Thailand
Thai Traders Sue Tether for Accusing $42M in $61M Pig Butchery Case
Two Thai businessmen have sued stablecoin issuer Tether in a New York district court, claiming it illegally froze $42.4 million in Tether USDT (USDT) in October, as part of a wider lawsuit linked to a pig butchering scheme.
The plaintiffs claim that Tether illegally seized $42 million without a warrant in October 2025 following an informal request by US Homeland Security Investigations.
Authorities in the Eastern District of North Carolina issued only one seizure the warrant For funding later in February 2026. The warrant mandates the recovery and redistribution of tokens to a public wallet.
Although the plaintiffs did not dispute their involvement in the investment scam, the case tests the freezing authority of stablecoin issuers.
Thailand accepts crypto travel rules including self-custodial wallet checks
Thailand is tightening surveillance on crypto transfers, including transactions involving self-custodial wallets, to align with global anti-money laundering (AML) standards.
Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued new travel rules regulations requiring digital asset operators to collect information on parties involved in crypto transfers.
The rules will come into effect from February 27, 2027
Thailand SEC offers retail access to regulated foreign crypto derivatives
Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed allowing intermediaries to facilitate retail access to certain digital asset derivatives traded overseas.
under offerEligible products must be similar to crypto derivatives traded in Thailand in terms of their underlying assets, maturity, leverage and settlement methods.
Commodities must be traded on an exchange that uses a central counterparty for clearing and is overseen by a regulator belonging to specific international regulators or exchange groups.
The consultation will be open until September 30.
Asia
Pencil Finance completes $1M onchain loan cycle for 6.6K students in Southeast Asia
Pencil Finance completed a $1 million onchain student loan cycle, offering financing to 6,600 students in Southeast Asia who were being missed by traditional lenders.
About 1,050 out of 6,600 students at 118 schools and universities in Southeast Asia received direct funding. Pencil said the loans are designed for students underserved by traditional lenders, with 50% female borrowers and 93% originating from low-income families.
Pencil Finance claims it is the first fully onchain transaction cycle financing student loan transparently recorded on the blockchain network.
Asia Crypto Custody Transactions from Ripple and Coincheck
Ripple has partnered with digital asset infrastructure company SettleMint to offer financial institutions solutions for the custody, issuance and management of tokenized assets throughout their entire lifecycle.
There is also Coincheck Group, a digital asset service provider partner With wallet infrastructure provider DFNS to develop digital asset wallet technology and custody services in Japan.
Singapore
Singapore recognizes some foreign-issued stablecoins
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is revisiting its previous restrictions on stablecoins issued across multiple jurisdictions, proposing a route for some jointly issued tokens to qualify under its regulatory framework.
Under one proposal, stablecoins jointly issued by a Singapore issuer and a foreign issuer may be regulated under the framework and labeled “MAS-regulated stablecoins”, provided that the associated risks are sufficiently mitigated.
MAS is also considering recognizing a limited number of foreign-issued stablecoins regulated under a comparable foreign framework, citing their potential use in cross-border wholesale transactions.
Australia
Australia warns of fines of up to 10% of annual turnover for unlicensed crypto firms
Australian crypto companies relying on temporary regulatory relief have until September 30 to apply for a financial services license or risk penalties including fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said Businesses that require an Australian Financial Services License must apply for one or seek a change to an existing license before the deadline.
ASIC has recorded more than 45 digital asset-related license applications to date.
United Arab Emirates
Standard Chartered Launches Spot Bitcoin and Ether Trading in UAE
London-headquartered multinational bank Standard Chartered has launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for institutional clients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The move makes Standard Chartered the first global bank to offer institutional digital asset trading in the region and the first global systemically important bank (G-SIB) with a similar offering, the bank said.
Japan
Japan’s Remixpoint dumps altcoins
Remixpoint, one of Japan’s largest corporate bitcoin holders, has sold all of its altcoins, leaving about 1,506 BTC ($115 million) as its sole cryptocurrency holding as it centers its crypto strategy around bitcoin.
Remixpoint sold its Ether, Solana, XRP and Dogecoin holdings for a combined 878.8 million yen ($5.5 million), resulting in a profit of 117.8 million yen ($736,000). According to In a Wednesday company disclosure.
The company recorded a profit on its ETH, SOL and XRP sales but sold its DOGE holdings at a loss of 3.26 million yen ($20,000).
Japanese regulator wants stablecoins tax exempt
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has submitted a request to exempt trust-type stablecoins from mandatory tax filings starting in fiscal year 2027.
Metaplanet takes 4,800 BTC worth $377M on Coinbase
Japanese Bitcoin Treasury Company moved 10,270 BTC to Coinbase Prime this week, sparking speculation that the company may sell its holdings.
Japan’s FSA warns Hong Kong-based IZAKA-YA about unregistered services
Japan’s Financial Services Agency has issued a formal warning to Hong Kong-based Izakaya Ltd, alleging that its cryptocurrency exchange services are unregistered.
SBI Holdings takes a 20% stake in Indonesia’s Azaib Group
Japan’s SBI Holdings will spend $270 million to acquire a 20% stake in Indonesian online brokerage Ajaib Group. The aim is to expand its crypto business across the region and promote SBI’s yen stablecoin JPYSC.
Hong Kong
Hashkey joins the DTCC Working Group as the first Asian crypto service provider
Hashkey has joined Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) Digital Asset Advisory Services Industry Working Group as its first Asian digital asset service provider.
Hashkey joins more than 100 global financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange.
DTCC holds $114 trillion in liquid assets, including stocks and exchange-traded funds. Its working group was formed to connect traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure. DTCC plans to launch access to tokenized securities in October.
Bitcoin Asia conference ‘subdued’
According to the South China Morning Post, the mood in Hong Kong’s Bitcoin Asia was subdued.
The bear market hangover was very evident despite a pep talk by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao declaring that Bitcoin would “definitely become more important than gold.”
“Psychologically, I think This has been one of the toughest bear markets we’ve hadBecause this time it wasn’t just the price of Bitcoin that took a hit,” Brandon Green, CEO of conference organizer BTC, said during his opening remarks.
“This time, the egos of bitcoiners are also hurt.”
OSL Group reported a revenue growth of 65.8%
Hong Kong-based digital asset firm OSL Group reported a 65.8% revenue increase in its first-half financial results.
SFC warns Star Bridge Capital is unlicensed
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has added Star Bridge Capital Group to its watch list after mandatory liquidation irregularities and millions of traders in losses.
Korea
Mirae Asset Develops Crypto, Stablecoin, Tokenization Plans for Digital X
South Korean financial group Mirai Asset plans to build a 150 trillion won ($109 billion) digital asset business around Digital X, the crypto exchange formerly known as Corbit, according to The Korea Times.
The report said DigitalX will focus on crypto, stablecoins, real-world asset and security token offerings, with plans to tokenize physical assets including gold, silver and electricity.
The expansion plan follows the advice of Mirae Resources acquisition Korbit’s 97.15% stake in July for a cumulative 141.4 billion won. The exchange was subsequently rebranded as Digital X, the first time an affiliate of a South Korean financial group gained control of a domestic crypto exchange.
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