Archive
Former Lazada Execs’ Insurtech Lifepal Raises US$9 Million in Series A Fundraise
Lifepal, an Indonesian digital direct-to-consumer (D2C) insurance marketplace, announced it has raised an oversubscribed US$9 million Series A funding round, bringing the total capital raised to US$12 million. The funding round was led by ProBatus Capital with participation from Cathay
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Southeast Asia Gears up for Open Finance Movement
Open finance, the next step in the open banking movement that broadens the scope to a wider range of products and services, offers new growth and distribution opportunities for banks, fintechs and other financial services providers. In Southeast Asia, regulators
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Thai Central Bank Set To Test Retail Digital Currencies in 2022
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has laid out its plans following a recent study to begin testing a Retail Central Bank Digital Currency (Retail CBDC) in the second quarter of 2022. BOT had conducted a study on the implications of
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ADDX Partners Investcorp to Tokenise US Real Estate on the Blockchain
Investment management firm Investcorp and Singaporean private capital exchange ADDX partnered to expand the use of digital securities in the private market space. The first product that was offered under the partnership was a diversified portfolio of US residential properties
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Central Bank Digital Currency vs. Crypto: When Two Quarrel the Golden Third Rejoices
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly competing with state-issued legal tender. To hamper the advance of Bitcoin, central banks are developing digital legal tender. An old acquaintance from economic history will be rejoicing a third option. Central banks will do themselves a tremendous
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AFIN Leverages Data Center Giant Equinix To Offer Enhanced Open Banking Infrastructure
Data center giant Equinix announced that the ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) would leverage its platform to accelerate financial services innovation in Singapore and the global fintech ecosystem. The collaboration will provide a dedicated on-premise API Exchange (APIX) sandbox on
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Kakao Sets up Non-Profit Entity in Singapore To Lead Klaytn Blockchain’s Expansion
South Korean Internet giant Kakao has set up a non-profit entity headquartered in Singapore named the Klaytn Foundation to accelerate the sustainable growth of Klaytn blockchain and its ecosystem. Klaytn is a service-centric blockchain platform that was previously led by
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Banking-as-a-Service: A Promising Sector in Southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, banking-as-a-service (BaaS) can help financial institutions reach a greater number of customers and improve financial inclusion. But for BaaS to reach its full potential, the sharing of data is critical, Arvind Swami, director of business development for
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Driving Financial Inclusion With BNPL and Smarter Decisioning
While news headlines broadcasting Buy Now, Pay Later’s (BNPL) incredible adoption trajectory are a daily occurrence, innovative lenders know that BNPL offers more than a growth story. It’s an opportunity to make headlines about how their business is empowering consumers
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Indonesia and Thailand Launch Instant Cross-Border QR Payment Linkage
Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) launched a cross-border QR payment linkage between Indonesia and Thailand today. Under this linkage, consumers and merchants in both countries will be able to make and accept instant cross-border QR payments
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