Mark Johnston
Based in Singapore, Mark is an experienced journalist and editor with over a decade of experience reporting on technology and business trends throughout Asia. Mark got his start as an engineer, graduating from the UK's Queen's University of Belfast with a Master's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. As senior reporter for Regulation Asia, Mark focuses on regulatory changes impacting financial markets, with particular interest in fintech, cybersecurity and crypto markets.
Articles by Mark Johnston
Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime
Indonesia Targets Bank Accounts in Online Gambling Crackdown
16/07/2026
Regulators are moving beyond blocking websites and instead freezing thousands of accounts at some of Indonesia's largest banks.
Clearing & Post-Trade
LCH Begins Accepting Offshore CNY Bonds as Collateral
15/07/2026
LCH will now accept offshore renminbi-denominated Chinese government bonds, a move seen as advancing RMB internationalisation.
Structural Regulation
Shanghai Futures Exchange Proposes New Market Maker Obligations
15/07/2026
The exchange is consulting on revised rules that include a one-year ban for disqualified firms and adjustments to quoting requirements.
Tokenisation
Citi and SCB Launch 24/7 Tokenised USD Clearing in Thailand
15/07/2026
Siam Commercial Bank becomes the first global client for Citi's blockchain-based service, enabling round-the-clock cross-border USD payments.
Cybersecurity
China Proposes Sweeping Cybersecurity Rules for Banks and Insurers
15/07/2026
New draft rules from the financial regulator introduce strict governance, incident reporting, and accountability requirements for the banking and insurance sectors.
Supervision & Enforcement
China Finalises Rules for Financial Sector 'Dishonesty' Blacklist
14/07/2026
The new framework from the NFRA will see firms and individuals guilty of serious misconduct blacklisted for three years.
Trading & Investment
Japan Urges Pension Giant to Boost Domestic Investment Amid Scepticism
14/07/2026
The finance minister’s call for the USD 1.8 trillion GPIF to buy more local assets sparks a market rally, but faces significant governance hurdles.
Climate Risk
China Outlines Carbon Peak Plan with New Financial Sector Mandates
14/07/2026
The national strategy includes establishing a low-carbon transition fund and encouraging carbon accounting for FIs’ investment portfolios.
Market Abuse
Citadel Securities Joins Insider Trading Suit Over China Broker Crackdown
14/07/2026
Two major US market makers allege combined losses of nearly USD 100 million from trades made on non-public information.
Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime
Korea to Deploy AI to Combat Illegal Lending on Social Media
13/07/2026
The FSS will expand its AI monitoring system to proactively detect and remove posts related to illicit debt collection and new loan scams.
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