Hong Kong is set to issue its first stablecoin licences in March 2026, following the new Stablecoins Ordinance. The city is also expanding crypto market rules and tokenisation projects while China remains cautious about cryptocurrency activity.

In a sweeping regulatory crackdown, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), alongside a coalition of top state agencies, has formally banned the issuance of yuan-linked stablecoins and sharply curtailed real-world asset (RWA) tokenization

South Korean authorities have broken up an international crypto ring that laundered around 150 billion won ($101.7 million) through domestic and overseas accounts. Three Chinese nationals are facing prosecution for using the funds under the guise of legitimate payments like cosmetic surgery and study fees.

Once a pilot, the China-led multi-CBDC platform is scaling fast—revealing how the digital yuan is emerging as the dominant currency on new cross-border payment rails.

China’s former digital yuan architect, Yao Qian, is facing serious corruption charges after Chinese state media revealed that he allegedly accepted more than $8 million in crypto bribes while holding senior regulatory positions.

China has told local companies to stop using cybersecurity software from more than a dozen U.S. and Israeli firms, citing national security risks and fears that sensitive data could be sent overseas. The move supports Beijing’s push to rely more on home-grown technology and reduce dependence on Western suppliers.

Chinese AI company DeepSeek is rapidly expanding in Africa, Russia, Belarus, and other markets using low-cost, open-source models backed by government subsidies. Microsoft warns that U.S. tech firms risk falling behind as their paid, controlled AI systems struggle to compete on price and accessibility.

The Prince Holding Group founder orchestrated “pig butchering” scams from Cambodia using forced labor. U.S. authorities recovered $11.6 billion in Bitcoin, exposing crypto’s vulnerability to global fraud networks.

China’s decision to allow banks to pay interest on digital yuan wallets from Jan. 1 is emerging as a pointed challenge to U.S. stablecoin policy, exposing a growing divergence between Beijing’s state-backed digital currency strategy and Washington’s restrictions under the GENIUS Act.

Cambodia has arrested Prince Group chair Chen Zhi and deported him to China after months of joint investigations into alleged crypto fraud and forced labour scams. US, UK and Asian authorities have also seized and frozen billions of dollars in Bitcoin and assets linked to his network, tightening pressure on one of the region’s largest alleged scam groups.