Markets

29 September 2016

A wave of political activism has animated East Asian politics: Taiwan’s Sunflower Student Movement in 2014, South Korean 2015 street protests against President Park’s new labour law, and protests in Japan in 2015 against Prime Minister Abe’s security bills. Youth activism was common to all these movements. Facing challenges in a stagnating economy, the younger generations have developed a deeper political awareness from a sense of marginalisation from political decision-making processes. A wave of political activism has animated East Asian politics: Taiwan’s Sunflower Student Movement in 2014, South Korean 2015 street protests against President Park’s new labour law, and protests...

Featured Articles

19 August 2025

Japan’s Insurer Pilots Blockchain-Based Health Insurance Claims System

A leading Japanese insurer has launched a pilot program to integrate blockchain technology into health insurance claims processing, aiming to improve efficiency, security, and transparency for policyholders. The initiative focuses on digitizing claim submissions and automating approvals, allowing healthcare providers...

19 August 2025

Singapore Neobanks Introduce Cross-Border Trade Finance for Small Businesses

Singapore-based neobanks have launched a cross-border trade finance initiative aimed at small businesses, providing faster, more transparent, and cost-efficient solutions for international transactions. The platform leverages digital banking technology to simplify financing processes, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to...

18 August 2025

Japan’s Mega Insurer Pilots Tokenized Life Insurance Contracts

A major Japanese insurance company has launched a pilot program for tokenized life insurance contracts, signaling a significant step in integrating blockchain technology into the insurance sector. The pilot is designed to digitize policy issuance, automate claims processing, and provide...

18 August 2025

European Banks Form Consortium to Offer Sustainable Green Bonds

A group of leading European banks has formed a consortium to launch a joint initiative focused on issuing sustainable green bonds. The project aims to support environmentally friendly projects across energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors while offering investors a secure,...

18 August 2025

Singapore Fintech Introduces Blockchain-Based Trade Financing for SMEs

A Singapore-based fintech firm has launched a blockchain-based trade financing platform designed to streamline access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The platform leverages distributed ledger technology to provide faster, more transparent, and secure financing solutions, addressing long-standing...

18 August 2025

U.S. Treasury Reviews Stablecoin Reserve Rules

The U.S. Treasury has begun a comprehensive review of stablecoin reserve requirements as regulators seek to strengthen the resilience of the rapidly growing digital asset market. Stablecoins, which are digital tokens pegged to traditional fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar,...

17 August 2025

Ellington Credit Defies Market Headwinds with Strong Q1 Performance

Ellington Credit has reported a strong first-quarter performance, defying broader market headwinds and signaling resilience in the credit investment sector. The company, which specializes in mortgage-backed securities and structured credit products, delivered higher-than-expected returns despite ongoing volatility in interest rates,...

17 August 2025

Royal Bank of Canada Boosts MSTR Holdings by 16%, Adds 430 BTC

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has strengthened its exposure to Bitcoin by increasing its stake in MicroStrategy, one of the largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency. According to the bank’s latest filing, RBC boosted its MicroStrategy (MSTR) holdings by...