FinTech

Core Summary Southeast Asia’s cryptocurrency funding has staged a strong rebound in 2026, reaching a total of $680 million. Unlike early speculative investments, this funding wave exhibits clear structural characteristics: investors are increasingly focused on mature companies with established business models, compliance licenses, and stable user bases. This shift reflects the global crypto industry’s overall transition from wild growth to standardized development, and indicates that Southeast Asia is becoming an important center for global crypto innovation. ...

On September 3, 2026, European fintech giant Revolut announced it has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a critical step toward obtaining a US national bank charter. Once finalized, Revolut will be able to offer full banking services in the United States, marking the London-based fintech’s formal entry into the US market to compete with domestic players like SoFi and Chime.

Core Summary Citibank announced on August 18 that it plans to launch bitcoin custody services under its newly upgraded “Custody+” platform later in 2026, targeting institutional clients. This move marks a new milestone in Wall Street traditional financial giants’ acceptance of crypto assets and is expected to drive more institutional capital into the digital asset market. Event Details According to CoinDesk and The Block, Citibank plans to offer bitcoin custody services under its new Custody+ platform. This platform will integrate Citibank’s existing custody business capabilities, providing institutional clients with secure, compliant digital asset storage solutions. ...

Tokenized equities have tripled their market share, with Ondo Finance, Binance, and xStocks emerging as dominant players, accelerating the on-chain migration of traditional financial assets.

Core Summary Global payments giant Mastercard has announced the acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK for $1.8 billion, its largest-ever acquisition in the digital asset space. The move signals that traditional financial giants are accelerating their embrace of blockchain payment technology, as stablecoins increasingly prove their strategic value as cross-border payment instruments. Event Details According to CoinDesk, BVNK is a financial technology company focused on stablecoin payment infrastructure, providing enterprises with solutions to convert traditional currencies into blockchain-based stablecoins. Mastercard’s $1.8 billion price tag reflects the growing strategic importance of the stablecoin track in the current financial system. ...

South Korea’s largest bank KB Kookmin Bank plans to launch a blockchain-based cross-border corporate payment service next month on JPMorgan’s Kinexys platform, signaling accelerating adoption of blockchain technology by traditional financial institutions.

Core Summary Stripe has announced a $53 billion bid to acquire PayPal, marking the largest merger and acquisition in fintech history. The deal could fundamentally reshape the global payments landscape and accelerate the integration of stablecoin and blockchain-based payment infrastructure. Analysts note that the real strategic prize lies in PayPal’s consumer wallet ecosystem and potential stablecoin issuance capabilities. Event Details According to CoinDesk and multiple financial media outlets, Stripe has formally proposed to acquire PayPal for $53 billion in full. If completed, this would be the largest acquisition in fintech history, dwarfing any previous deal in the payments sector. ...

Core Summary Japan’s parliament passed a landmark cryptocurrency tax reform bill on July 15, dramatically reducing the tax rate on crypto assets from the current maximum of 55% under the comprehensive income tax to a separate rate of approximately 20%, aligning with rates applied to stocks and foreign exchange. The reform fundamentally reclassifies crypto assets from “miscellaneous income” to “financial products,” removing the biggest institutional barrier to Japan’s crypto industry growth. ...

Core Summary The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) has officially launched a new blockchain-based ledger system in collaboration with 17 major global banks including HSBC, UBS, Wells Fargo, and Citi. The pilot program spans six continents and focuses on tokenized deposit transactions, marking a significant step by traditional finance into blockchain technology. This initiative aims to enable 24/7 cross-border payment settlement, dramatically improving international fund transfer efficiency. Event Details According to CoinDesk, SWIFT’s new blockchain ledger allows participating banks to conduct real-time transaction pilots using tokenized digital assets. The 17 banks span six continents globally and include financial giants such as HSBC, UBS, Wells Fargo, and Citi. ...

Core Summary Sony has received conditional approval from US regulators to establish a stablecoin trust bank through its fully-owned New York subsidiary. The subsidiary, wholly owned by Sony Bank, will be capitalized with $40 million to support its upcoming stablecoin business operations. This move marks Sony’s formal entry into the digital currency financial services sector, making it the latest traditional tech giant to venture into crypto finance. Event Details According to CoinDesk, the trust bank license Sony obtained will allow it to issue and manage stablecoin products in the United States. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies (typically the US dollar), designed to provide price stability while leveraging blockchain technology’s fast transfer and low-cost advantages. ...