipe for Japan’s smaller crypto trading houses. The experts say there’s room for up to five only. So what happens to the little guy now that the world’s largest exchange Binance has rolled back into town?

OSL’s parent firm said investors should exercise caution due to the “unusual movement” in the company’s stock price.

The exchange added that it will also stop releasing new products and services in the country.

Tether says it froze US$873,000 in USDT linked to terror activities in Israel and Ukraine. CEO Ardoino stresses crypto’s traceability.

The SOL token rose over 5% in the 24-hour after the partnership was announced.

Singapore’s major payment institution license will enable Upbit to continue offering regulated digital asset services while awaiting its full license.

The Australian Department of the Treasury said it will accept feedback on the draft bill by December.

Several crypto firms join forces to set up a humanitarian fund amid ongoing war and star witness in Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial gives testimony.

Bitcoin was subdued by the mounting geopolitical concerns around Israel’s war with Hamas and the ongoing FTX lawsuit.

The research firm said that on-chain data point toward Russian hackers, instead of the previously-suspected North Korean Lazarus Group.

The DCJPY could play a central role in the future’s currency system, according to DeCurret Holdings.

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said the island nation will continue to be a pioneer in the digital asset space.

FTX’s collapse and the crypto winter helped regulators familiarize themselves with the rapidly evolving crypto industry, said Christina Rolle of the Bahamas Securities Commission.

Caroline Ellison details how Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise capital from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as FTX struggled to repay lenders.

The regulator said that DeFi doesn’t pose a risk to financial stability, due to its small size, but said it needs to be monitored in the future.

Coins.ph joins forces with Circle to introduce USDC remittances, targeting a more efficient and affordable money transfer solution for millions of Filipinos abroad, supporting the UN’s goal of trimming remittance costs by 2023.

The Malaysian Securities Commission has given crypto firm, Hata, a conditional approval to operate a “digital asset exchange” with a “digital broker” license.

The congressional committee accused Changpeng Zhao and three other executives, along with 45 individuals, of running a financial pyramid scheme in the country.

The committee said fraudulent non-fungible token advertising could harm both NFT artists and investors.

South Korea’s cryptocurrency market has bounced back during the first half of this year but is still almost 50% below its value at the end of 2021, according to the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KOFIU), a government agency that oversees the nation’s anti-money laundering regime. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel […]

The Hong Kong police warned on Monday that 11 Hong Kong-based Binance users lost over US$446,000 (HK$3.5 million) in cryptocurrencies to phishing text messages in the last two weeks. See related article: Gitcoin error sends US$460,000 to digital void Fast Facts See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong Web3 fund

The Web3 sun is shining in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, where forward-thinking regulations are fostering crypto’s growth while boosting investor protections.

The largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange will be launching more products and services in the Lion City, Coinbase’s Hassan Ahmed says.