Published in Tokyo FinTech·3 days agoMUFG Innovation Partners establishes Indonesia-focused VC fundMUFG continues executing on its vision to build a South East Asia powerhouse. Over the past decade, the mega bank has accumulated stakes in regional banks: VietinBank, Vietnam, 2012 Krungsri, Thailand, 2013 Security Bank, Philippines, 2016 Danamon, Indonesia, 2017–2019 This is now being followed by a similar, country-by-country focused strategy…Japan2 min readJapan2 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Jan 24ODEX to start precious metal futures tradingThe Osaka Dojima Exchange (ODEX) has obtained approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to open a precious metal futures market, initially with listings for gold, silver and platinum. The approval is for a three-year period, during which sufficient trading…Japan3 min readJapan3 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Jan 16RISONAL raises JPY 180m Pre A round to scale SME M&ARisonal, operated by Owners, provides M&A agent services to small and medium-sized enterprises. Founded in August 2021 by Ryukichi Sakuta, who previously led the Deloitte Japan/EMEA M&A team, Risonal aims to fill a perceived gap in helping those 40% of SMEs with owners over 60 years old who do not…Japan2 min readJapan2 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Jan 12Oasys Launches Ecosystem Fund to Drive Adoption of Blockchain GamingOasys, a gaming-optimised blockchain built by gamers for gamers, has announced the launch of the Oasys Ecosystem Fund, a pioneering initiative that aims to enable new entrants to the burgeoning blockchain gaming space to better serve the market and drive mass adoption. As the blockchain gaming industry continues to experience…Japan3 min readJapan3 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 23, 2022USD 50m Decima Fund for Japanese Web3 FoundersGeneral partners gumi, MZ Cryptos, SBI Holdings and Animoca Brands have announced the Decima Fund, which will invest up to USD 50m with the aim of strengthening Japan’s presence in the blockchain field, and will support the global expansion of Web3 ventures originating in Japan and the expansion of global…Japan2 min readJapan2 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 20, 2022Japan CBDC DiscussionThe Bank of Japan has published the minutes of the fourth meeting of the Liaison Council for Central Bank Digital Currencies, which took place on Thursday, November 24, 2022. Following opening remarks by Director Uchida, and a secretariat discussion of its CBDC initiative, demonstration experiments, and study of privacy-protecting technologies…Japan7 min readJapan7 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 17, 2022Paidy launches new six months BNPL on Amazon JapanPaidy has launched a new BNPL feature for six monthly installments on Amazon Japan, supplementing previous features of I) deferring payment until the next month and II) BNPL in three monthly installments. Paidy states that this is the first time six months installment payments are available in Japan free of…Japan2 min readJapan2 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 16, 2022FTX Japan to be soldFTX Trading has filed a motion with the bankruptcy court in Delaware to be granted permission to sell four of its solvent and independently operating subsidiaries, which include Embed Technologies, LedgerX LLC, and FTX Europe in addition to FTX Japan. The following extracts the relevant parts from the motion, edited…Japan3 min readJapan3 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 14, 2022Korea FSC extends support for FinTech sectorAt a recent event hosted by the Korea Development Bank, FSC Chairman Kim Joo-hyun discussed the government’s policy aimed to drive innovation in digital finance and cultivate the fintech industry, while encouraging fintech startups that seek to attract investment. Against a backdrop of higher economic uncertainty leading to a “funding…Korea3 min readKorea3 min read
Published in Tokyo FinTech·Dec 11, 2022SMBC partners with HashPort on Soulbound TokensSumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and its consolidated subsidiary Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) have entered into a basic agreement on a business partnership with HashPort and its consolidated subsidiaries HashPalette and HashBank. Overview of Basic Agreement SMBC Group and HashPort Group have been discussing the launch of a joint business for developing a…Japan3 min readJapan3 min read
