BIG PICTURE

AML / KYC

Real Estate Still a Safe Haven for Dirty Money: Transparency International

By Nithya Subramanian | 03/04/2025

Singapore and Indonesia scored among the highest, while Australia, South Korea and Japan scored among the lowest in the Opacity in Real Estate Ownership Index.

Big Picture

Hong Kong FSDC Offers Ideas for Growing Insurance Industry

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 03/04/2025

The FSDC offers recommendations to further develop Hong Kong’s insurance industry and cement the city’s position as a global insurance hub.

Big Picture

Off-exchange Derivatives Present Risks to Investors: WFE Paper

By Nithya Subramanian | 27/03/2025

WFE calls for measures to avoid the development of an off-exchange derivatives market that is opaque and less fair to investors.

Fintech / Regtech

HKMA Applying GenAI to Monitor for Banking System Risks

By Manesh Samtani | 27/03/2025

HKMA is using an in-house GenAI tool to analyse banks’ earnings call transcripts to identify major risks ahead of actual stress events.

Sanctions

Crypto Industry Seeking More Guidance on Sanctions Implementation

By Manesh Samtani | 25/03/2025

A lack of guidance for the virtual asset industry is undermining the effectiveness of sanctions, according to roundtable participants.

Capital / Liquidity

Final Basel III Reforms Provided Benefits to APAC Banks – Report

By Manesh Samtani | 24/03/2025

The positive impact on APAC banks’ capital ratios is attributed to their lower reliance on internal models.

Big Picture

Hong Kong Trust Industry Facing Regulatory Challenges

By Mark Johnston | 23/03/2025

HKTA and KPMG published a report shedding light on the state of  Hong Kong’s trust industry, including mounting compliance costs and regulatory challenges.

AML / KYC

Europol Report Flags Asia as Key Hub for Financial Crime

By Thisanka Siripala | 20/03/2025

Organised crime groups are leveraging Asia’s financial networks, trade zones, and digital platforms to move illicit funds globally, a new report states.

Fintech / Regtech

HKMA Publishes Research on DLT Adoption in Financial Sector

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 20/03/2025

The HKMA encourages AIs to review the research paper and leverage its insights to explore DLT-related innovations.