While Asian equities celebrated renewed optimism following softer-than-expected US inflation data, the cryptocurrency market entered another phase of retreat, weighed down by a confluence of structural and behavioural forces that signal a deeper realignment in investor sentiment. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.6 per cent, buoyed by semiconductor leader TSMC and SoftBank Group, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.1 per cent ahead of a highly anticipated Bank of Japan policy decision.

This regional strength stemmed directly from the US Consumer Price Index’s unexpected drop to 2.7 per cent in November, well beneath the forecasted 3.1 per cent and marking the weakest annual gain since early 2021. Markets interpreted this data as a green light for Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026, injecting fresh momentum into risk assets across Asia.

At the same time, crypto experienced a further 0.79 per cent decline over the past 24 hours, extending its seven-day slide to 7.57 per cent. This divergence underscores a critical transformation underway. Bitcoin and other digital assets are no longer moving in lockstep with macro liquidity signals or tech-sector sentiment. Instead, they face internal pressures so profound that even historically supportive macro backdrops fail to provide a floor.

Gold surged to an all-time high of US$4330 per ounce, while silver breached US$66 per ounce, levels never before seen in financial history. This shift toward metals reflects a pronounced change in risk perception among institutional and retail investors alike. Unlike in previous cycles, when crypto often benefited from expectations of monetary easing or inflation fears, today’s capital flows into tangible, state-endorsed stores of value rather than decentralised alternatives.

Bitcoin, despite its decade-long narrative as digital gold, has failed to capture this demand. Year-to-date, it is down approximately 8 per cent, and its price correlation with the Nasdaq-100 has weakened to a near-zero 24-hour correlation coefficient of negative 0.03. This decoupling reveals a troubling reality. Crypto’s identity as a risk-on asset is being challenged not only by external macroeconomic conditions but also by its own inability to serve as a reliable hedge during periods of economic uncertainty. Investors now seem to view gold and silver, rather than bitcoin, as the primary beneficiaries of monetary instability, geopolitical tensions, and inflation volatility.

Also Read: Tech earnings fail AI test and crypto pays the price

Compounding this macro-level rejection is a relentless wave of selling from bitcoin’s most steadfast cohort, long-term holders. According to available data, nearly US$300 billion worth of bitcoin that had remained dormant for over one year re-entered active circulation in 2025 alone. This represents the largest distribution by long-term holders since 2020 and includes approximately 1.6 million coins that had been untouched for at least two years. The significance of this behaviour cannot be overstated. These are not speculative traders reacting to short-term volatility. They are early adopters, whales, and conviction-driven investors who have weathered multiple market cycles. Their decision to sell suggests a fundamental reassessment of bitcoin’s near-term trajectory.

This exodus has coincided precisely with bitcoin’s 30 per cent decline from its October peak of US$126000, indicating that the selling pressure is not merely a reaction to price drops but a driving force behind them. The phenomenon resembles a slow bleed, a steady offloading into thin order books that lacks the drama of a crash but inflicts sustained downward pressure. With the 24-hour Relative Strength Index sitting at 36.36, just above the oversold threshold of 30, the market teeters on the edge of potential capitulation. If that support breaks, a deeper correction could follow, particularly if long-term holders accelerate their distributions.

Further amplifying the downside has been a wave of forced liquidations in the derivatives market. Over the past 24 hours, US$176 million in bitcoin positions were liquidated, with long positions accounting for 66 per cent of those losses, a clear sign of leveraged bullish bets being unwound. This liquidation cascade acted as a multiplier on the initial selling pressure, pushing prices lower in a feedback loop that discouraged new buyers.

There is a silver lining in this deleveraging. Open interest in bitcoin perpetual futures has declined by four per cent, indicating that traders are reducing their leverage exposure. This deleveraging, while painful in the short term, lowers the systemic risk of a disorderly collapse. A less leveraged market is more resilient to flash crashes and more likely to stabilise once sentiment shifts. The immediate impact remains bearish, as each wave of liquidations reinforces the perception of weakness and deters momentum-driven capital from entering.

Also Read: Crypto’s fragile comeback: Technical relief meets macro uncertainty

What makes this moment particularly significant is the behaviour of capital within the crypto ecosystem itself. Bitcoin dominance now stands at 59.36 per cent, a three-month high, which might superficially suggest strength. In reality, it reflects a broader flight from the asset class altogether, not a rotation into bitcoin from altcoins, but a wholesale exit from crypto in favour of traditional safe havens. Investors are not reallocating within digital assets. They are withdrawing from them. This trend raises an urgent question for the coming months.

Can institutional inflows through spot ETFs offset the sustained outflow from long-term holders? Some analysts argue that institutional participation, fuelled by ETF approvals and allocations from major financial firms, is already reducing bitcoin’s volatility, citing a 68 per cent price swing in 2025 compared to Nvidia’s 120 per cent as evidence of maturation. That theoretical stability means little when real-time price action tells a story of persistent selling and broken technical levels.

In conclusion, the US$2.88 trillion market capitalisation level, derived from key Fibonacci retracement levels, emerges as a critical support zone. A decisive close below this threshold could trigger an additional five to seven per cent drop as algorithmic trading models and risk-managed portfolios recalibrate their exposure. Conversely, a firm hold above this level, combined with signs of stabilisation in long-term holder behaviour and renewed ETF inflows, could set the stage for a relief rally. For now, the path of least resistance remains downward.

The confluence of safe-haven rotations, veteran investor profit-taking, and derivatives deleveraging has created a perfect storm that even favourable macro news from the US CPI cannot immediately dispel. Bitcoin may be maturing with respect to volatility metrics, but maturity also entails facing the consequences of market-structure shifts without the artificial buoyancy of speculative fervour.

The next few weeks, especially in the wake of the Bank of Japan’s policy decision and continued Fed commentary, will determine whether this correction marks a temporary pause in a structural bull market or the beginning of a more prolonged reassessment of crypto’s role in a post-rate-hike, risk-conscious world.

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Singapore-based Business-Process-as-a-Service (BPaaS) company AnyMind Group has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of Sun Smile, a Japan-based distributor and brand owner in the beauty and personal care sector, marking its entry into offline retail and deepening its online-to-offline (O2O) capabilities.

The deal is AnyMind Group’s 13th acquisition to date and its seventh in Japan. While financial terms were not disclosed, the move signals a strategic push to connect social media, e-commerce and nationwide physical retail through a single, AI-powered business infrastructure.

Also Read: AnyMind’s Q3 revenue surges 53% on strong D2C, e-commerce platforms growth

Founded in 1997, Sun Smile operates across manufacturing, distribution and wholesale in the beauty and personal care category. Beyond developing its own brands, the company supports overseas brands entering the Japanese market and provides nationwide retail distribution through an extensive network of partner retailers.

By integrating Sun Smile, AnyMind Group will extend its BPaaS offering beyond digital channels to include offline retail distribution. This enables brands to manage social-driven demand, e-commerce operations and in-store sales as part of one data-linked ecosystem.

The acquisition comes as consumer behaviour in beauty and personal care across Asia-Pacific continues to shift. Product discovery increasingly begins on social platforms, moves through e-commerce and often concludes in physical stores. The rise of social commerce platforms has further reinforced the role of digital content in shaping purchase intent and conversion, even when final transactions happen offline.

Kosuke Sogo, CEO and co-founder of AnyMind Group, stated that the deal reflects the evolution of consumer journeys. “Consumer journeys in beauty and personal care no longer end at the screen; they move seamlessly from short-form video and social commerce into e-commerce and physical retail,” he said. “Sun Smile’s nationwide distribution network and experience in brand building are a powerful complement to our BPaaS model. By integrating our data, AI and operations, we will help brands grow faster and more efficiently from discovery to purchase, whether that happens online, offline or both.”

Also Read: Influencers, interactivity drive consumer response in Singapore: AnyMind

The integration is expected to unlock several synergies. Sun Smile’s portfolio of supported brands will gain access to AnyMind Group’s marketing, creator commerce and e-commerce tools. At the same time, AnyMind’s existing customers, including those outside Japan, will be able to tap into Sun Smile’s offline retail network.

At an operational level, the combined group plans to use AI-driven planning and demand forecasting to optimise production-to-retail workflows across both online and offline channels.

Tokuya Tanaka, CEO of Sun Smile, said the partnership addresses the growing need for unified brand support across channels. “As brand building originating from social networking services and e-commerce accelerates, we recognise the importance of providing consistent support across online and offline channels and operating businesses premised on data utilisation,” he said. “By joining AnyMind Group, we believe we can combine our strengths in distribution and planning with AnyMind’s capabilities in social marketing, e-commerce and AI to offer brand companies even more advanced support than before.”

Also Read: AnyMind acquires Japan’s NADESIKO to supercharge social-driven beauty commerce

The Sun Smile acquisition also builds on AnyMind Group’s recent moves to strengthen its content and social commerce capabilities, including its acquisition of NADESHIKO Beauty, which operates vertically focused short-form video media aimed at stimulating early-stage consumer demand.

Founded in 2016, AnyMind Group now employs over 2,000 staff across 24 offices in 15 markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan. As of its latest earnings disclosure in September 2025, the company serves over 1,000 enterprises for marketing and more than 190 enterprises for e-commerce, alongside thousands of publishers and creators across the region.

In August this year, AnyMind unveiled AnyLive for Creators, a platform that lets influencers develop AI avatars capable of hosting livestreams and driving affiliate commerce, even while the creators themselves are offline.

Some of the group’s past acquisitions are FourM (Japan), GROVE (Japan), Moindy (Thailand), Acqua Media (Hong Kong), POKKT (India), AnyReach (Japan), Vibula (Vietnam), and NADESIKO (Japan).

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Singapore SMEs are outperforming larger companies in brand building and network growth. Still, they risk losing momentum if they fail to close widening gaps in AI adoption and literacy, according to LinkedIn’s latest Work Change Report.

Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, entrepreneurship in Singapore remains resilient, with small and medium-sized businesses entering 2026 in growth mode. The report identifies three key engines powering this momentum: technology and AI that drive speed and scale, strong brand credibility that fosters trust, and networks that convert visibility into opportunities.

AI, in particular, is seen as a powerful equaliser. Tools that enable automation, data-driven decision-making and more innovative marketing are allowing smaller firms to “punch above their weight”, capabilities that were once largely the preserve of large enterprises. However, LinkedIn’s findings suggest adoption remains uneven.

Only 26 per cent of professionals currently use AI for advanced tasks such as strategy development or data analysis, while fewer than half apply AI to everyday work. Although AI literacy skills within companies employing 11 to 50 people grew 67 per cent year over year, this still trails the 99 per cent growth seen among companies with more than 1,000 employees. This gap highlights a critical challenge for Singapore SMEs as competition intensifies.

Encouragingly, nearly half of SMB employees report learning AI skills with the support of their employers. Yet 50 per cent remain uncertain about which skills to prioritise next.

Also Read: 3,000 Singapore MSMEs to receive free hands-on AI training under regional ASEAN initiative

What they want is clear: hands-on, practical learning. Real-life projects and assignments, as well as opportunities to apply AI in daily work, virtual training, and tutorials, are their preferred learning methods. For business leaders, this signals an opportunity to invest in training that delivers immediate, practical value.

Beyond technology, brand building has become a top priority for Singapore SMEs. As AI-generated content floods digital channels, authenticity is increasingly seen as a key differentiator. While 80 per cent of SMB marketers say AI helps them produce content faster, 73 per cent believe human voices matter more than ever.

Small businesses are leaning heavily into community-driven content, drawing on creators, experts and employee voices to build credibility and trust. This emphasis on authenticity is stronger among small businesses than large firms, reinforcing how Singapore SMEs are using human connection as a competitive edge.

Networks are also proving critical to growth. Strong professional relationships help generate leads, guide hiring decisions and provide trusted advice during uncertain times. Professionals in companies with 50 employees or fewer grew their networks by 11 per cent year over year, outpacing the 9 per cent growth seen at large enterprises.

“Small businesses in Singapore are in growth mode, and AI can be their ultimate force multiplier in 2026,” said Elsie Ng, director of LinkedIn Talent Solutions for Singapore and Malaysia. “Authenticity and trust matter more than ever, and networks are the new currency for growth.”

Also Read: From job-hopping to growth-hacking: What SMEs can learn from Gen Z’s approach to work

To support this momentum, LinkedIn offers tools ranging from Company Pages and content amplification to LinkedIn Events, alongside free learning courses focused on AI, branding and more intelligent networking. The Work Change Report underscores a clear message: for Singapore SMEs, sustained success will depend on pairing strong human relationships and authentic brands with the skills needed to turn AI into a real advantage.

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6 March 2025 will forever be etched in people’s minds as the day Trump took Africa off of aid.

Africa is no longer a passive recipient of development aid—it is stepping forward as an assertive actor demanding agency over its growth trajectory. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with a median age of just 19 years.

More than 60 per cent of the continent’s population is under the age of 25, representing not only a massive labour force but also a dynamic base of consumers. By 2030, Africa is projected to have a combined consumer and business spending of over US$6.7 trillion, and by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African.

Across the continent, youth-led movements are rejecting the legacy of colonialism and challenging foreign political, economic, and cultural dominance—from anti-French protests in Mali and Burkina Faso to digital campaigns calling out exploitative trade and development practices.

Simultaneously, the European Union’s waning strategic interest in the African Union—evident in reduced engagement levels, shifting diplomatic priorities, and diluted financial commitments—has created a vacuum that new players such as China, the UAE, and Turkey are beginning to fill.

With the world racing to decarbonise, Africa is no longer on the sidelines. Its vast deposits of critical minerals—such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earths—have drawn the attention of states eager to secure supply chains for their energy transitions.

The United States, for example, has entered into talks with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to access strategic mineral rights, including proposals linking military assistance to extraction privileges. China has taken an even more assertive role, with Chinese companies now dominating cobalt and lithium extraction in the DRC and other mineral-rich African states—representing nearly a quarter of all Chinese FDI in Africa by 2022.

Meanwhile, the European Union has launched its Global Gateway Investment Package, aiming to secure access to key raw materials such as manganese, tantalum, and bauxite while promoting its climate and industrial goals. These moves by global powers have sparked criticism of a new form of resource exploitation, where value is exported and local communities are left with environmental and social costs.

It is clear, that demographics, resources, and geopolitics are converging to make the continent central to global economic and climate strategy. The question is no longer whether Africa will shape the green transition—but how, and on whose terms.

Africa’s climate ambitions and the green promise

Africa holds immense promise in the transition to a net-zero world. Home to 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves essential for clean technologies, vast tracts of arable land, and one of the largest solar irradiation zones on Earth, the continent is poised to become a powerhouse of green growth. Countries like Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa are pioneering clean energy solutions, while others like Nigeria and Egypt are exploring green hydrogen and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Beyond energy, Africa’s green growth potential lies in net-zero manufacturing. According to a recent report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Africa has the opportunity to decarbonise its industrial base and become a global hub for low-carbon manufacturing. If supported by the right financing and policy architecture, Africa could reduce manufacturing emissions by up to 90 per cent while creating 3.8 million new green jobs and generating over US$2 billion in annual green revenues by 2030.

Also Read: Climate tech startups can play a role in helping SMEs bridge sustainability, digital transformation: Paessler

Sectors such as green steel, sustainable cement, bio-based packaging, and solar panel assembly could anchor a pan-African net-zero industrial ecosystem. Such developments would not only enhance local value creation and export potential but also build resilience against global supply shocks.

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opening pathways for intra-continental green value chains, and a youthful population hungry for climate-compatible employment, Africa has the assets to shape a new industrial era. But ambition needs capital. And that’s where the dilemma begins.

The financial trap: Debt-for-nature swaps and ESG capital

Aside from developmental aid, debt-for-nature swaps (DFNS) are gaining traction as a solution to Africa’s rising debt and climate finance gap. These financial arrangements allow portions of external debt to be forgiven or restructured in exchange for conservation commitments. Gabon made headlines with a US$500 million marine DFNS in 2023, Seychelles earlier protected 30 per cent of its waters through a similar mechanism, and a coalition of Indian Ocean states is now considering a US$2 billion joint proposal.

On the surface, DFNS seem like a win-win: nations reduce debt burdens and fund environmental protection. But many of these deals come with strict conditions—funds are often ring-fenced for conservation, leaving little room to finance green industrial infrastructure such as clean energy manufacturing, regenerative agriculture, or low-carbon transport systems.

Africa risks becoming a “carbon sink” or biodiversity custodian for the Global North—rewarded for what it protects, not what it builds.

The fork in the road: Two futures

Africa stands at a critical juncture, with two divergent paths ahead:

• The dystopian green enclosure: Natural capital becomes collateral. External actors define conservation metrics, audit compliance, and enforce penalties. Environmental policy becomes beholden to ESG bond covenants, biodiversity offset schemes, and investor expectations. Sovereignty is slowly eroded, as African nations trade access to land, forests, and water in exchange for financial relief.
• A regenerative green sovereignty: Africa asserts control over climate finance architecture. DFNS and ESG capital are redirected toward building industrial green zones, powered by solar, producing sustainable goods for global markets. Regional carbon markets and African-developed disclosure frameworks anchor investment. Sovereignty is maintained, development is endogenous, and climate outcomes are just.

TCFD and the disclosure dilemma

The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) is a global framework helping firms report climate-related financial risks. Egypt, Tunisia, and Kenya are among the few African countries piloting TCFD-aligned programs. By aligning with TCFD, African firms can attract climate capital and demonstrate resilience to global investors.

But there’s a catch: the TCFD’s structure and methodology are rooted in Western risk assumptions. If adopted uncritically, Africa could once again become a follower of externally defined ESG norms, rather than shaping standards that reflect its realities and strengths.

The new geopolitics of climate finance

Climate finance is fast becoming a new instrument of geopolitical influence. China is investing in Africa’s renewable grids. The UAE is backing clean tech parks. The EU and US push biodiversity-linked bonds and climate reporting standards. Financial giants like Goldman Sachs and BlackRock are issuing nature-based financial products.

Foreign investments in Africa increasingly focus on conservation and carbon offset initiatives that benefit both host countries and investors. China, through its Belt and Road Initiative, has developed models of reforestation for carbon credit generation that could be replicated in African landscapes.

The UAE, via companies like Blue Carbon, has secured rights over millions of hectares of African forests for carbon credit projects, using the credits to offset domestic emissions and trade globally. European investors are engaging in biodiversity credits, such as through African Parks’ Verifiable Nature Units, to meet their ESG targets while funding ecological protection.

While these projects offer crucial capital and visibility for Africa’s conservation agenda, they raise critical concerns:

• Sovereignty and land use: Large-scale land agreements may marginalise local communities, especially if traditional rights are ignored or overridden. In Tanzania, the eviction of Maasai herders from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to make way for carbon offset and tourism investments has sparked international outrage. These evictions, influenced by foreign conservation and finance interests, raise questions about whose interests are being prioritised in the green transition.
• Environmental integrity: The quality and credibility of carbon credits depend on rigorous standards, transparency, and independent verification. Without proper oversight, such projects risk undermining real climate action.
• Financial risk and ownership loss: When climate infrastructure projects go awry, the burden often falls on African governments and citizens. In Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, delays in grid connection forced the government to pay US$52.5 million in penalties to foreign developers—costs ultimately passed on to the public. Such contracts reflect the imbalance of power and the risk of legal or financial transfer of assets in the event of defaults.
• Equitable benefit sharing: African nations must negotiate agreements that ensure a fair share of revenue, support local job creation, and reinvest in communities and ecosystems.

Africa is both the stage and the prize in this contest. If fragmented, it risks being out-negotiated. If unified, it could command better terms.

Also Read: Transition climate risk: Navigating the future of sustainable real estate

Strategic pathways and business opportunities for Africa

To navigate this moment, Africa must adopt strategic measures that both protect sovereignty and catalyse green growth. Learning from successful models in other regions can provide a roadmap for Africa’s climate transition:

• Embed sovereignty protections in all climate finance deals. African governments must include clauses that prevent loss of ownership or operational control in the event of financial distress, ensuring that local communities and national authorities retain decision-making power.
• Develop regional standards for ESG frameworks, carbon and biodiversity accounting. Drawing inspiration from Singapore’s Centre for Climate Research and its investments in foundational climate science, Africa can establish regional research institutions and universities to lead in regional climate modelling and carbon measurement. With a strong scientific base, it empowers Africa to set its own benchmarks for ESG performance, emissions reduction, biodiversity valuation, and climate resilience. ensuring they reflect the continent’s unique ecological, economic, and social realities.
• Harmonise climate finance taxonomies with global standards. Singapore has demonstrated regional leadership by aligning its green finance taxonomy with those of the EU and China to ensure interoperability for cross-border financing. Similarly, Africa can develop a harmonised climate taxonomy that is compatible with major international systems, thereby enhancing its ability to attract sustainable finance while ensuring projects align with local needs.
• Leverage AfCFTA to scale green policies, and setting regional benchmarks for investing of DFNS proceeds. Funds from debt-for-nature swaps should support sectors like renewable energy, green hydrogen, sustainable agriculture, and electric mobility—areas with strong job creation and export potential, not just conservation. Fostering intra-African trade in climate goods and services would promote self-sustaining green value chains and reduce dependency on imported technologies.
• Capitalise on emerging business opportunities in green and digital infrastructure. These include investments in low-carbon “dark factories” using automation and renewable energy, climate-resilient data centres powered by solar or geothermal, and localised processing of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite. These sectors can transform Africa into a competitive hub for climate-era industries while creating durable economic value.

Conclusion: Owning the transition

Africa has a choice. It can remain a passive supplier of offsets and green goodwill. Or it can build the factories, systems, and institutions of the net-zero age. The tools are emerging. The capital is circling. The question is whether the continent will shape its green destiny—or lease it out to the highest bidder.

The stakes are high, but so is Africa’s leverage. If the continent acts collectively and on its own terms, the green future will not only be sustainable. It will be sovereign.

You can also find me on my podcast and newsletter, where I share regular insights on geopolitics and leadership.

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While global public markets are showing tentative signs of recovery, Southeast Asia’s ability to deliver clear, dependable exit pathways remains a defining test for the region’s digital economy. Capital may be returning, but confidence hinges less on sentiment and more on proof — specifically, whether investors can realistically see how and when liquidity will materialise.

The e-Conomy SEA 2025 report is unambiguous on this point. Exit viability now sits alongside profitability as a primary filter for capital allocation. This reflects a broader shift from growth narratives to outcome certainty. Investors are no longer asking who can scale fastest, but who can exit credibly.

Globally, IPO activity is beginning to thaw, particularly across the US, Europe and parts of North Asia. Southeast Asia, however, continues to lag. A 21 per cent decline in IPO activity across the SEA-6 in the first half of 2025 underscores the gap between global recovery and regional readiness.

Yet the picture is not uniformly bleak. Indonesia and Malaysia have emerged as the region’s most reliable public exit engines, accounting for roughly 70 per cent of IPO volume over the past year. Singapore’s pipeline, while slower to convert, suggests preparation rather than retreat.

For venture capital, exits are not a luxury; they are the system’s oxygen. The cautious re-emergence of late-stage funding reflects expectations that IPO and M&A routes will reopen meaningfully. As profitability improves and listing pipelines solidify, Southeast Asia’s next test is execution. Confidence will follow results, not projections.

REGIONAL

Trade finance platform Olea bets on AI and Web3 as it closes US$30M Series A: Investors include BBVA, XDC Network, and theDOCK. With fresh capital, Olea scales technology-driven trade finance to support inclusive global commerce and resilient supply chains.

Singapore’s deeptech startup Galatek nets US$30M Series A: The firm focuses on automation and AI solutions for life sciences and semiconductor manufacturing. The funding will help expand its product development, strengthen its supply chain, and grow teams in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.

AnyMind Group enters offline retail with acquisition of Japan’s Sun Smile: By integrating Sun Smile, AnyMind Group will extend its BPaaS offering beyond digital channels to include offline retail distribution. This enables brands to manage social-driven demand, e-commerce operations and in-store sales as part of one data-linked ecosystem.

Pyxis bags US$10M to scale electric vessels across SEA: Investors include Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, SEEDS, and Shift4Good. Pyxis will advance its Electra smart ecosystem with deeper IoT integration, predictive maintenance tools and vehicle-to-grid capabilities and develop ultra-fast marine charging infrastructure.

GoTo appoints Hans Patuwo as CEO, replacing Patrick Walujo: Patuwo previously served as COO and led the company’s financial services and cloud migration projects. Before joining GoTo, he worked at multinational companies in the US, China, and Singapore, including McKinsey.

Antler invests US$5.6M across 14 AI startups with early commercial traction: The investments target applied AI businesses operating across industrial, enterprise and infrastructure-focused sectors, with several of the startups reporting active customers in multiple international markets.

Grab, China’s Momenta team up on autonomous driving in SEA: As part of the deal, Grab will make a strategic investment in Momenta. The companies plan to integrate Momenta’s autonomous driving systems into vehicles for deployment on Grab’s platform, focusing on Southeast Asian urban mobility.

Vietnam boosts cross-border e-commerce to become export hub: The country introduced a national e-commerce development master plan for 2026-30 and enacted a new law on December 10. Vietnam’s total cross-border online import-export turnover was US$4.1B in 2024, with online exports estimated to rise 18% to US$2B in 2025.

REPORTS, LISTICLES, AND FEATURES

Recovery without returns: Why SEA’s tech exit problem persists: As the region moves into its next digital decade, the convergence of increasing profitability and more apparent IPO activity in key markets is essential for restoring complete, long-term investor confidence and driving continued capital deployment across the technology ecosystem.

Who made it through: SEA’s startup winners, survivors, and failures: The region’s startup reckoning split winners, survivors and casualties, rewarding fintech infrastructure, profitability and regulatory alignment, while ending growth-at-all-costs narratives and forcing painful reinvention across the ecosystem.

15 SEA startups using tech to fix what systems can’t: From mental health and healthcare access to sustainable food systems, farmer livelihoods, and workplace equity, these companies sit at the intersection of innovation and impact.

Why fintechs should learn about customer retention from e-commerce firms: Fintech firms typically have inventories that are limited to the same types of products and services. As most financial products are intangible, communicating the real value of products to customers before they buy and finding ways to purchase more can be a challenge.

After the Gold Rush: What comes next for Southeast Asia’s digital economy: After a decade of breakneck growth, the region’s digital economy faces slower expansion, tougher regulation, and higher execution demands.

INTERNATIONAL

North Korean hackers steal crypto worth US$2B in 2025: This marks a record haul and a more than 50% rise from 2024. A major portion of this total came from a US$1.5B theft at Bybit in February. The country was responsible for most of the US$3.4B stolen from the global cryptocurrency industry between Jan and early Dec 2025.

TikTok signs deal to divest US assets to American-led venture: The transaction is expected to close on January 22, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX together holding a 45% stake in the new entity, to be named TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.

Coinbase sues three US states over prediction market rules: The lawsuit challenges Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut’s authority to regulate prediction markets. Coinbase seeks court orders confirming that only the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has jurisdiction over these markets.

One-third in UK use AI for emotional, social support: According to a new report from the government’s AI Security Institute, general-purpose assistants like ChatGPT were most commonly used for these purposes, followed by voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa.

Flipkart acquires majority stake in India-based Minivet AI: The acquisition is intended to enhance Flipkart’s generative AI capabilities for its ecommerce platform, especially in areas like visual, conversational, and AI-led shopping experiences.

IBM to train 5M Indian youths in AI, tech by 2030: The tech giant will deliver the training through its SkillsBuild platform, which offers courses in various digital skills. It will work with Indian educational institutions to expand access to hands-on learning, curriculum integration, and faculty development.

SEMICONDUCTOR

South Korea to deploy 10,000 Nvidia GPUs to startups, AI projects: The government recently spent US$947.2M to purchase these GPUs. The GPUs will be used in a large-scale cluster to support high-speed computing for AI model training and inference in industry, academia, and state projects.

Chinese scientists develop optical AI chip 100x faster than Nvidia: The optical computing chip, LightGen, uses photonic neurons—over 2M integrated onto a single chip—to process and generate high-resolution images and videos using the speed of light rather than electrons.

Nvidia to build new AI campus in Israel: The US chipmaker plans to buy the land from the state for about US$28M, marking the first time an international tech firm in Israel will own its campus property. The site will cover 90 dunams and span about 160,000 square meters.

AI

Why legal’s biggest AI problem isn’t technology: The prosperous future of the legal industry depends on the seamless integration of people, technology, and process. This fosters a community of practice that promotes responsible, inclusive, and commercially effective legal innovation.

Asia’s legal AI challenge isn’t tech; it’s talent and mindset: AI adoption in Asia’s legal sector hinges on people, not platforms — bridging generational divides, reskilling talent, and reshaping mindsets for sustainable change.

How AI is rewriting the rules of cyber defence: The fast growth of AI has created an imbalance between attackers and defenders. Security experts are now playing catch-up against threats that are faster and larger than ever before.

Indonesia finishes initial phase of AI talent factory programme: The initiative, run in partnership with Universitas Brawijaya, aims to increase the number of skilled professionals in AI. It focuses on three areas: providing updated education, connecting graduates to industry needs, and encouraging the development of AI-based solutions.

Agentic AI could transform travel planning: McKinsey: Unlike current chatbots or recommendation engines, agentic AI is designed to handle end-to-end travel logistics, from creating itineraries to booking and adjusting plans if disruptions occur.

AI augmented writing: Augmentation in practice: Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word of the Year, “slop”, highlights how AI automation degrades trust, while human-led AI augmentation delivers authenticity, performance and meaningful content.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Tech earnings fail AI test and crypto pays the price: Asian markets fell as tech stocks slid on AI valuation worries, dragging crypto lower as Nasdaq-linked sentiment tightened, with investors demanding earnings proof amid rising global risk aversion and volatility.

The art and science of feedback: A guide for first time founders and new managers: Effective feedback isn’t vibes or bureaucracy. It requires structure, self-awareness and trust — combining human judgment with disciplined systems, and eventually AI, to turn fear into growth.

Human connection will define SEA’s innovation story in 2026: Trust, care, belonging, and emotional intelligence are becoming the new KPIs. In a world where AI can automate almost everything, what can’t be automated becomes even more valuable: Empathy, creativity, local culture, memory-making moments, and real presence.

The future of retail is autonomous: Securing agentic AI for smarter, safer growth: Agentic AI is emerging as a critical enabler in retail. It does not just follow instructions. It reasons through tasks, makes informed decisions, and takes action, enabling a connected frontline to work smarter and respond to customer needs in real time.

Fintech companies targeting the next billion users are living a pipe dream. Here’s why: Using history and fintech, the piece argues top-down tech strategies fail in emerging markets; success with next billion users demands ground-level, merchant-first solutions over one-size-fits-all platforms.

Digital banking in Indonesia: Growing importance and future trends: Digital banking is helping Indonesians to solve problems that a few years ago were hard to imagine solving. It gives access to finances to rural citizens, therefore expanding the abilities for economic rise and development.

How retailers could prepare for the next consumer recession, if it were to come: Reward programmes are a way to retain customers but to make it work, retailers have to track and record the results, including new membership sign-ups, immediate sales growth, and long-term measurable profit increment.

The post Ecosystem Roundup: Why SEA’s tech exit problem persists | N Korean hackers steal US$2B in crypto | SEA startup winners and losers | Galatek, Olea Raise US$30M appeared first on e27.