Alex Kong (江庆恩)

Avalanche is powering a new milestone in Korea’s digital asset market. BDACS, together with Woori Bank, has launched KRW1, a fully collateralized, won-backed stablecoin. Currently in a pilot phase following a full PoC, KRW1 marks an important step toward regulated, bank-integrated digital money in Korea. Key Highlights: 🔺 1:1 collateralization — every KRW1 is backed by won held in escrow at Woori Bank 🔺 Real-time proof of reserves — transparent and verifiable via banking API integration 🔺 Bank participation — Woori Bank’s direct involvement in the PoC underscores the critical role banks can play in stablecoin ecosystems 🔺 Institutional-grade infrastructure — launched on Avalanche, recognized by KISA for reliability and security KRW1 is designed for payments, remittances, investments, and public-sector programs, including low-cost settlement systems for emergency relief disbursements. As Korea advances its Digital Asset Basic Act, KRW1 is positioned to serve as a model for how banks, institutions, and blockchain can converge to build the foundation of the digital economy. More on KRW1 below: https://krw1.kr/en/

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KuCoin Partners with Vietnam Blockchain and Digital Assets Association and 1Matrix - Vietnam Blockchain Network to Pioneer Blockchain Infrastructure and Digital Asset Development in Vietnam As a leading global crypto exchange serving over 41 million users worldwide, we've signed a strategic MoU to accelerate blockchain infrastructure, drive digital asset adoption, and fuel Vietnam's digital economy. KuCoin provides cutting-edge technology, 1Matrix handles local resources, and VBA drives policy and standardization — together, we're building a transparent, secure digital financial ecosystem that aligns with Vietnam's 2025-2030 National Blockchain Strategy. #KuCoin #Blockchain #VietnamTech #DigitalAssets #CryptoInnovation

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Recharge, the European market leader in mobile top-ups, gift cards, and prepaid money, is entering a new chapter as its shareholders sell their shares in CG Holding B.V. to Coda. Coda is the global leader in digital content monetization. This transaction combines two regional leaders, leveraging their complementary strengths and shared ambition to shape the future of global digital distribution and monetization.   Houthoff advised Recharge.com and its shareholders together with Baker Botts (David Marshall) on all aspects of the transaction. The Houthoff team involved in this transaction was led by Bram Caudri and Jessica den Dekker and also includes Esther Bastein, Jasmijn Harms, Zinke Lansink, Lotte van Maren, Sjors Panis, Stijn Harder, Jet Stolk, Anouk Boutens, Tess Barnasconi, Thomas de Weerd, Anton Kooij and Lucy de Graaf.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eGrrYM_a

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Facial recognition tech is expanding into South Korea’s 🇰🇷 payment sector 🤯 Companies are currently racing to establish a foothold. Here’s a list of the current Key Players in the sector: ► Shinhan Card – Early adopter; launched a pilot in 2019, expanded to convenience stores and supermarkets. ► Naver Pay – Introduced facial payments on university campuses; plans to launch its own terminal this year. ► Viva Republica (Toss) – Entered in February; distributed terminals with subsidies; now live in ~20,000 stores in Seoul. ► Lotte Card – Recently approved to launch; will start with facial payment services at airports. Experts foresee a “winner-takes-all” outcome, as merchants may avoid installing multiple terminals. Data security and liability concerns also hinder broader rollout. Source: https://lnkd.in/dNjzEzjb Now over to you: do you think Face Pay is the future of payments?

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Tazapay, a Singapore-based global cross-border payments infrastructure platform, has announced the successful close of its undisclosed #SeriesB funding round. The round was led by existing investor Peak XV Partners, with participation from Ripple (US), Circle Ventures, Norinchukin Bank (Japan), GMO VenturePartners,Inc. (Japan), January Capital, and Arc180. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dBk6GHV5 Tazapay, Rahul Shinghal, Eric Jeck #FintechNewsUAE #Tazapay #Funding #Investment #VCs #SeriesB #Fintech #PaymentInfrastructure #CrossborderPayments #DigitalPayments #MENA #Singapore #UAEFintechNews

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💡 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 👉 https://lnkd.in/gkF_FK3k For early-stage founders, securing the right kind of capital is often the difference between stalling and scaling. Angel investors step in where “friends and family” funding ends and traditional venture capital begins, typically supporting startups with $25,000 to $1.5 million in funding. 🔑 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲 1️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀: Angels invest earlier than VCs, filling a crucial funding gap that keeps young companies alive and moving toward growth. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: While VCs are primarily return-driven, many angels invest for personal reasons, whether to mentor entrepreneurs, support industries they care about, or share in the energy of startup building. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗖𝘀: Angels write smaller checks, move faster, and are often more flexible on terms. VCs bring larger pools of capital, deeper networks, and more structured oversight. 4️⃣ 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Angel valuations are highly negotiable, ranging from “rule of thirds” approaches to industry multipliers. Founders should understand common methods to avoid over- or undervaluing their companies. 💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Angels don’t simply provide early capital. In reality, they shape the foundation of startup ecosystems by funding ideas that may otherwise never reach a VC’s desk. For entrepreneurs, understanding how angels think and operate is key to raising wisely and preserving long-term ownership. Credit: Fred Wainwright & Angela Groeninger | Tuck School of Business #AngelInvesting #VentureCapital #Startups #EarlyStageFunding #PrivateEquity — 💰 𝗠&𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 - https://lnkd.in/gsvG2eDh  📊 𝗜𝗕 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 - https://lnkd.in/gJEGnBC7  📚 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 - https://lnkd.in/gNNZBude —

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For a remittance or cross-border fintech: 1. AI to predict where funds are needed. This helps pre-position liquidity across corridors to reduce delays and FX slippage. 2. Stablecoins for treasury management. This enables faster and cheaper fund movement between our own wallets or local partners. 3. Stablecoins as a payment instrument. These are used directly by customers for sending or spending. 4. Stablecoins for just-in-time funding. This eliminates the need to pre-fund altogether, allowing treasury operations to be reactive rather than predictive. We’re building infrastructure for number four. It collapses the complexity of steps one to three into a simpler and more scalable model.

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🚀 Animoca’s Yat Siu on CNBC: The Next Phase of Web3 Adoption In his recent CNBC interview, Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands, shared powerful insights on the evolving crypto ecosystem and what it means for businesses and investors: 🔹 Bitcoin vs. Ethereum ·       Bitcoin = Digital Gold: A store of value, rarely spent. ·       Ethereum = Utility: With ~$100B in total value locked, it powers stablecoins, NFTs, and L2s. Because ETH is used and spent, its rise fuels broader ecosystem growth. 🔹 The Coming Altcoin Wave As ETH strengthens (with predictions of $6K–$10K ahead), capital will cascade into altcoins and Web3 ecosystems. Corporates moving treasury allocations from BTC → ETH → other tokens show how adoption will spread across the industry. 🔹 Internet Money → Internet Customers Accepting tokens isn’t only a payment play. It’s access to a loyal, liquid, and growing community. Just like selling in different fiat currencies, offering goods in ETH, SAND, or other tokens lowers friction and builds deeper engagement. 🔹 A New Global Wealth Class and 🌍 The Big Picture Over 500 million people worldwide now own crypto and digital assets. This isn’t just about asset prices – it’s a massive new customer base. Luxury brands were early movers, integrating NFTs and Web3 strategies to reach this audience. The token economy already represents $4T+ in market cap. Every cycle of adoption redistributes value across projects, creating new opportunities for builders, brands, and investors alike. 🙌 At True Global Ventures, we share Yat’s conviction: the real story isn’t just crypto prices, but the transformation of money into a new internet-native customer economy. 👀 Watch the interview: https://lnkd.in/grXu26Em

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With nearly $300B in circulation, stablecoins are moving from niche to mainstream and reshaping global finance. Our Senior Advisor Mina Nguyen shared with Financial News how stablecoins are delivering the global, efficient payments infrastructure missing from today’s financial system.

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