
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

Capital / Liquidity
Australia's Plan to Uncap Home Guarantee Scheme Prompts Mixed Reaction
29/08/2025
The government has removed all limits on its low-deposit mortgage guarantee scheme, but insurers and economists warn it will inflate prices and create reckless debt.

Enforcement
SFC Revokes Licences, Issues Lifetime Bans in $154M Fraud Case
29/08/2025
The SFC has banned senior managers for life over a coordinated scheme that misappropriated client funds through non-existent investment units.

Crypto / Digital Assets
CFTC Clarifies Rules to Woo Crypto Firms Back Onshore
29/08/2025
The advisory reaffirms a long-standing framework for foreign boards of trade (FBOTs), a move the CFTC says creates a path back to the US for offshore crypto platforms.

AML / KYC
FinCEN Issues Advisory Warning of Chinese Money Laundering Networks
29/08/2025
FinCEN issues an alert for US banks detailing red flags and typologies used by Chinese money laundering networks to move illicit funds for drug cartels.

Fintech / Regtech
US Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Help Combat Foreign Scam Farms
29/08/2025
New bill seeks to authorise private actors to target foreign cybercriminals, raising implications for global financial regulation and enforcement.

Capital / Liquidity
Bangladesh Launches Sweeping Probe into Banking Sector Leadership
29/08/2025
Authorities initiate investigations into top officials from 24 banks and Bangladesh Bank over 15 years of alleged financial misconduct.

Fintech / Regtech
RBA Deploys AI Tool to Enhance Economic Surveillance, Wage Forecasting
28/08/2025
The RBA has revealed that it is using a machine learning system to extract firm-level insights from liaison data for regulatory analysis.

Sanctions
US Sanctions DPRK-Linked IT Worker Network Over Weapons Funding
28/08/2025
OFAC announced sanctions targeting a North Korean IT worker network and associated entities for financing illicit arms development via crypto transactions.

Enforcement
South Korea to Toughen Penalties Regime for Accounting Fraud
28/08/2025
Regulators plan to raise company fines 1.5-fold and individual penalties 2.5-fold, strengthen audit-interference sanctions and tighten liability rules.

Securities / Derivatives
ASIC Proposes Rule Revamp to Enhance Algo Trading Oversight
28/08/2025
ASIC proposes defining ‘trading algorithms’, mandatory testing, real-time monitoring and harmonised rules for securities and futures markets.
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