
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

Market Abuse
Korea Deploying AI and Nvidia GPUs to Combat Crypto Manipulation
17/02/2026
The FSS is upgrading its VISTA surveillance platform in response to a surge in suspicious transactions and illegal cross-border remittances.

Cryptocurrency
Korea: Mirae Asset Group to Acquire Cryptocurrency Exchange Korbit
17/02/2026
The $93mn deal marks the first time a traditional financial institution in South Korea will have a crypto exchange as a subsidiary.

Conduct, Culture & Accountability
Korea FSS Pushes Banks on Consumer Protection, Inclusive Finance
17/02/2026
FSS Governor calls for a shift from 'easy interest income' to funding for SMEs, outlining new consumer protection and governance reforms.

Credit Risk
New Bangladesh Government Facing Immediate Calls for Banking Reforms
17/02/2026
New government inherits a banking sector with $52.6 billion in bad loans, facing demands for governance-led reforms.

Market Risk
Japanese Banks Show Improved Resilience to Interest Rate Risk: AMRO
16/02/2026
The megabanks have strengthened asset-liability management and shifted their portfolios to manage interest rate risk in the banking book.

Tokenisation
HKMA Details Strategy to Scale Digital Bond Market
16/02/2026
The HKMA has outlined a four-pronged strategy for tokenised bonds, highlighting a legal review and policy incentives to drive adoption.

AI Risk & Governance
Japan's FSA Explores 'Agile Governance' Approach for AI Use
16/02/2026
Regulators and industry leaders discussed balancing innovation with risk management, highlighting the need for management accountability and better data strategies.

Supervision & Enforcement
Hong Kong to Legislate for Bank Holding Company Supervision
16/02/2026
HKMA plans a 2026 bill to formalise oversight of unregulated bank parents and gain new powers to appoint investigators.

Credit Risk
Korea Needs Stricter Debt Rules to Prevent 'Zombie' Households: BIS Paper
16/02/2026
BIS paper finds 'zombie' borrowers drag on consumption and recommends expansion of DSR rules to all lenders, including non-banks.

Operational Risk
Taiwan Proposes Overhaul of Bank Internal Control and Audit Rules
16/02/2026
The reforms will formally embed the Three Lines Model into Taiwan's regulatory framework and require firms to appoint chief officers for compliance, risk, and information security.
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