Crypto / Digital Assets

Sanctions

US Treasury Reports Flag Evolving Threats Emanating from APAC

By Manesh Samtani | 11/03/2026

New assessments detail sophisticated North Korean schemes, the dominance of Chinese money laundering networks, and industrial-scale fraud syndicates in Southeast Asia.

Crypto / Digital Assets

Sri Lanka NRA Flags Terror Finance, Drug Trafficking as Top Risks

By Manesh Samtani | 11/03/2026

New national assessment identifies drug trafficking as the top money laundering threat and raises the country's overall terrorist financing risk.

Crypto / Digital Assets

Korea Proposes Changes to Crypto Market Investigation Rules

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 11/03/2026

The FSC plans to expand its unfair trading investigation committee and adjust criteria for imposing penalties on misconduct.

Crypto / Digital Assets

Pakistan Establishes Permanent Legal Basis for Crypto Regulator

By Mark Johnston | 10/03/2026

The new law formalises PVARA's powers, sets strict licensing mandates, and introduces severe penalties for non-compliance, fulfilling a key IMF condition.

AML / KYC

Financial Crime is Scaling Faster than Institutions Meant to Stop It

By Bradley Maclean | 10/03/2026

Experts at Risk Ready APAC 2026 warn that AI enabled scams are moving faster than legacy compliance and enforcement models can respond.

Enforcement

KoFIU Proposes Six-Month Suspension, CEO Reprimand for Bithumb

By Manesh Samtani | 10/03/2026

KoFIU cites AML failures, including dealings with unregistered overseas crypto platforms, ahead of a final decision expected on 16 March.

Fintech / Regtech

FSS Korea Announces 2026 Work Plan to Combat Financial Crime

By Manesh Samtani | 10/03/2026

FSS details its plan to combat fraud, including potential no-fault liability for financial institutions and enhanced AML supervision.

Fintech / Regtech

HKMA Directs Banks to Develop Strategic Plans for DLT, AI Adoption

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 10/03/2026

HKMA has given lenders six months to devise board-approved strategic plans for adapting to new technologies.

Fintech / Regtech

Visa, ANZ and Fidelity Pilot Tokenised Cross-Border Settlement

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 09/03/2026

Consortium of financial institutions tests atomic settlement for tokenised funds using e-HKD under the HKMA programme.