Welcome to Asia Pacific Morning Brief. An important digest of overnight cryptographic development that shapes regional markets and global sentiment. Grab some green tea and look at this space.
Vietnam has launched an international financial centre with a crypto exchange pilot program by the end of the year. Bakkt will enter Japan bitcoin.jp Rebranding. ChainLink launches US Stock Data. Nomura's Dubai derivative license is protected.
Operate crypto asset exchanges from Vietnam at International Financial Centre
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced that the International Financial Centre will be operating by 2025 and will be equipped with a digital asset trading platform, which means Vietnam is pushing forward with crypto regulations. Lieutenant Governor Pham Tien Dung revealed that Vietnam has established a comprehensive legal foundation for digital assets at the GM Vietnam 2025 conference.
The digital technology industry law passed in June 2025 officially recognizes crypto assets that differ from those that came into effect in January 2026.
Vietnam's crypto ownership rate is 21.2% worldwide, with over 21 million citizens holding more than $100 billion in digital assets per year. Regulation sandboxes work in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang and may attract major exchanges. South Korea's Upbit has already investigated Vietnam's entry into the market, signaling international confidence in the new regulatory framework.
Vietnam ranked first in the 2022 survey and fifth in the 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index for Chain Melting. Source: Chain Analysis
Bakkt launches Bitcoin financial strategy in Japan through the “bitcoin.jp” brand
Bakkt Holdings acquired a 30% stake in Tokyo-listed Marusho Hotta and became the largest shareholder on a $235 million deal. Japanese companies will be rebranded as “bitcoin.jp” pending shareholder approval, and Bakkt will secure a matching web domain. Phillip Lord, president of Bakkt International, assumes his CEO duties and integrates Bitcoin into the company's financial strategy.
Bakkt CE-CEO Akshay Naheta said Japan's regulatory environment is creating a “best platform for a Bitcoin-centric growth business.” The move follows Bakkt's recent $75 million stock rise and a billion shelves to fund Bitcoin purchases, marking a pivot from Crypto Infrastructure to oversee Bitcoin finance operations.
ChainLink launches real-time US stock data stream for DEFI
ChainLink has launched a data stream for US stocks and ETFs, bringing institutional grade pricing to the blockchain network. The service provides real-time data on assets such as Spy, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and more on 37 blockchains. Defi Protocols GMX, Kamino and others have already integrated streams.
The infrastructure includes circuit breaker logic with market time enforcement, stubbornness detection, and subsecond delays. This addresses a significant gap in tokenized equity infrastructure despite the $275 billion RWA tokenized market. Use cases include permanent futures, stock-secured on-chain lending, and synthetic ETFs.
Chief Business Head Johann Aid said the launch would allow for direct chaining, saying “production-enabled tokenized financial products are tied to US stocks.” The move coincides with increasing acceptance by regulators, including the recent passage of genius in favour of tokenized financial products.
Nomura's Laser Digital wins Dubai license for crypto OTC derivatives
Nomura's cryptocurrency subsidiary, Laser Digital, has secured its first regulated commercial crypto options license under Dubai's virtual asset regulator pilot framework. The company will be the first VARA regulatory entity to provide direct-direct crypto OTC options services in the Emirates.
Dubai's crypto-friendly regulatory environment continues to attract key players as Coinbase-owned Delibit also plans to operate there. Chief Product Officer Johannes Ullard praised the flexible implementation approach that Rose's detailed justification process is. Laser Digital will focus on key crypto tokens through medium options under ISDA agreements, keeping the structure simple before expanding to yield enhancement and lending services.
Mori Kiyoshi and Hakoda OBA contributed.
