Cryptocurrencies are making gambling on the world’s most popular sport easier, sports authorities suggest. Asian soccer has seen a sharp decline in match-fixing over the last six years, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in a Reuters article dated Feb. 14. However, the illegal gambling which has historically driven match-fixing in the region has grown, partly due to the rise of cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Corruption and match-fixing down The AFC and its integrity partner, Swiss-based Sportradar, have been working together to tackle corruption in Asian Soccer since 2013. Prior to this, a handful of large global syndicates …

Another Japanese lawmaker has publicly called for the swift development of the digital yen. The head of the banking and finance systems research commission at Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, Kozo Yamamoto, said today that the country should create a digital yen in two to three years. Reuters reported on Feb. 10 that Yamamoto said that plans for its central bank digital currency (CBDC) should be included in the government’s mid-year policy guidelines. He explained that digital currencies could quickly spread in emerging economies and help China — who is working on a CBDC — advance its digital hegemony. Because of …

Chinese startup FUZAMEI has rolled out a philanthropy-focused blockchain-based platform for tracking and managing data. Dubbed “33 Charity,” the platform is designed to boost the transparency and efficiency of businesses’ internal processes, including charitable organizations, according to a press release published on Feb. 7. The platform appears to be a shared network where organizations can register, store and manage information about individuals. Improving the social trust system Donors and recipients are able to make requests under their own names, while medical institutions can apply for certificates of authority through identity authentication agencies to obtain signatures. CA certificates contain information about …

A number of cryptocurrency-related conferences across Asia are being delayed in response to the regional coronavirus outbreak. TOKEN2049, a major crypto event held annually in Hong Kong, is the latest one to postpone its conference. Originally scheduled for mid-March 2020, TOKEN2049 will now instead be taking place on October 7-8, 2020. The TOKEN2049 team announced: “Over the past weeks, we have been monitoring the global developments around the coronavirus closely. Whilst Hong Kong is managing the situation well and has taken strict precautions to contain any potential impact, uncertainty prevails.” Crypto firms in Hong Kong cease operations amid coronavirus and …

Quras, a smart contract platform that enables anonymous, private-protected transactions, has partnered with non-profit association Blockchain Nigeria User Group (BNUG). According to a Feb. 5 press release from Quras, the new partnership will enable Quras to expand its community and developer base beyond Asia and to the continent of Africa ahead of its mainnet launch in early April. BNUG, which is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria and started in 2016, is a non-profit organization aiming to improve blockchain education, development and adoption in Nigeria and across Africa. BNUG is also a member of the Organization of Blockchain Technology Users, a dually-registered …

Legislation regulating the operations of cryptocurrency firms in Singapore comes into effect today, Jan. 28. The new Payment Services Act will regulate cryptocurrency payments and trading enterprises under some aspects of the regulatory regime that currently governs traditional payment services and require them to hold a license. Crypto payment services must also comply with the Financial Advisers Act, Insurance Act, Securities and Futures Act and the Trust Companies Act. The new rules place crypto services under the oversight of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The regulator announced in a press release published earlier today that the new framework is expected …

The biggest topic in the mobile industry over the last few years has been 5G. In an industry that has been starved for innovation in this interregnum between the launch of the iPhone and the full-scale integration of next-generation technologies like augmented reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain, the introduction of the 5G network has become a sort of catch-all for carriers and handset manufacturers to lean on as the promise of the future of innovation being just around the corner — a feature worth paying a premium for and upgrading that smartphone you bought just a year or two ago. …

The Singapore government, along with an array of the world’s major financial and manufacturing companies, has formed an alliance to promote the adoption of digital technologies in trade and commerce. According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Jan. 22, the government of Singapore, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and 16 other companies including Mastercard, Mitsubishi Corporation, DBS Bank, Tokio Marine and Marubeni Corporation have partnered to speed up the deployment of digital technologies in trade and commerce. Shifting from paper-based systems The new partnership is part of the ICC TradeFlow Alliance. ICC TradeFlow was built by Perlin …

The Cardano blockchain’s commercial arm, Emurgo, has partnered with the government of Uzbekistan to form a blockchain task force to develop regulations for security token offerings (STOs) and exchanges (STXs). In a Jan. 20 press release, Emurgo revealed its new cooperation with the Uzbek government and Kobea Group & Infinity Blockchain Holdings — the official Technology Advisory Agency for Uzbekisitan’s Digital Economic Development Project — aimed at the development of a legal framework for STOs and STXs in Uzbekistan. As part of the initiative, Emurgo and Kobea will provide advisory services regarding infrastructure for digital asset banking, blockchain education units …

Thai Stellar-based blockchain startup Lightnet has raised $31.2 million to boost cross-border payments in Southeast Asian countries. The Bangkok-headquartered firm has completed a Series A funding round led by major financial conglomerates in the region, Singaporean United Overseas Bank (UOB) and South Korea’s Hanwha Investment & Securities, Business Insider Malaysia reports Jan. 10. Stellar blockchain is used to replace “inefficient” payment systems like SWIFT Implementing the Stellar blockchain, a major blockchain protocol that is used to operate eponymous cryptocurrency Stellar Lumens (XLM), Lightnet has a brave plan to replace established payment systems like SWIFT in Southeast Asian market, the report …

The central bank of China has completed the top-layer design and joint testing of its soon-to-be-released central bank digital currency (CBDC). As domestic news outlet Sina reported on Jan. 10, People’s Bank of China (PBoC) accomplished the top-layer design of the planned digital yuan, developed relevant standards, carried out research and development and a joint testing of the CBDC. The bank set forth the latest developments in a dedicated article, also highlighting plans to improve cybersecurity of the financial industry network and formulate rules for the accreditation of critical information infrastructure. First real-world tests Reports about China planning to conduct …

The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) has onboarded six virtual banks as corporate members, according to a Jan. 2 press release. The HKIB is a non-profit institution that provides training and certification to the banking organizations in Hong Kong. The last banks joining the HKIB are Airstar Bank Limited, Fusion Bank Limited, Livi VB Limited, Ping An OneConnect Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, SC Digital Solutions Limited and WeLab Bank Limited. New era in Hong Kong’s banking sector Commenting on the news, Carrie Leung, CEO of the HKIB, said that the launching of virtual banks marked a new era in …