Vietnam plans to restrict citizens from overseas crypto trading as banks and brokerages compete for new domestic licenses.
HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue said last month that the regulator had received 36 applications under the new framework.
Pakistan passed the Virtual Assets Act, establishing a statutory digital asset regulator and introducing criminal penalties nationwide.
If enacted, the limit would force most major exchanges in the country to undergo significant ownership restructuring.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said a sandbox is underway to test whether central bank money can operate in blockchain-based systems.
Minister of Finance Koo Yun-cheol stated that the government will urgently review how public institutions manage seized cryptocurrencies.
Influencers would be required to reveal compensation tied to their recommendations, and the crypto assets they personally hold.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the first licenses for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers are expected to be approved in March.
The licence allows the firm to offer regulated virtual asset services in and from Dubai for global institutional and qualified investors.
This follows the Thai Cabinet's approval of a proposal to align the derivatives market with international standards.
Hong Kong SFC issued guidance allowing licensed brokers to provide financing for crypto asset trading using a broader range of collateral.
The Financial Supervisory Service said it will tighten crypto oversight and toughen penalties for IT-related accidents, Yonhap reported.
The Avalanche Policy Coalition unveiled a new advisory council, led by Ava Labs General Counsel Lee Schneider.
Japan's FSA has opened a consultation on draft rules defining which bonds are eligible for stablecoin reserves under 2025 law amendments.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
SEC Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul reportedly said crypto ETFs appeal to investors by eliminating wallet security risks.
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in Davos that authorities plan to issue the first stablecoin licenses in Q1, the SCMP reported.
The authorities have launched consultations on introducing new licensing regimes for crypto asset dealing, advisory, and management services.
Coinbase's Faryar Shirzad said limiting rewards on US stablecoins could benefit global rivals as China moves to pay interest on digital yuan.
Asia's crypto regulation in 2025 focused less on new promises and more on the delivery of workable rules in practice.
The Hong Kong Insurance Authority is proposing rules that would steer insurance capital toward cryptocurrencies, according to Bloomberg.
While Coinbase did not disclose the size of the investment, CoinDCX said the deal valued the Indian exchange at $2.45 billion.
The country currently requires exchanges to manage customers' crypto reserves in cold wallets, but does not require a reserve.
Malaysia's national utility firm has identified 13,827 premises that illegally siphoned power to mine crypto between 2020 and August 2025.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Japan's financial regulator has finalized plans to reclassify 105 cryptocurrencies as financial products, Asahi reported.
The exchange is exploring measures including requiring companies to undergo fresh audits if they pivot into large-scale crypto accumulation.
MAS Managing Director Chia Der Jiun said that tokenization has moved beyond experimentation and is now used in real-world applications.
The FSA is considering a new system that would require crypto custody and trading management service providers to register with authorities.
Japan's FSA announced its support for a stablecoin pilot project involving the country's three major banks — Mizuho Bank, MUFG, and SMBC.