Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime

Korea to Double Penalties for Illegal High-Interest Lenders

05/11/2026

South Korea is moving to increase maximum prison terms to 10 years for illegal lenders charging annual interest rates above 60 percent.

Structural Regulation

Thai SEC Amends Private Placement Rules for SMEs

05/11/2026

The revised framework for companies listed on LiVEx exempts qualifying offerings from authorisation and prospectus filing requirements and removes shareholder veto rights for discounted placements.

Cryptocurrency

BOK Faces Backlash over Proposed New Reporting Rules for Crypto

05/11/2026

BOK is reviewing draft rules that would require monthly balance reports for users transferring virtual assets overseas following industry pushback.

Credit Risk

Korea Expands Smile Microcredit Programme with KRW 800bn Injection

05/11/2026

Seven companies and financial institutions will contribute KRW 800 billion over five years to expand annual lending to low-income and vulnerable borrowers to KRW 600 billion by 2028.

Trading & Investment

ASIC Probes Lead Managers Over Failed IPO by AI Data Centre Operator

05/11/2026

ASIC is making targeted inquiries into the investment banks behind the collapsed USD 5 billion IPO of AI data centre operator Firmus.

Structural Regulation

Malaysia Forms Advisory Committee to Coordinate Consumer Credit Rules

05/11/2026

The committee brings together ministries and financial regulators to strengthen consumer protection, improve lending practices and coordinate implementation of the Consumer Credit Act.

Structural Regulation

Australia: Industry Body Urges Tiered Reporting for Managed Investment Schemes

05/11/2026

The Super Members Council has outlined recommendations for the Australian Treasury’s proposed data collection framework for managed investment schemes.

Structural Regulation

SEBI Extends Digital Accessibility Compliance Deadline for Regulated Entities

05/11/2026

The regulator has given financial institutions until January 2027 to complete digital accessibility audits and remediation efforts.

Payments & Settlements

Malaysia's PayNet Launches Outbound DuitNow QR Payments Via Alipay+

04/11/2026

Malaysian banking app users can now make seamless cross-border QR payments across five Asian markets through a new Alipay+ integration.