
Manesh Samtani is the Editor at Regulation Asia, where he leads the regional news desk from Hong Kong, directing coverage of critical regulatory developments impacting financial services across APAC. Manesh specialises in analysing how new rules and technologies are reshaping banking, capital markets, and the fight against financial crime, providing finance professionals, compliance leaders, and policymakers with the intelligence they need to navigate risk and understand the impact of regulatory change in the region. manesh@regulationasia.com

Securities / Derivatives
BIS Paper Highlights Systemic Risks from Fund Hedging Behaviour
23/04/2026
New BIS bulletin finds speculative currency hedging by equity funds can amplify market shocks, posing risks to financial stability.

Trending
ISSB to Develop Nature-related Guidance for Financial Disclosures
23/04/2026
The board will issue a Practice Statement to guide nature reporting, a move that follows significant pushback from sustainability leaders who advocated for a mandatory standard.

Securities / Derivatives
APAC ETF Growth Driven by Regulatory Tailwinds, Active Expansion - Report
23/04/2026
New State Street report highlights how regulation, product innovation and investor education are shaping a diverse and rapidly expanding ETF landscape.

Sanctions
US Issues New General Licence for Russia-Origin Oil Transactions
22/04/2026
The temporary authorisation allows for the sale and delivery of oil loaded by 17 April, replacing a previous licence that expired earlier in the month.

Market Infrastructure
NEC Launches Shared Cybersecurity Centre for Japan's Regional Banks
22/04/2026
The initiative aims to help smaller FIs address rising cyber threats, talent shortages, and regulatory demands through a collaborative framework and shared services.

Trending
New BOK Chief Signals Major Overhaul of Stability, FX Frameworks
22/04/2026
Shin Hyun-song has outlined a new policy direction focused on a wider financial stability role, won internationalisation, and digital currency innovation.

Securities / Derivatives
Japan Launches Trial to Tokenise Government Bonds for Collateral
22/04/2026
A consortium including Mizuho, Nomura and JSCC will test the use of tokenised collateral on the Canton Network.

Market Infrastructure
BOJ Paper Urges Adoption of Stricter Open API Security Standards
22/04/2026
Research paper recommends financial firms look beyond the FAPI 2.0 baseline, incorporating tougher overseas measures to bolster open finance security.

Enforcement
Indonesia to Bolster Use of Non-Conviction Forfeiture Against Cybercrime
22/04/2026
The FIU has highlighted the tool as key to tackling an "enforcement gap" amid rising online fraud and hacking.

Fintech / Regtech
China Loosens Rules on Use of Digital Trade Documents, Data Transfers
21/04/2026
Ten government bodies have jointly issued new rules to promote and standardise the use of electronic documents in trade and finance.
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