
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
SGX RegCo Chief Details Enhanced Framework to Attract China Listings
13/03/2026
The head of SGX's regulatory arm has outlined new rules and cross-border cooperation aimed at preventing a repeat of past scandals.

Crypto / Digital Assets
HSBC, StanChart Tipped to Win Hong Kong Stablecoin Licences
13/03/2026
Standard Chartered has participated in the HKMA sandbox for stablecoin issuers, but HSBC's inclusion is seen as noteworthy as it did not.

Capital / Liquidity
BIS Report Warns on Foreign Currency Funding Risks, Data Gaps
13/03/2026
A new CGFS report highlights banks' reliance on internal capital markets and derivatives, urging enhanced monitoring and currency-specific liquidity rules.

Sanctions
US Sanctions North Korea IT Worker Network in Vietnam and Laos
13/03/2026
The action targets facilitators using cryptocurrency to launder funds, heightening secondary sanctions and due diligence risks for financial institutions in Southeast Asia.

ESG / Sustainability
New Zealand Finalises Sustainability Assurance and Ethics Standards
13/03/2026
New Zealand's XRB is aligning with global standards, setting a permanent framework for sustainability assurance effective from December 2026.

Market Infrastructure
BIS Paper Calls for Public Sector Push to Fix Cross-Border Payments
12/03/2026
New paper highlights slow speeds and high costs, pointing to APAC initiatives as models for improving global payment systems.

AML / KYC
US Treasury Recognises Legitimate Use of Crypto Mixers, Seeks New Powers
12/03/2026
A key report signals a nuanced US stance on privacy tools while proposing a "hold law" to freeze suspicious digital assets.
Fintech / Regtech
Korean Regulator Concludes Probe into Bithumb 'Ghost Coin' Incident
12/03/2026
The FSS has concluded its probe into the exchange's internal control failures, which allowed a payout far exceeding its holdings.

Fintech / Regtech
Japan FSA Prioritises Real-World Use Cases to Guide Digital Asset Rule-Making
12/03/2026
A senior official outlined Japan's focus on fostering real-world applications for stablecoins and tokenised assets while seeking global consensus on DeFi.

Trending
BOJ Sets Bank Examination Priorities for Fiscal 2026
12/03/2026
BOJ to scrutinise financial institutions' business models, governance, and management of credit, market and operational risks.
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