
Regulation Asia relies on a team of journalists, writers and editors to cover regulatory announcements across Asia Pacific. editorial@regulationasia.com

PEPs & Sanctions
Korea Unfreezes Iranian Funds as Part of US Prison Swap Deal
14/08/2023
$7bn of Iran’s funds have been frozen in South Korea since May 2019, after sanctions waivers for oil imports were allowed to expire.

Cryptocurrency
SFC Grants ‘Approval In-Principle’ to HKVAX for Virtual Asset Trading
14/08/2023
Hong Kong’s SFC grants “in-principle” approval to HKVAX, the first given since the VATP licences granted to HashKey and OSL earlier this month.

Trading & Investment
BSP Issues New Rules for UITFs on the Use of Benchmarks
14/08/2023
The BSP specifies a one-year transition period to allow unit investment trust funds to review their benchmarks and make changes where needed.

KYC & CDD
SEBI Tightens Disclosure Requirements for FPIs
14/08/2023
FPIs are required to provide information on persons with ownership, economic interest or control in an FPI.

CBDCs
Bank of Canada Discusses Potential Challenges of CBDC Adoption
14/08/2023
Consumers with unmet payment needs could only benefit from a CBDC if it is adopted widely by other consumers and merchants.

Trading & Investment
SFC, CSRC Agree to Allow Block Trading on Stock Connect
14/08/2023
Block trading will enhance price discovery and encourage more overseas investors to participate in the A-share market through Stock Connect, said the SFC’s Julia Leung.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime
US Judge Revokes Bankman-Fried Bail for Witness Tampering
13/08/2023
Sam Bankman-Fried gave documents to journalists and tried to interfere with witnesses. He was taken to jail on Friday.

Payments & Settlements
RBI Announces Planned Upgrades to UPI System
13/08/2023
One new feature will enable users to initiate UPI transactions by conversing with an AI-powered system. Japan is exploring a potential UPI linkage.

Anti-Money Laundering
RUSI Publishes Virtual Assets Risk Assessment Guide
12/08/2023
The guide offers a ‘virtual assets risk assessment framework’, as well as risk mitigation strategies and best practices.

KYC & CDD
Bangladesh Banks Directed to Simplify Account Opening for NRBs
12/08/2023
Banks are directed to launch digital systems to enable non-resident Bangladeshis to open accounts and invest in the country from overseas.
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