
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

Crypto / Digital Assets
BIS Urges Global Cooperation on Stablecoin Rules to Avert Risks
21/04/2026
BIS General Manager Pablo Hernández de Cos warns that divergent national frameworks could lead to market fragmentation and enable harmful regulatory arbitrage.

Capital / Liquidity
Korean Insurers Pivot to Bonds as New Capital Rules Bite
21/04/2026
South Korean insurers are de-risking portfolios and boosting high quality, longer duration bond holdings to meet a new core capital mandate effective in 2027.

Fintech / Regtech
EU Approves Global Use of GDPR Certification for Data Transfers
21/04/2026
The decisions approve an updated Europrivacy seal for global use and endorse it as a formal mechanism for international data transfers.

Korea: Law Reform Needed to Recognise Digital Assets as Property
21/04/2026
Amendments to the 1958 Civil Act are needed to provide a legal basis for digital asset ownership and transactions.

ESG / Sustainability
Ma Jun’s Three-Level Plan to Unlock EMDE Green Finance Potential
20/04/2026
Dr. Ma Jun’s CASI initiative targets regulatory, financial and project-level interventions to bridge the sustainable finance capacity gap in emerging markets.

Sanctions
UK Unveils Tech-Focused Strategy to Tackle Sanctions Evasion
20/04/2026
The new three-year plan from OFSI focuses on using AI, data analytics, and international partnerships to increase efficiency and target risk.

Securities / Derivatives
US Regulators Expand Treasury Cross-Margining to Clients
20/04/2026
A move to allow client cross-margining for US Treasuries aims to boost market liquidity, enhance resilience, and provide capital efficiencies for participants.

AML / KYC
FATF Ministers Agree New Priorities on Fraud, Virtual Assets
20/04/2026
FATF outlined its strategic priorities, emphasising a risk-based approach and the rapid implementation of virtual asset standards.

Crypto / Digital Assets
UK Regulator Details Global Scope of New Crypto Regime
20/04/2026
The FCA is consulting on guidance clarifying its new cryptoasset rules, which will have a broad territorial reach affecting many overseas firms.

Securities / Derivatives
Hong Kong Hub Ambitions Take Centre Stage at HSBC Summit
20/04/2026
Hong Kong leaders and global finance chiefs touted the city's resilience and growth ambitions amid discussions on geopolitical risk and the future of digital assets.
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