Asian countries account for almost half of the adoption rate
Almost half of the top 20 countries in grassroots crypto adoption are in the Asia Pacific region. According to the new Chainalysis release In the 2026 Global Crypto Adoption Index, Japan ranks 4th, followed by South Korea (5th), India (6th), Thailand (8th), China (12th), Indonesia (14th), Australia (15th), Vietnam (18th) and the Philippines (19th), making a total of nine countries out of 20.
A major growth area in the APAC region is cross border stablecoin transfers.
Tianwei Liu, co-founder and CEO of StraitsX, told Cointelegraph that in Asia, fragmented currencies and payment systems have created demand for stablecoin settlements.
“This demand is also expanding into everyday spending, with stablecoins sitting behind payment methods that people already use,” Liu said.
Bitget Confirms $351M Security Breach, Postpones Withdrawal
Crypto exchange Bitget has confirmed unauthorized transfers affecting approximately $351.6 million in assets and has temporarily suspended withdrawals while it investigates.
Gracie Chen, CEO of the Asia-focused exchange, said The breach was in part on the exchange’s hot and warm wallet tiers, while its cold wallets were protected.
Bitgate said it has flagged addresses associated with the transfer and contacted law enforcement and onchain security agencies. The damaged amount falls into Bitget’s user protection fund, which currently stands at more than $464 million.
Source: Gracie Chen
Binance Takes $100M Stake in Circle Under Expanded USDC Contract
Binance has invested $100 million in stablecoin issuer Circle as part of an extended five-year deal to promote USDC on the crypto exchange. Under the agreement, Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee based on the amount of USDC held through Circle’s modular smart contract wallet infrastructure.
Binance has also agreed to undertake additional activities to promote USDC on its platform.
Australia
Australian 40-year economic outlook recognizes ‘AI revolution’, excludes crypto
Australia’s new 40-year economic vision identifies artificial intelligence as one of five major changes expected to have a profound impact on the economy, excluding any mention of crypto.
Coinbase Australia country director John O’Loghlen told Cointelegraph that the report was a missed opportunity. “While the report focuses heavily on artificial intelligence, it completely misses the financial infrastructure those agents need,” he said.
In related news, OpenAI agents hacked the Australian government’s Medicare system, and the firm forgot to mention the incident three months later when it released an email to a public email address.
Korea
Bank of Korea launches 24-hour One Settlement pilot for foreign investors
The Bank of Korea (BOK) has launched a pilot of its first 24-hour One Settlement Network, which aims to allow foreign investors to settle transactions outside of South Korea’s normal banking hours.
On Monday, its international wire network began trial operations with four domestic lenders: KB Kookmin Bank, Uri Bank, Hana Bank and Shinhan Bank. Full operation is scheduled for January 2027, when participation is expected to expand to other institutions and foreign banks.
The network will operate 24 hours a day excluding weekends and public holidays
Hanna Bank Taps Euroclear Blockchain to Issue $100M Bond: Report
South Korea’s Hana Bank has issued a five-year, $100 million digital bond using Euroclear’s blockchain-based platform. The process has been shortened from three to five working days by using technology to allocate bonds and settle payments on the same day.
Kakao Pay, KakaoBank to explore stable coin opportunities with FireBlock
South Korean financial company Kakao Pay and KakaoBank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with crypto infrastructure provider Fireblock to explore opportunities in digital assets, including stablecoins.
North Korean fake recruiters infect 30,000 devices, steal $10.7 million in crypto
North Korean cyber group Waterplum targeted developers with fake jobs at crypto, AI and NFT companies, infecting at least 30,000 devices in more than 100 countries.
Hong Kong
Animoca puts Currence merger on hold, delaying its Nasdaq debut
Animoca Brands has postponed plans to take the company public through a reverse merger with Nasdaq-listed Currence Group. Animoca is a Hong Kong-headquartered investment and gaming company whose portfolio includes Sandbox, Moca Network and Open Campus.
Both parties agreed to the decision after reviewing market conditions and the expected closing timeframe of the deal. Animoca said the companies could resume negotiations if conditions permit.
Hong Kong ex-banker jailed for $1.6B in fake credit, cryptocurrency bribes
A former Hong Kong bank official who falsely authenticated more than $1.6 billion in letters of credit was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to repay more than $470,000 he received in cryptocurrency bribes.
HKMA announced on-chain settlement plan
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is upgrading its main debt securities settlement system, the Central Money Market Unit, to run 24/7 on blockchain. The upgraded platform is designed to handle CBDC, tokenized deposits and stablecoins.
Boyaa Interactive adds 152 Bitcoins, holding 4,468 BTC
Hong Kong-listed online gaming company Boyaa Interactive bought another 152 bitcoins to bring its total holdings to 4,468 BTC.
Saudi Arabia/China
Saudi Arabia pulls out of China-backed Embridge CBDC project: FT
Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from Embridge, a China-backed cross-border digital currency project designed to enable direct transactions between central banks, according to the Financial Times.
SAMA, the central bank of Saudi Arabia, has fully joined mBridge Participant in June 2024 and after completing a proof of concept on May 13, 2025, FT ended its participation Reportquoted a statement from the central bank.
Singapore
Singapore tops the crypto asset migration rankings for the 4th year running
Singapore has been ranked No. 1 for the fourth year in a row in the Henley Crypto Adoption Index, which evaluates 36 countries based on which offer the best conditions for cryptocurrency investors to relocate and settle.
Vietnam
56 Crypto Scammers Arrested
Billionario reports that 56 alleged scammers working in a crypto fraud ring that stole millions from Vietnamese investors have been arrested in Cambodia and Vietnam.
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