Fujitsu Launches Blockchain Collaboration With Asian Development Bank

Blocore Determined to Expand Global Presence in Web3 from Korea and SingaporeSouth Korean blockchain investment firm Blocore has announced its strategic plans to expand into the global market and advance Web3 technology, with South Korea and Singapore serving as its forward bases.According to a report by local news agency News1, starting the second half of this year, the company aims to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and establish strong connections with liquidity providers worldwide, positioning itself as a leader in the Web3 industry.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on UnsplashInvestment portfolioBlocore has primarily focused on investing in promising enterprises, projects, and games during their early stages. This investment approach has resulted in a successful portfolio consisting of about 60 entities, including digital game developer Animoca Brands, metaverse platform The Sandbox, blockchain game platform WEMIX, and public blockchain platform Klaytn.To spearhead the company’s growth, Blocore CEO James Lim will be based in South Korea, overseeing the company’s operations and ventures. Meanwhile, Partner KH Min, former Country Director for Google Play, will actively contribute to the company’s activities from Singapore.Expanding horizonsThe investment firm is determined to invest in various projects dedicated to advancing the Web3 ecosystem, encompassing blockchain, metaverse, gaming, and generative artificial intelligence. Partner KH Min emphasized that their objective is to build a comprehensive Web3 ecosystem for everyday use by widely incorporating blockchain technology. Singapore, known for its advanced technology and cryptocurrency regulations, will serve as the starting point for Blocore’s initiatives. The company also has ambitions to expand its investment scope to North America and Europe, promoting the cutting-edge industry through digital innovation.

Crypto.com, the global crypto exchange platform headquartered in Singapore, has recently added an “AED Fiat Wallet,” allowing its users based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deposit and withdraw UAE dirhams to and from their Crypto.com accounts. In a statement published on its website on Dec. 11, the firm outlined details of the added feature. So as to be able to access the AED Fiat Wallet, UAE residents will need to be registered on the platform with a UAE phone number. Once users configure platform settings to reflect the AED as their default currency, the platform displays the relevant deposit information to enable users to deposit the currency to their accounts. The minimum deposit has been set at 10 AED per transaction with a maximum of four million AED per day.Photo by Katerina Kerdi on UnsplashFacilitated by Standard CharteredCrypto.com claimed on X that the new feature could be set up easily, enabling fast and simple transfers. Additionally, the company is not charging users a deposit fee for AED deposits. Tarik Erk, Crypto.com’s General Manager for Middle East & Africa, explained that a collaboration with British multinational bank Standard Chartered had enabled the offering. Erk stated: “This new wallet launch is made possible through our global banking partnership with Standard Chartered which we announced in August, alongside the ongoing and valued support of VARA [Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority], which enables us to continue our expansion across the UAE. We’re extremely focused on offering our customers a seamless world-class experience and, at its very core, that includes ease of deposits and withdrawals – enabling our customers to interact with our products and services with as much flexibility as possible.” Crypto.com launched its service in the UAE in August, and at the time, it recognized the significance of its partnership with Standard Chartered. In September Standard Chartered announced the launch of crypto custody services in the UAE in collaboration with Brevan Howard Digital. The service was licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).  In November of last year, Crypto.com was awarded a license by VARA to provide virtual asset services. Last week, it emerged that the company had acquired Orion Principals Limited, an Abu Dhabi-based securities firm. The brokerage firm is licensed by the local regulator within the Abu Dhabi Global Market, an economic free zone and financial center. Crypto.com said that the acquisition will lead to the company rolling out new services to eligible platform users, including securities, options, futures and contracts for difference. Deutsche Bank partnershipHaving forged a partnership with TradFi banking giant Standard Chartered in the Middle East, Crypto.com announced a similar partnership with another TradFi giant, Deutsche Bank, last week. The collaboration will see Deutsche Bank provide the company with banking support and corporate banking services within its home base of Singapore, as well as in Australia and Hong Kong. Back in June, Deutsche Bank partnered with another crypto exchange business, Bitpanda, to assist it in offering real-time inbound and outbound payments on its platform. 

Japan’s largest bank is stepping deeper into digital assets at a moment of political change. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and its securities arm Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (MUMSS) have launched a blockchain-based business, according to CoinDesk Japan. The move puts the country’s biggest lender at the center of a fresh push to bring regulated finance onto distributed ledgers while retail investors gain a new way to buy and trade tokenized products. MUMSS has begun offering bond security tokens, marking its formal entry into the security token market. At the same time, the firm introduced ASTOMO, a trading venue for retail investors built with Japanese fintech company Smartplus. The system will debut with real estate-backed security tokens. Individuals can invest from 100,000 yen (about $655) through a smartphone app. Under the partnership MUMSS will select and source the digital securities. Smartplus will run account management and build and operate the trading system using its Brokerage as a Service (BaaS) platform. MUFG also revealed that it has started preparing a public offering of subordinated bonds in token form. The bank intends the instruments to qualify as Tier 2 capital under international rules. The offering is expected to be the first of its kind for Japan’s banking sector. MUFG has submitted an amended securities registration statement to the Director General of the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in advance of the sale.Photo by Asm Arif on PexelsTakaichi’s victory sparks interest in Japan’s crypto pathThe corporate steps arrive as conservative lawmaker Sanae Takaichi rises to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. She won the party election on Oct. 4 and is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister, with lawmakers expected to make the formal choice in the middle of this month.  Several industry voices see her leadership as supportive of digital assets, according to Cointelegraph. Elisenda Fabrega, general counsel at tokenization platform Brickken, said Takaichi’s victory might reshape how Japan perceives and regulates digital assets, reinforcing the country’s commitment to clear and reliable crypto laws. Maarten Henskens, chief operating officer at Startale Group and head of the Astar Foundation, chimed in to say that a looser monetary stance under Takaichi could keep liquidity flowing and drive greater investor interest in alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies. That optimism has already spilled into Japan’s equity markets. The Nikkei index has continued to soar since the leadership vote, reaching a record high of 48,580.44 on Oct. 9. Not all signals point in the same direction. A BeInCrypto report published before the election noted market predictions that Takaichi might also back tighter oversight. The report cited her March proposal to build a framework that lets financial institutions, including crypto exchanges, share information on suspicious transactions. That system would support faster account freezes. Nikkei 225 Index Source: Google FinanceLoose fiscal tone brings new pressures for BitcoinFrom a broader economic view, the picture looks more complex. CoinDesk reported that Takaichi’s preference for easy Abenomics-style policies could weigh on Bitcoin in the short term. Expansionary fiscal measures tend to increase bond supply and drive yields higher, which often curbs risk appetite by raising borrowing costs and making assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies less appealing. Her stance has also reduced expectations for a Bank of Japan rate hike, weakening the yen and strengthening the U.S. dollar. The stronger dollar has cooled Bitcoin’s momentum, while gold has continued to attract investors seeking stability. MUFG’s blockchain venture arrives at a turning point for Japan. The bank’s push into tokenized assets shows how traditional finance is adapting to digital change just as new leadership tests the balance between innovation and control. Whether this marks the start of a broader transformation will depend on how policy, regulation, and investor confidence evolve together in shaping Japan’s financial future.