asia

A survey released by Visa shows that consumer interest in stablecoins is rising in the Asia-Pacific region. The survey covered 14,250 respondents, of which 46% indicated they might use stablecoins in the next five years, while the actual usage rate in the past 12 months was 16%. About 49% of respondents believe that stablecoins are likely to become a common method for cross-border transfers within five years. Nischint Sanghavi, Visa's head of digital currency for the Asia-Pacific region, stated that consumer perceptions of stablecoins are undergoing a significant shift.The cognitive gap remains significant. Visa stated that only 6% of respondents accurately understand how stablecoins work, and 49% of those who are aware of stablecoins believe they can only be used for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. Among respondents who are aware of stablecoins but have not yet used them, concerns about fraud and scams are the most frequently mentioned barriers. There are approximately 2.5 billion middle-class consumers in the Asia-Pacific region, with nearly half open to using cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies.Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement network and is seeking to support more tokens and blockchains. Its partner Reap is preparing a local currency stablecoin for 24/7 foreign exchange settlements in Asia and other markets, which may include tokens for the Hong Kong dollar, South Korean won, and Japanese yen. Asia currently leads the world in stablecoin capital flows and on-chain activity, with payment companies driving the conversion of related demand into everyday payment products.

Nasdaq-listed company AsiaStrategy (stock code: SORA) announced on October 1 that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the institutional asset open financial platform Plume to explore the establishment of a joint venture aimed at investors in Asia and other markets outside the United States, focusing on the structuring, issuance, and distribution of tokenized financial products.According to the memorandum, Plume will provide tokenized infrastructure, technical capabilities, and regulatory qualifications, including registrations and licenses in several jurisdictions; AsiaStrategy and the broader Sora Ventures network will provide project initiation, distribution, and capital market channels for the Asian market, covering Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. The two parties plan to first advance products that combine mature asset classes with compliant on-chain distribution, with the product range, structure, and launch sequence still under discussion, and no products have yet been launched or offered to investors.Jason Fang, Chairman and Co-CEO of AsiaStrategy, stated that tokenization will become the default method for the issuance and holding of many financial assets, with Asia leading the way. The company is registered in the Cayman Islands and headquartered in Hong Kong, with its business having expanded from luxury watch trading to Bitcoin vault management, digital asset collateralized lending, and related financing and tokenization initiatives. Plume's flagship protocol, Plume Vaults, opens assets from institutions such as Apollo, WisdomTree, and Hamilton Lane through compliant, non-custodial vaults, with investors including Apollo Global Management, Galaxy Digital, and Brevan Howard.

The cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger is investigating a theft incident involving Southeast Asian users, who had purchased devices through the distributor CryptoBilis.Ledger has requested CryptoBilis to suspend sales and shipments and advised users who purchased devices through this distributor in the past 90 days not to initialize their devices; if they have already completed the setup, they should create a new Ledger signing device using a new mnemonic phrase and transfer their assets to the new wallet.On-chain investigator Specter estimates that this incident has led to the theft of hundreds of wallets on the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and TRON networks, with losses exceeding 86 million dollars. Security researcher tanuki42 previously estimated the losses to be over 72 million dollars and stated that the amount is still increasing. The specific cause of the incident and whether the involved devices have security vulnerabilities are still under investigation.

Chainalysis, in its "East Asia Cryptocurrency Adoption Report" released on October 5, stated that during the period from July 2025 to June 2026, overall cryptocurrency activity in East Asia has slightly contracted due to the global bear market, but significant differentiation has emerged within the region: South Korea remains the largest retail trading center, Hong Kong is becoming a hub for institutional fund settlement, Japanese users are accelerating their shift towards DEX and perpetual contracts, while the peer-to-peer use of stablecoins in mainland China continues to expand.The report estimates that South Korea's cryptocurrency economy will reach $449.1 billion during the same period, a 12.3% increase from the previous cycle, maintaining its position as the leader in East Asia; Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan are at $228.3 billion, $192.2 billion, $176.3 billion, and $140.4 billion, respectively. The growth in South Korea is mainly driven by increased capital flows related to trading platforms, with the report stating that the local trading platform ecosystem has added approximately $51.1 billion in new traffic.The most notable change in the South Korean market comes from AI token trading. Chainalysis noted that by June 2026, AI-related cryptocurrency assets have become the largest thematic sector in won trading, surpassing the popularity of payment tokens like XRP. The report recorded that Worldcoin (WLD) achieved a trading volume of $7.41 billion during the observation period, with SAHARA, VIRTUAL, BIO, and NEAR also becoming active varieties. AI token trading priced in won accounts for about 19.5 times that of the yen market, indicating that South Korean retail investors are extending their AI investment preferences from the domestic stock market to the cryptocurrency market.However, institutional funds in South Korea are still in the preparation stage. The report points out that local banks and brokerages have generally formed digital asset teams and are promoting stablecoin, custody, and tokenization pilots, but direct corporate participation in cryptocurrency investment has not yet reached scale. If the cryptocurrency asset income tax planned for implementation in South Korea in 2027 is realized as scheduled, and corporate trading restrictions continue to be relaxed, the retail-dominated landscape of the South Korean market may face reevaluation.

Ripple and the XRP Ledger Foundation have jointly established a new organization, XRP Asia, headquartered in Singapore, focusing on ecological development in the Asia-Pacific region. The organization is led by Sabrina Tachdjian, who previously managed the Asia-Pacific and fintech and payment operations at the Hedera Foundation and oversaw blockchain investments at LINE.XRP Asia will provide learning resources, system integrator collaboration programs, hackathons, office hours, and product implementation guidance for developers and startups. Market expansion support includes partner referrals, incubation and funding project connections, founder story dissemination, and introductions to relevant investors.The organization will rely on the existing communities of XRPL Korea and XRPL Japan and assist in establishing new communities in major cities and development hubs across Asia. Officials stated that Asia has long been an important region for the XRP Ledger, with an active digital asset market, developers, and the XRP community.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, in the predicted market Polymarket for the event "LoL: Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea (BO5) - Asian Games Playoffs," the "Yes" option for the sub-market "Both teams kill a dragon" has experienced a drastic fluctuation in winning probability, soaring from 50% an hour ago to the current 90.5% (a fluctuation of 40.5%). Please note the impact of related breaking news.

Asian stock markets are expected to have a volatile start on the first trading day of October, as fluctuations in Wall Street erased gains from lower-than-expected U.S. inflation data. Chris Osmond, Chief Investment Officer of Fifth Third Wealth Advisors, stated that economic growth in the second quarter was stronger than expected, consumer spending remained robust, the job market rebounded in September, and the Fed's preferred inflation indicator was below expectations, reducing the likelihood of an interest rate hike in October.

According to BBX data, yesterday global publicly listed companies in the US stock market and well-known Web3 infrastructure providers disclosed the latest developments on expansion in the Asia-Pacific hub, institutional collaborations, and brand strategy restructuring. The core information is as follows:MoonPay established a subsidiary in South Korea as the Asia-Pacific hub, partnering with KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group: Global cryptocurrency payment infrastructure giant MoonPay officially announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary in South Korea, planning to make it a comprehensive expansion center for the group in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, MoonPay has reached deep strategic cooperation with South Korea's three major mainstream financial institutions—KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group. The scope of cooperation includes cross-border payment clearing, localization distribution of the Korean won stablecoin, digital wallet technology integration, and the establishment of compliant cryptocurrency fiat withdrawal and recharge channels, aiming to build a high-speed network for the flow of funds between South Korea and the global Web3.CEA Industries officially renamed to "BNB Standard," Nasdaq trading code changed to "BNC": Nasdaq-listed company CEA Industries, focusing on BNB reserve strategies, announced the completion of its brand transformation and strategic renaming, with the company name officially changed to BNB Standard. After the renaming, the company's common stock will continue to be traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and the securities trading code will be officially changed to "BNC." This renaming aims to directly highlight its strategic positioning of using BNB as a core treasury asset and promoting decentralized ecological investment.

HashKey, a digital asset financial services group, is evaluating more acquisition targets, strategic investment opportunities, and potential collaborations in Asia and the Middle East.Eric Zhu, Chief Financial Officer of HashKey, stated in an interview with Mergermarket that capital deployment over the next 12 to 24 months will focus on transactions and liquidity, custody, clearing and settlement, payments, and tokenization, with priority markets including Singapore and Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Middle East. HashKey is evolving from a single trading platform into a comprehensive provider of digital asset and financial services infrastructure.

The Asian bond market is expected to follow the decline of U.S. Treasuries, as the U.S.-Iran standoff keeps oil prices high, exacerbating inflation concerns and increasing market bets on further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.New Zealand government bonds opened lower, and Australian government bond futures may decline. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield briefly rose by 11 basis points to 5.27%, reaching a new high in 19 years; the 30-year yield rose to 5.55%. Morgan Stanley analyst Chris Larkin stated that the market's focus may still be on interest rates and energy prices.

SparkLabs Group, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC) from the National Fund of Kazakhstan, and IT Park Ventures from Uzbekistan have signed a term sheet to establish the SparkLabs Mirae Silk Road Fund I LP venture capital fund, managed by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and SparkLabs Group. The signing ceremony took place in Seoul during the state visit of the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to South Korea and the first Central Asia-Korea Summit.QIC and IT Park Ventures are both anchor investors. The new fund will invest in Series A and later-stage startups in the Central Asia region with validated business models that are ready to expand beyond the region, focusing on AI-native companies, although not limited to this industry. Portfolio companies will receive support from SparkLabs and Mirae Asset's global network, as well as assistance in expanding to South Korea, the United States, and the Middle East.

Former client manager Lin Junxian of China Construction Bank (Asia) Co., Ltd. admitted to conspiring with an employee of a fintech company and his accomplices to accept bribes, totaling over 470,000 US dollars in cryptocurrency "Tether," to illegally certify multiple false documents without bank authorization, serving as collateral for several insurance-related investment transactions.An internal investigation by China Construction Bank (Asia) uncovered the incident, which subsequently led to a corruption complaint to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and provided full assistance. Judge Lin Jin Hong postponed the sentencing of the case to September 18, during which the defendant remains in custody under the supervision of the Correctional Services Department.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has become the richest person in Asia for the first time with a net worth of over $105 billion, surpassing Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.At 43 years old, Zhang Yiming's wealth has increased eightfold from $13 billion when Bloomberg began tracking in March 2019. He previously faced a regulatory battle that nearly led to TikTok being banned in the United States.

According to a report by Sina Finance, Lin Junxian, a former client manager of China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited, admitted to conspiring with an employee of a financial technology company and his accomplices to accept bribes, totaling over 470,000 US dollars in cryptocurrency "Tether." They illegally certified multiple false documents without the bank's authorization to secure several insurance-related investment transactions.An internal investigation by China Construction Bank (Asia) uncovered the incident, which was subsequently reported to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) along with full cooperation. Judge Lin Jianhong has postponed the sentencing of the case to September 18, during which the defendant will remain in custody under the Correctional Services Department.

According to Gate market data, during the Asian trading session, most Asian currencies weakened. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond surged above 5%, closing at 4.96%. Analysts pointed out that the rise in yields was driven by inflation concerns and high oil prices. The U.S. dollar rose 0.3% against the Japanese yen to 154.82, the U.S. dollar rose 0.45% against the South Korean won to 1,353.14, and the Australian dollar fell 0.15% against the U.S. dollar to 0.7126.

According to Catcher Predict monitoring, the probability of the "India" option in the sub-market "Who wins the coin toss" for the event "T20 Women's Asia Cup India vs Sri Lanka" on the prediction market Polymarket has experienced significant fluctuations, rising from 50.5% an hour ago to the current 91% (a fluctuation of 40.5%). Please note the impact of relevant breaking news.

According to Gate market data, influenced by the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike expectations, Asian currencies generally weakened against the US dollar in the morning session. The market expects the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by 25 basis points this week, with the probability rising to 88%.The US dollar rose 0.3% against the South Korean won and the Japanese yen, trading at 1,345.8 and 154.06, respectively; the Australian dollar fell 0.2% against the US dollar, trading at 0.7151.

According to BBX data, global capital giants and publicly listed Bitcoin treasury companies disclosed the latest developments in asset purchases and asset management entities over the weekend. The core information is as follows:Cardone Capital increases its holdings by 20 Bitcoins: Grant Cardone, CEO of the well-known real estate investment company Cardone Capital, stated on social media that the company has recently increased its holdings by 20 Bitcoins in the secondary market, continuing to view it as an important component in combating traditional fiat currency inflation and optimizing treasury allocation.Metaplanet establishes an Asian asset management subsidiary to accelerate the advancement of the "Project Nova" strategy: The Japanese listed company Metaplanet (TSE: 3350) officially announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Metaplanet Asset Management Asia Limited, as the group's core trading execution and asset management hub during the Asian time zone. The initial capital contribution for this subsidiary is set at 1 million USD, with an expected official establishment in September 2026. This entity will collaborate with the previously established asset management company (MAM) in Miami, USA, to form a 24-hour cross-time zone synergy, focusing on asset trading execution, position risk control, and market dynamics monitoring during the Asian time zone. Its main investment targets include Bitcoin, Bitcoin-related stocks, and priority securities issued by Bitcoin treasury companies, among other credit instruments. This move is an important step for Metaplanet in advancing the "Project Nova" Bitcoin financial platform strategy, and the company expects this investment to have a slight impact on the consolidated performance for the period ending December 2026.

Japan-listed Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Metaplanet Asset Management Asia Limited, as the group's trading execution and asset management hub in the Asia region, with an initial investment of 1 million USD, expected to be established in September 2026.The company will operate in coordination with Metaplanet Asset Management Inc. (MAM), which was previously established in Miami, USA, primarily responsible for trading execution and risk management operations such as position and market dynamics monitoring during the Asian trading hours, focusing on investment targets including Bitcoin, Bitcoin-related stocks, and preferred securities issued by Bitcoin treasury companies. This move is part of Metaplanet's strategy to advance the "Project Nova" Bitcoin financial platform, and the company expects this matter to have a slight impact on the consolidated performance for the period ending December 2026.