South Korea’s Jeonbuk Bank is partnering with Ripple to deploy cross-border payments for import-export companies, technology startups and online content creators. Ripple says the system will enable faster and cheaper remittances than transfers routed through intermediary banks using the SWIFT messaging network, which can take several days. South Korean lawmakers have proposed expanding the Financial Intelligence Unit’s authority over unregistered crypto businesses, while regulators and agencies are also moving against Polymarket over gambling concerns, accepting BitGo Korea’s virtual-asset service provider registration, establishing a joint virtual-asset crime unit and preparing a fractional-investment market. Across Asia, Japan saw SBI Group lead Fasset’s $68 million Series C round at a $1 billion valuation, Laser Digital receive the first crypto exchange approval in four years and Toyota Finance offer a 1 billion yen tokenized bond to retail investors. Bitdeer signed a five-year, approximately $400 million AI cloud deal in Malaysia; Singapore introduced fund-management tax measures as it competes with Hong Kong; Pakistan opened a licensing portal for virtual asset service providers; Capital.com planned UAE spot crypto services after its affiliate secured a license; and Hong Kong’s digital-asset and artificial-intelligence sectors saw developments involving HKDAP and Claude. Taiwan authorities reportedly dismantled a money-laundering network that purchased USDT through Hong Kong exchanges.