Markets & Infrastructure

Alternative Markets

Korea Taps Major Banks for KRW 1tn Startup Push

By Editors | 04/05/2026

Regulators and five largest banking groups have unveiled a plan to provide KRW 1 trillion in financial support for the country’s venture ecosystem.

Payments & Settlements

Korea Amends Rules for Credit Finance, Card Merchant Onboarding

By Editors | 04/05/2026

New rules will permit non-face-to-face onboarding for card merchants and allow specialised credit finance companies to broker third-party products.

Structural Regulation

Taiwan Relaxes Application Rules for Opening New Bank Branches

By Mark Johnston | 04/05/2026

Regulators have outlined the financial benchmarks and policy incentives for financial institutions seeking to expand their domestic branch networks this year.

Structural Regulation

China's Legislature Progresses New Overarching Financial Laws

By Manesh Samtani | 04/05/2026

China’s top legislature has confirmed plans to formulate both a Financial Law and a Financial Stability Law this year, creating a new overarching legal framework for the financial sector.

Trading & Investment

SHFE Seeks Feedback on New Steel Options Contracts

By Editors | 04/05/2026

The exchange has launched a public consultation on draft specifications for new hot-rolled coil and stainless steel options.

Tokenisation

ICMA, ISLA Publish Standardised Annex for Digital Bond Repos

By Nithya Subramanian | 04/05/2026

The new legal framework aims to promote consistency for securities financing transactions involving natively-issued digital bonds on distributed ledger technology.

Trading & Investment

China's CFFEX Tightens Rules on Abnormal Trading, Introduces New Fees

By Manesh Samtani | 04/05/2026

CFFEX revised abnormal trading standards for stock index derivatives and will introduce graded fees to curb high-frequency order submissions.

Structural Regulation

Korea Exchange to Compensate Investors After Listing Status Error

By Mark Johnston | 04/05/2026

KRX has begun accepting claims and is institutionalising an external committee after a mistaken announcement caused significant investor losses.

Market Risk

Japan Intervenes to Prop Up Yen After "Final Warning"

By Editors | 04/05/2026

Japanese authorities have intervened in currency markets for the first time since 2024, buying yen after repeated warnings to counter speculative selling.