Vietnam’s Military Bank to launch the country’s first domestic crypto exchange

Vauld Implements Key Leadership Changes Amid Bankruptcy ProceedingsFailed Singaporean cryptocurrency lender Vauld has unveiled a comprehensive overhaul of its board structure.Photo by Yibei Geng on UnsplashOngoing restructuringThe platform, which faced financial turmoil leading to its declaration of bankruptcy last year, is introducing fresh leadership to spearhead its restructuring efforts. The move involves the appointment of a new CEO, a creditor representative, and a scheme manager.The current CEO and Co-Founder of Vauld, Darshan Bathija, announced the proposed changes via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. He emphasized that the new appointees would take charge of orchestrating a much-needed bailout.The challenges faced by the company through its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings have prompted Vauld to secure court approval for this new organizational scheme. In his social media post, Bathija stated:“Vauld (Defi Payments Pte Ltd) got its scheme of arrangement passed in Singapore courts. As part of the scheme, the current board will be replaced with a new CEO, a creditor representative, and a scheme manager.” Additionally, Bathija noted that the exchange’s customers are actively updating their Know Your Customer (KYC) details.This announcement comes almost a year after Vauld came under scrutiny due to a money laundering investigation. The cloud of suspicion surrounding the firm at the time led to the freezing of assets worth $46.4 million from its domestic operations by Indian authorities.Nexo acquisition failureIn February of this year, the Singapore High Court granted Vauld an extension until March 24 to formulate a comprehensive strategy for repaying its creditors. The extension became crucial after a potential acquisition deal with Nexo fell through. However, despite this reprieve, the exchange was unable to secure a further extension, fueling discussions within the community about the challenge of meeting creditor obligations within a relatively short time frame.In a step to facilitate the resolution of outstanding amounts, the court established a committee of creditors (CoC). This move was prompted by allegations from a faction of creditors that Vauld was impeding communication and implementing unwarranted corrective measures. Notably, the exchange owes more than $2.2 million to these creditors.Vauld has contracted the services of risk and financial advisory firm Kroll as part of the restructuring efforts. In an isolated instance of good fortune, it appears that Vauld creditors are unaffected by a data breach which occurred recently at Kroll, while creditors of the Genesis, FTX, and BlockFi crypto bankruptcy processes have had their data compromised.Charting a path forwardBathija conveyed that more updates regarding the platform’s path forward would follow soon. Vauld’s financial instability can be attributed to several factors, chief among them being the ripple effect of Terra’s downfall. Further complications arose due to economic issues tied to the Celsius Network and Three Arrows Capital (3AC) defaulting on their loans. These cumulative challenges led to Vauld’s operational suspension.Despite this failure and similar issues relative to crypto lender Hodlnaut and 3AC, which were also based in the city state, Singapore continues as a jurisdiction that effectively balances regulatory control with the drive to foster innovation. Its central bank and financial regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), recently unveiled a comprehensive framework for stablecoins.

SBI and Saudi Aramco to explore digital asset business partnershipsJapanese financial services conglomerate SBI and Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled energy giant Saudi Aramco have jointly announced their exploration of potential collaboration in the realms of digital assets and semiconductors.Photo by Chris Liverani on UnsplashDigital asset portfolio co-investingThe partnership, which was publicly disclosed last week, aims to delve into co-investing in each other’s digital asset portfolios. Such an arrangement will leverage SBI’s substantial holdings and the formidable position of Aramco as the world’s second-largest company by revenue, boasting a staggering $604 billion figure. The partnership will mark a strategic alliance that goes beyond geographical boundaries, underscoring the global impact of digital asset investments.The collaboration between SBI and Aramco extends beyond mere investment, with SBI actively seeking to identify Japanese digital asset startups keen on expanding their operations into Saudi Arabia. The joint effort aims to provide comprehensive support to these startups, facilitating their integration into the Saudi market and contributing to the growth of the digital economy.SBI Middle EastIn addition to this venture, SBI is set to establish “SBI Middle East” in Riyadh, serving as a central hub for its operations in the Middle East. This move aligns with SBI’s recent announcement of a $100 million joint fund with Standard Chartered, based in Dubai, solidifying its commitment to fostering financial partnerships in the region.When contemplating cryptocurrency activities in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia might not be the first destination that comes to mind, given Turkey’s significant crypto adoption rate and the UAE’s well-established crypto regulatory authorities, such as Dubai’s VARA and Abu Dhabi’s ADGM.However, Chainalysis data reveals that Saudi crypto activity is steadily gaining ground, experiencing the most significant year-on-year growth (12%) to June 2023. Additionally, the country’s Vision 2030 initiative involves efforts to diversify its economy. With that, blockchain and Web3 are being embraced.TokenizationWhile lacking a formal crypto regulatory regime, recent reports suggest that Saudi regulators are warming up to the idea, indicating a shift in approach. A recent collaboration has emerged between the central banks of Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong which will explore tokenization and payments infrastructure.It is noteworthy that both SBI and Aramco explicitly referred to “digital assets” in their collaboration, avoiding the mention of cryptocurrencies. This emphasis raises the possibility that the focus might extend to tokenization, an area where SBI has a robust presence, notably through the establishment of the Osaka Digital Exchange (ODX), set to commence trading tokenized securities later this month.As part of its digital asset investments, Saudi Aramco has previously engaged in blockchain initiatives, including investments in VAKT, a post-trade solution for the oil sector. Additionally last year Aramco invested in blockchain startup Data Gumbo, which utilizes blockchain in order to bring about operational efficiencies. The collaboration extends to the approval of electronic bill of lading (eBL) providers like TradeGo.In February, Aramco signed an agreement with droppGroup to build out a range of Web3 technologies. Furthermore, Aramco’s investments in companies like Red Date Technologies and IR4LAB underscore its interest in developing blockchain-based services, including document and supply chain solutions.

Having introduced its swift licensing process late last year, Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has extended access to the process to all new virtual asset trading platform (VATP) applicants. In a statement published on its website on Jan. 16, the regulator outlined that it is extending the swift licensing process to new applicants. Back in December, the SFC approved licensing relative to four exchanges under the expedited process. Those additions included Accumulus GBA Technology Co., DFX Labs Company, Hong Kong Digital Asset EX and Thousand Whales Technology (BVI).Photo by Ruslan Bardash on UnsplashSeven licensed VATPsThat has brought the total number of licensed exchanges to seven, as HashKey, OSL and HKVAX were the first exchanges to be approved. In November, fifteen licensing applications relative to virtual asset platforms, had been pending. According to SFC CEO Julia Leung, the regulator had hoped to issue licenses to eleven VATPs by the end of 2024.  The new expedited process requires applicants to “implement their policies, procedures, systems and controls before conducting an external assessment on these measures.” The regulator decided to extend the swift licensing process due to the effectiveness of the SFC’s engagement with other applicants, relative to the regulatory standards being put in place, implemented through on-site inspections being carried out. Fostering a healthy ecosystem Commenting on the development, Dr. Eric Yip, the SFC’s Executive Director of Intermediaries, stated:“The SFC is committed to fostering a healthy ecosystem and a robust regulatory framework for the development of virtual assets in Hong Kong. With the new approach, we will enhance our collaboration with VATP applicants, providing them with constructive and timely feedback, thereby enabling fully compliant VATPs to bring their services to investors more swiftly.” While the regulator is awarding licensing on an expedited basis through the swift licensing process, licensing is conditional. The VATP can operate on a restricted scope of business once it has completed rectification actions following feedback provided by SFC inspectors.  In October Yip outlined the SFC’s plans to create a consultative panel consisting of senior management executives from licensed VATPs. The objective of the panel is to gather feedback and concerns from licensees, adjusting the regulatory framework where deemed appropriate, relative to that feedback. Commenting on the initial introduction of the expedited approval system last December, Yip stated: “We have been proactively engaging with VATPs’ senior management and ultimate controllers, which helps drive home our expected regulatory standards and expedite our licensing process for VATPs. We aim to strike a balance between safeguarding the interests of investors and facilitating continuous development for the virtual asset ecosystem in Hong Kong.” The Hong Kong government has also been working towards incorporating a stablecoin bill, which will establish a regulatory framework with regard to fiat-referenced stablecoins. The SFC also intends to introduce licensing for crypto custodians in 2025.