China virtual currency restrictions will be tightened further as authorities reiterated that crypto assets lack the same legal status as fiat money and that related business activities amount to illegal financial activities, according to a notice released by the central bank and other agencies. Officials said that without official approval, domestic entities and the overseas entities they control are prohibited from issuing virtual currencies overseas, underscoring Beijing’s

Indonesia listing rules free float requirements are set to tighten after the stock exchange published draft proposals following a sharp sell-off that drew attention from index provider MSCI. Under the plan, companies with pre-listing market capitalisation above IDR50tr (USD3.8bn) would need a minimum free float of 15% at IPO, up from 10%, while smaller issuers would face higher thresholds. The draft also requires issuers to maintain the minimum free float for at least one yea

Hong Kong Fintech 2030 plan initiatives will focus on more advanced applications of artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technology, backed by high-performance computing, as the city seeks to strengthen its fintech ecosystem. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said the blueprint includes four flagship projects covering areas such as quantum computing, risk data, cybersecurity, and skills development, alongside events, competitions, platform upgrades, and hands-on work

Singapore safe-harbour rules are being proposed to make it easier for listed companies to publish earnings guidance, as regulators seek feedback on amendments to the Securities and Futures Act and draft rules for a new Global Listing Board to facilitate dual listings. The proposal would introduce US-style protections for forward-looking statements. Market observers said more projections could improve transparency and narrow information gaps, but warned investors must test ass

Hong Kong Switzerland financial dialogue talks were held in Bern as the two sides convened their eighth Financial Dialogue to deepen cooperation in financial services and discuss policy challenges, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said. Co-organised by the HKMA and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for International Finance, the meeting was chaired by HKMA deputy chief executive Darryl Chan and SIF deputy state secretary Christoph König, with officials from the Swiss National B

Hong Kong OTC clearing periods could be permanently standardised from 2027 under a joint proposal by the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The regulators launched a consultation to fix the annual calculation periods used under the city’s OTC derivatives clearing regime, aiming to reduce frequent rule changes. If adopted, the rules would designate two fixed windows each year—March 1 to May 31 and September 1 to November 30—giving market pa

Hong Kong stablecoin licences are set to debut as early as March, with only a small number of applicants expected to be approved initially, Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue told lawmakers. Yue said vetting of licence applications is nearing completion, with the HKMA assessing proposed use cases, governance and risk controls, anti-money laundering arrangements, and the reserve assets backing each stablecoin. He added that licensed issuers must comply with

Jeonbuk financial hub ambitions are gaining momentum as major Korean lenders move to build asset management and capital markets operations in the province. KB Financial Group said it will develop a KB Finance Town in Jeonbuk Innovation City, bringing together banking, securities, insurance and asset management with about 250 staff. Shinhan Financial Group followed by naming Jeonbuk as its base for asset management and capital markets, targeting 300 professionals. The province

Crypto money laundering surged in 2025, with criminals receiving at least USD82bn in illicit cryptocurrency flows, according to a report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Crypto money laundering volumes rose sharply from about USD10bn in 2020, driven in part by rapid growth among Chinese-speaking networks. Chainalysis said the fastest-growing segment, Chinese-language money-laundering networks that emerged during the pandemic, processed nearly USD40m a day last year.

Hong Kong Asia-Africa investment corridor ambitions are gaining momentum, with the city well placed to link Asian capital with African infrastructure projects, according to a report by the Financial Services Development Council. The FSDC said Hong Kong can serve as a premier gateway connecting long-term capital from institutional investors and family offices with projects across Belt and Road Initiative economies in Africa. It highlighted opportunities for Hong Kong to export

AI trade finance is set to move beyond digitising paperwork towards redesigning end-to-end processes, bank executives said at a Hong Kong forum during International Financial Week 2026. HSBC’s head of global trade solutions Raluca Popa said digitalisation often replicates existing workflows, while the next phase will require rethinking processes to expand access to financing. She said AI trade finance systems could connect directly to clients’ accounting or enterprise resourc

Hong Kong is in talks with South Korea on mutual ETF listings that would allow exchange-traded funds tracking each other’s stock markets, highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a gateway to global capital. Financial Secretary Paul Chan said about half of stock market capital comes from global institutional investors, with mainland China’s southbound flows and local investors each accounting for around a quarter. He added that more than 400 companies are in Hong Kong’s IPO pipeline,

Hong Kong yuan financing received fresh support after the People’s Bank of China said it will deepen financial market links between the mainland and Hong Kong to facilitate global investment and financing in renminbi. PBOC Deputy Governor Zou Lan said more than 800 overseas institutional investors have accessed China’s onshore bond market via Bond Connect through Hong Kong, with holdings exceeding RMB810bn (USD113bn), about a quarter of total foreign bond holdings. Bond tradi

Hong Kong’s MPF Authority has suspended eKYC registration on the eMPF platform after fraudsters used forged smart identity cards to impersonate scheme members, chairwoman Ayesha Macpherson Lau said. She said no personal data was leaked from the system. The suspension of Hong Kong MPF eKYC registration follows the discovery that about 80% of users had registered via the government’s iAM Smart digital identity app, with the remainder using eKYC. With enhanced authentication bei

Hong Kong has approved 14 company re-domiciliation applications under its new regime, signalling growing interest from global financial institutions, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said. The approvals include French insurer AXA, which has completed the transfer of its regional insurance unit from Bermuda to Hong Kong. AXA Hong Kong and Macau said AXA China Region Insurance Company (Bermuda) has re-domiciled to the city and been renamed AXA China

SGX board lot reform has been welcomed by market participants as a step towards improving accessibility, though challenges remain. Singapore Exchange has proposed cutting standard board lot sizes for higher-priced securities to lower minimum investment thresholds and broaden participation. Under the proposal, board lots would be reduced from 100 units to 10 units for securities priced above SGD10 and up to SGD100, and to one unit for those priced above SGD100, with the smalle

HKMA inclusive banking guidance is being updated as Hong Kong’s banking industry moves to strengthen support for elderly customers and people with impairments, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks said. A refreshed “Guideline on Elderly-friendly Banking Services” sets practical standards aligned with government efforts to promote the “silver economy” and aims to improve financial literacy and digital adoption through enhanced financial educa

Thailand tokenised funds and digital assets are set to take centre stage under the securities regulator’s 2026 capital market roadmap, as oversight is tightened to protect investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission said the plan will prioritise tokenised funds and bonds, crypto exchange-traded funds including spot products, and upgraded digital market infrastructure. Secretary-General Pornanong Budsaratragoon said the roadmap aims to cut costs for intermediaries and br

China national M&A fund planning is under study as authorities seek to sharpen the strategic direction of government-backed investment vehicles, the state planner said. Wang Changlin, a vice head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the proposed national mergers and acquisitions fund would support innovation and entrepreneurship and accelerate the development of so-called new quality productive forces. He added that building a modern industrial system requi

China has tightened stock-market regulation as authorities seek to curb excessive speculation and engineer a more sustainable rally. The China Securities Regulatory Commission said it wants to prevent sharp market swings after turnover and margin financing surged to new highs in January. Chinese exchanges will raise the minimum margin requirement for new margin-financing borrowings to 100% from 80% from Jan 19, a move approved by the watchdog and aimed at reducing leverage in