As been reported on September 2, the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, ordered the establishment of a state blockchain development fund called the "Digital Trust." Earlier in September, a decree legalizing crypto trading — also making it tax-free — and mining in the country came into force, making Uzbekistan a crypto-friendly state. But how is the rest of the Central Asia region is holding up? The list below is based on thorough news research, but should in no way be considered complete. If you have more detailed information on banks and the crypto relationship in your country, we encourage you …

Data indicates that the blockchain job industry has seen a sustained uptrend in Asia, while cryptocurrency-specific applications appear to wax and wane with volatile markets, CNBC reports August 31. Recruitment firm Robert Walters told CNBC that it has seen a 50 percent increase in the number of roles related to blockchain or cryptocurrencies in Asia since 2017, noting that developers skilled in Python language programming are among the most coveted of applicants. Data from job search engine Indeed's main Asian markets — comprising Australia, India, Singapore and Malaysia — reportedly reinforces that interest in blockchain and other crypto roles appears …

The Fusang Investment Office, an Asia-based fund management firm focusing on family offices, is planning to launch a crypto-custody service in Hong Kong, local news outlet the South China Morning Post reports Sunday, July 22. The custody service, Fusang Vault, will hold digital assets for clients as well as provide periodic audits, according to the company’s CEO Henry Chong. The service’s launch is planned for the fourth quarter of 2018. Comparing digital assets to financial bonds, Chong noted the increasing need to provide an independent third party that would hold clients’ crypto assets, just like a demand for custodian bank …

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a leading producer of microchips, has decreased its annual revenue and capital expenditure estimates following growth rate reduction in the smartphone and cryptocurrency mining fields, Business Times reported July 19. TSMC produces chips for tech giants like Nvidia Corp., Apple Inc., and Qualcomm Inc. TSMC cut its revenue growth forecast for 2018 to “a high single digit percent” from ten percent, and lowered its expected capital expenses volume to $10-10.5 billion from $11.5-12 billion. According to analysts, the company could face slowing demand for high-end chips used in crypto mining, as miners choose lower-powered chips …

A global blockchain consortium of telecom carriers has announced that six further major international telecoms firms are joining its ranks, CT Japan reports today, July 6. The consortium, dubbed ‘The Carrier Blockchain Study Group’ (CBSG) has also today unveiled the creation of a new blockchain working group that will focus on global remittance services. Launched in September 2017, CBSG counts as its founding members Japanese telecoms conglomerate Softbank, Taiwan-based telecoms carrier Far EasTone, and two U.S.-based firms - telecoms-focused blockchain firm TBCASoft and telecoms firm Sprint. Three further members have since joined, these being South Korean LG Uplus, UAE-based Etisalat …

The former CEO in Asia for Jefferies Group LLC, a major global investment banking firm, has joined as head of EOS’ $1 billion venture capital arm effective Thursday, July 5. The news has been revealed in an official announcement from EOS creator Block.one. After serving almost eight years in his former post, Michael Alexander will be based in Hong Kong and serve as a member of the Block.one Executive Committee. As the new CEO of EOS’ VC unit, Alexander will manage both direct venture investments and EOS VC partnerships, with a focus on sourcing and investing in projects that build …

The Taiwanese subsidiary of tech giant Microsoft has partnered with tech investment company China Binary Sale Technology and High Cloud to create a platform for enterprise blockchain development, according to a press release from Microsoft June 28. Microsoft will provide its Azure cloud platform as a base for China Binary’s blockchain service. The three-part partnership reportedly intends to transform various industries such as finance, e-commerce, and entertainment, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan Microsoft’s general manager Sun Jikang expressed his confidence about Microsoft’s ability to improve the security and operation speed of China Binary’s blockchain service. He also highlighted the …

An established company in the mobile finance sector is developing a platform which eliminates fiat money from the process of acquiring and spending cryptocurrency – with a peer-to-peer marketplace where physical goods can be bought and sold in an instant. Ubcoin Market has the ambition of becoming “the world’s first truly efficient alternative to crypto exchanges” – harnessing the familiarity of marketplaces, such as eBay and Amazon, while removing the technical and legal hurdles associated with using and investing in cryptocurrencies. The platform argues that “there is still no easy way to acquire crypto” for the millions of people who …

Bitcoin captured global curiosity when its’ value skyrocketed in 2017. Yet, financial institutions have been slow to add operational value to the crypto market. The common denominator among places where governments and banks have restrained digital markets is the lack of transparency and control they have in exchanges. Many research initiatives launched by global fintech leaders remain in developmental stages, while government officials and financial actors grapple with the learning curve of the new technology. The two biggest crypto concerns of global banks are debt liability from customers who have no protection from market volatility; and security risks associated with …

Cryptocurrency exchanges in Malaysia must now fully identify traders after new central bank anti-money laundering legislation came into effect Tuesday, Feb. 27. A copy of the legislation and official press release from the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) states that any exchanges offering crypto-to-fiat, fiat-to-crypto and even crypto-to-crypto trading must “identify the customer and verify that customer’s identity.” As Cointelegraph reported in November 2017, forecasting the regulations, BNM Governor Tan Sri Muhammad bin Ibrahim placed emphasis on the need to control potential criminal usage of digital currencies. “The advent of digital currencies as some have forecast will mark the beginning of …

The price of the digital currency OmiseGo (OMG) has been experiencing decline as of mid-August 2017, and eventually recovered after the show of support by the Thai Ministry of Finance. The company is actively operating in Asia, particularly in such countries as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Japan. Among the company’s investors are Golden Gate Ventures and SBI Investment. Omise’s prominent list of advisors include industry experts Vitalik Buterin, Vlad Zamfir, Gavin Wood and Joseph Poon. The cryptocurrency has previously reached an all-time high of $9.3 per token recently, but this came down to $7.9 and has recently recovered to $8.02, …

Finnish company Denarium, owner of the country’s largest exchange Bittiraha.fi and ATM network Bittimaatti, has announced an international rollout of “next generation” physical bitcoins. After achieving success in the relatively Bitcoin-friendly Finnish jurisdiction, the move is the first attempt by Denarium to access a more international client base. The announcement was onfirmed on CEO Henry Brade's Twitter earlier this afternoon. Our new product, Denarium Bitcoin, is now public. It's the next generation Physical Bitcoin! https://t.co/Hct9kS5hOy #bitcoin — Henry Brade (@Technom4ge) April 10, 2015 Brade explained in a press release issued today that the Denarium product would differentiate itself from previous …