PEPs & Sanctions

US Sanctions ICC, Raising Risks for Banking and Technology Access

13/10/2026

US exemptions provide a six-month reprieve for certain transactions, as Japan, Canada and European governments reaffirm support for the court and consider countermeasures.

Market Data & Technology

Hong Kong: Hang Seng Tech Index Undergoes Major Overhaul

13/10/2026

The index compiler will expand its technology benchmark to 50 constituents, introducing new selection criteria and broader themes.

PEPs & Sanctions

UK Expands Russia Sanctions to Crypto, Shadow Fleet

13/10/2026

The latest measures designate three crypto platforms and a Russian financial institution, while expanding restrictions on oil operations and military suppliers.

Structural Regulation

Philippines Set to Adopt Global Bond Pricing Standards

13/10/2026

The Philippines will implement international bond pricing conventions in January 2027, ahead of its inclusion in a key JP Morgan index.

Stablecoins

Tether, Kazakhstan Central Bank Explore Tenge-Backed Stablecoin

13/10/2026

The partnership will examine stablecoin issuance, RWA tokenisation and decentralised finance, with pilot proposals subject to further study.

Cloud & Infrastructure

UOB, AWS Partner on Hybrid Cloud for ASEAN Banking Compliance

13/10/2026

The partnership combines on-premises systems with a dedicated Singapore-based cloud environment, while exploring GenAI applications and workforce skills development.

Custody & Infrastructure

Standard Chartered Expands Digital Asset Custody to Singapore

13/10/2026

Standard Chartered plans to offer custody services for crypto assets, stablecoins, and tokenised real-world assets to institutional clients in Singapore, pending regulatory approval.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Vietnam Eases Fintech Sandbox Rules for Founders

13/10/2026

The fintech regulatory sandbox has been amended to relax executive qualification requirements and streamline the application process for participating startups.

KYC & CDD

Thailand Tightens Foreign Exchange Rules for Inflows and Gold

13/10/2026

BOT has introduced stricter documentation requirements for foreign currency inflows to ensure transactions reflect genuine trade.