Category: Asia-Pacific Financial Markets Insights

The Asia-Pacific Circle publishes timely Asia-Pacific Financial Markets Insights and Thought Leadership, in good business intelligence. This page regroups all the thinking and food for thought published by our expert contributors in relation to regional financial developments.

Are you looking for a precise topic? Have a look at our contributors’ thoughts on Fintechs and regional financial regulation. Make sure to read our insights on Hong Kong financial developments as well as our experts’ commentaries on China’s financial trends!

 


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Asia-Pacific Insights?

Are you looking for a bigger picture on regional developments? From Financial Markets to trade diplomacy and geopolitics, The Asia-Pacific Circle connects the dots in good business intelligence. [Read out Asia-Pacific Insights and Thought Leadership].


 

Read our Asia-Pacific Financial Markets Insights:

 

 

Snapshot of the Hong Kong consumer payments industry – 2019

In this Asia-Pacific Insight, new technologies expert Warwick Pearmund provides a snapshot of the Hong Kong Consumer payments industry for the year 2019. Pearmund's analysis shows an important competition between major actors. "Whilst Hong Kong may lag in mobile payments adoption versus China", he writes, the growth of mobile solution versus cash and card, will increase at pace.

Open Banking Won’t Bring Financial Inclusion to Hong Kong unless…

In this Asia-Pacific Insight, Fintech & transformation expert Nick Grenham explores recent developments related to open banking, virtual banks, Open API policy and financial inclusion in Hong Kong. While Hong Kong has made significant efforts lately to further develop its fintech policy framework, indeed questions remain as to whether recent initiatives will have enough teeth to change the lives of the many who still have limited access to finance in one of Asia's major financial cities. Open banking won't bring financial inclusion to Hong Kong, Grenham writes, unless...

Is there a Chinese exchange rate manipulation policy?

Is there a currency manipulation policy in China? Christophe Granier analyses recent trends relating to CNY valuation. The CNY traded at its lowest level against the US Dollar in ten years, which raised currency manipulation concerns in the United States. In doing so, Mr. Granier writes, the US made a confusion between causes and consequences.

Hong Kong SFC’s regulatory framework for virtual assets & cryptos?

In this Asia Financial Insight, Jack Chia and Antoine Martin comment on the recent release by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of a framework on the regulation of virtual Assets. Understand, cryptocurrencies and related investments. The initiative goes in the right direction, they conclude, and might help position Hong Kong as a moving-forward financial place. Considering the complexity currently surrounding Digital Assets and cryptos, indeed, regulating portfolio managers and fund distributors could bring certainty and trust to the market. The challenge, however, will consist in building a framework applicable to crypto exchanges, which remain the unregulated actor in the industry.

Blockchain investment and ICO peaking: the end of MVP tokens?

In this financial markets Insight, Cryptology Managing Director Jack Chia provides some food for thought on what the recent ups and downs in the global ICO and crypto market mean. Jack sees two important trends here: the rise of Security Tokens Offerings (STOs) and the arrival of new Blockchain applications capable of bringing a large number of companies into a new era of business. His point of view is clear, however: current ICO and crypto developments lead to one conclusion: Blockchain projects developed as Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) will have to do much better from now on.

The South Korean Crypto Industry Ties Asia Together

In this Asia-Pacific Insight, Daniil Danchenko and Bitnewstoday.com explore the influence of South Korean technology on the cryptocurrencies market. While Asia as a whole plays a major leadership role when it comes to crypto and blockchain development, insights on which parts of Asia are the most productive and forward-moving have a weight. In the author's opinions, in fact, South Korea is a real leader in the field, to the extent that if there are innovations to be found out there, South Korean technology is most likely to be involved. And the reason for this is clear: the Koreans know that they need to keep innovating if they want to stay …

HKMA Open API Framework: What it means for Hong Kong Banks

On July 18th, 2018, the HKMA released its Open API Framework as a means to promote the development of Hong Kong's Fintech, banking and financial services industry. The initiative has been commented widely, and the idea that new applications will now be made available is often used as a conclusion. In this Asia-Pacific financial insight, Antoine Martin goes through the HKMA's Open API Framework document to explain its ins and outs. After a careful analysis of the document, he concludes that the stakes are much higher than mere flexibility. Especially considering the regulatory and financial burden to be imposed on banks.

Virtual banks in Hong Kong: HKMA Guideline seeks Smart Virtual Banking

Asia-Pacific Financial Markets Insights: Antoine Martin analyses the recent release of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's (HKMA) Revised Guideline on Authorization of Virtual Banks. Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial places, yet the city's banking offer is limited for many. This move by the HKMA creates a significant new potential from a financial services perspective, but there is more. The Revised Virtual Banks Guideline has several objectives. First, opening access to financial services to non-banks. Second, solving a market deficiency which so far has left many citizens un-banked. Third, pushing Hong Kong's Fintech policy a little further. Keep reading for more.

Are Governments Perverting the Spirit of Cryptos?

In this Asia-Pacific financial Insight, Antoine Martin analyzes recent regional cryptocurrency developments and asks why governments seem so keen on developing their own sovereign digital currencies lately. He concludes that, somehow, the original spirit of cryptocurrencies - avoiding state interference - is being distorted by a variety of initiatives aimed at creating sovereign digital currencies.

China bans ICOs & Crypto-currency exchanges: some trends.

In this Asia-Pacific financial insight, Antoine Martin comments on recent moves against Bitcoins, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and crypto exchanges by China's financial authorities. From speculation controls to ambitious political projects, the relationship between China, Bitcoins and cryptocurrencies in general is complex. This Insight aims at bringing some clarity to the debate.

The Future of Fintech in Hong Kong: the FSDC’s fintech hub business plan

Asia-Pacific Fintech Insights: In may 2017 the FSDC released a Report named The Future of Fintech in Hong Kong as a means to help promoting the development of Hong Kong Fintech industry. The report has been commented widely, but it was mainly interpreted as pointing to the limits of Hong Kong's Fintech policy. In reality, however, this document is more like a business plan and roadmap on, as its title suggests, the future of Fintechs in Hong Kong. Hence, it deserves more attention.

What is the Hong Kong – China Bond Connect about?

Asia-Pacific Financial Insights: The Hong Kong – China Bond Connect has recently made the headlines following a public announcement in March 2017 by Mainland China’s Premier that further fixed-income markets links would be established across borders. Would the news help reinforcing China’s and Hong Kong’s financial positions in the Asia-Pacific and globally? In this Hong Kong and China markets insight, Pascal Charlot and Antoine Martin analyze the recent developments and explain their financial relevance.