Reporting & Disclosures

Australia Court Fines Fiducian A$7.3m for ESG Fund Greenwashing

14/08/2026

The investment manager was penalised for misleading statements and governance failures related to a fund marketed as 'ethical' but holding fossil fuel investments.

Structural Regulation

Prop Trading Firms Won't Receive Carried Interest Tax Breaks, Hong Kong Clarifies

14/08/2026

The government has clarified that its new tax concession bill will not apply to proprietary trading firms, refuting recent media speculation.

Cryptocurrency

South Korea Finalises Stricter VASP Registration Rules

14/08/2026

New rules effective 20 August introduce tougher checks on shareholders, financial soundness, and IT systems for crypto firms.

Trading & Investment

HKEX to Float Discussion Paper on Extending Trading Hours

13/08/2026

HKEX is moving ahead with discussions on longer trading sessions despite broker concerns, amid growing competition from global peers.

Anti-Money Laundering

Korea to Abolish Crypto Travel Rule Threshold, Tighten VASP Oversight

13/08/2026

Regulators will expand the travel rule to all crypto transfers and impose stricter financial and operational requirements on virtual asset service providers.

Anti-Money Laundering

New Zealand DIA Adopts ‘Stewardship’ Approach to AML Supervision

13/08/2026

Senior DIA official John Sneyd says the agency’s intelligence-led strategy is based on stewardship, partnerships, and a shared objective: defeating organised crime.

Stablecoins

StanChart-backed Venture Launches Regulated HKD Stablecoin

13/08/2026

Anchorpoint has begun a phased rollout of its licensed stablecoin, with licensed exchanges HashKey and OSL joining as initial distributors.

Operational Risk

RBNZ Proposes Prudential Levy to Fund Financial Regulation

13/08/2026

The RBNZ has detailed plans for an industry-funded levy to recover NZD 70 million annually for its supervisory costs.

Anti-Money Laundering

AUSTRAC Orders Crypto ATM Operator Offline Over AML Failures

13/08/2026

AUSTRAC has suspended Cryptolink’s virtual asset service provider registration for three months, citing reporting failures and unmanaged risks.