News related to
across

Attendees can visit Booth 1808 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to explore Cregis’ infrastructure offerings, including its crypto payment engine, self-custody MPC wallet infrastructure, and enterprise-grade self-custody solutions. According to the team, the event represents not just an industry appearance, but an opportunity to observe and contribute to a deeper question: how crypto assets can meaningfully integrate into real financial systems.

Digital Assets Enter Business Operations

Over the past few years, much of the industry conversation has centered on issuance and trading. But as institutional participation accelerates, the focus is shifting toward a more complex challenge: how digital assets are operated in secure, compliant, and efficient ways.

As financial institutions and payment companies begin using on-chain assets in real business workflows, asset management is no longer just about private key security. It becomes a system-level problem involving multi-party coordination, permission design, auditability, and risk governance.

Against this backdrop, Cregis plans to focus on:

• The security and coordination requirements of enterprise asset management in stablecoin and payment use cases
• How permissions, accountability, and auditability should function across multi-team, multi-system operations
• How automation and intelligent systems are redefining the requirements for underlying asset infrastructure

Stablecoins Move to the Center of Financial Infrastructure

Consensus Hong Kong 2026’s agenda reflects a broader industry shift. Compared with previous years, stablecoin-related discussions have expanded significantly, with the focus moving from whether stablecoins are viable to how they scale.

Topics around cross-border payments, settlement efficiency, liquidity movement, and regulatory frameworks are increasingly seen as the connective layer between crypto-native systems and traditional finance. For many industry participants, this marks a transition: crypto assets are no longer viewed primarily as speculative instruments, but as emerging components of financial circulation infrastructure.

The Debate Has Shifted

Disagreements around the future of crypto adoption remain. But the nature of the debate has changed. At Consensus Hong Kong 2026, the discussion is less about whether crypto will be adopted, and more about:

• What form adoption will take
• Whether infrastructure will become invisible to end users
• Who bears systemic risk, and who defines operational rules

In this context, the maturity of infrastructure is emerging as a key determinant of where the industry goes next.

Observing and Participating in an Inflection Point

The industry is transitioning from “exploring possibilities” to “building durable systems.” The evolving themes at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 are a clear signal of that shift.

As stablecoins, digital assets, and intelligent systems move deeper into real financial and commercial environments, the resilience, controllability, and compliance-readiness of infrastructure will determine how far adoption can go. During the event, Cregis will engage with participants across payments, financial institutions, and Web3, while continuing to focus on the evolution of enterprise digital finance infrastructure.

Cregis aims to provide enterprises with end-to-end digital asset management and operational infrastructure. By building security-first, flexible, and compliance-oriented systems, the company seeks to abstract complex onchain operations into standardized solutions that enterprises can easily integrate and manage — helping institutional clients navigate this industry transition with confidence.
Hashtag: #consensus2026 #cregis #Stablecoins

https://www.cregis.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cregis
https://x.com/0xCregis

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Cregis

Cregis is a global provider of enterprise-grade digital asset infrastructure, delivering secure, scalable, and compliant solutions for institutional clients.

Its core offerings—MPC-based self-custody wallets, Wallet-as-a-Service, and a robust Payment Engine—help exchanges, fintech platforms, and Web3 businesses manage digital assets with confidence.

With over 3,500 businesses served globally, Cregis empowers businesses to accelerate their Web3 transformation and unlock new digital asset opportunities.

3,500 Companies Recognized; Support for Working Caregivers Emerges as New Benchmark for Friendly Workplaces

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 January 2026 – 22 January 2026 – The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) held the 2024/25 Caring Company Scheme Recognition Ceremony today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Mr. Chris SUN Yuk-han, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended as the Guest of Honour. This year, a total of 3,500 caring companies and organisations were recognised.

For the first time, HKCSS released the major findings from the Caring Business Achievements Overview, providing an in-depth look at corporate trends in addressing social issues such as population ageing, workforce challenges, and climate change across four key pillars: Partnership, Social, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability.

Mr. Chris SUN Yuk-han, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, congratulated the businesses and organizations recognized by the Caring Company Scheme. He emphasized that building a compassionate society requires collaboration with the business community, which plays a vital role alongside government and non-governmental efforts. By prioritizing employee welfare, employers not only uplift families but also drive growth, attract talent, and foster mutual benefits. Mr. SUN called upon the business sector to engage more proactively in this initiative, fostering a collective commitment to building a more caring society for all.

24 Years of Deep-Rooted Partnership: 28% of Collaborations Last 10 Years or More

The Caring Company Scheme has been running for 24 years. The Revd Canon the Hon. Peter Douglas KOON, SBS, JP, Chairman of HKCSS, stated in his speech: “The Scheme underwent a significant revamp recently to localise international sustainability frameworks. Through our inaugural data analysis, we can observe the business sector’s overall performance in tackling challenges like population ageing and climate change. We hope these trends will guide companies to transform a culture of care into concrete business decisions.”

Data indicates that business-social partnerships have built a solid foundation. Over 70% of companies have maintained partnerships with community partners for three years or more, while 28% have sustained collaborations for over a decade, reflecting a commitment to long-term stability in cross-sectoral collaboration.

New Frontier in the Workplace: Support for Working Caregivers Emerges as a Key Focus

Corporate performance in supporting caregivers has become a focal point. Data reveals that over 80% of companiess have popularised flexible work arrangements, and 104 companies received special “Caregiver-Friendly” commendations for their outstanding support measures this year.

Hon Grace CHAN Man-yee, Chief Executive of HKCSS, observed several innovative cases: “Some companies have implemented eight weeks of fully paid adoption leave, five days of leave for only-child caregivers, and even ‘Grandchild Leave’. Others provide patient companion service. Supporting caregivers does not necessarily require massive financial investment; as long as it starts from the employees’ needs, the possibilities for caring business are endless.”

Five Key Recommendations: From “Ad Hoc Actions” to “Policy Integration”

While companies excel in charitable donations and active participation, there is room for improvement in environmental data tracking (currently at approximately 30%) and workplace diversity. Consequently, HKCSS proposes five key recommendations:

1. Deepen Caring Standards: Treat the Caring Company Scheme indicators as operational benchmarks to establish a systematic socially responsible business model.
2. Promote Professional Sharing and Responsible Procurement: Encourage management to join NGO boards as volunteers to provide professional support and integrate NGO products into corporate procurement supply chains.
3. Build Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces: Actively employ disadvantaged groups to tap into new talent pools and implement flexible work to support working caregivers.
4. Sustain Investment in Talent Development: Recognize talent as a driver of economic growth, enhance staff training, and strengthen mental health support.
5. Initiate Data-Driven Management: We recommend that companies immediately start tracking data related to sustainability performance to ensure that social initiatives are measurable and sustainable.

In 2024/25, the Caring Company Scheme received over 4,300 applications. Ultimately, 3,500 companies and organisations were recognised the Caring Company and Caring Organisation logos, comprising large corporations (42%), SMEs (51%), and organisations (7%). HKCSS emphasised that the data release aims to establish a long-term mechanism to guide the business sector in finding room for improvement and addressing future social challenges through collaboration.

Hashtag: #TheHongKongCouncilofSocialService #HKCSS #theCaringCompanyScheme #Caregiver-Friendly

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

By K Raveendran When the Supreme Court of India struck down the electoral bond scheme introduced under the government led by Narendra Modi, it did so on the realisation that the anonymity offered by the bonds, far from curing the malaise of black money, had institutionalised it. But the alternative of electoral trusts that the […]

The article Supreme Court Alternative To Electoral Bonds Turns Out To Be More Vicious appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Momentum has gathered through a series of policy signals that place safeguards alongside scale. Draft frameworks circulated by NITI Aayog and implementation roadmaps led by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have reinforced principles around responsible data use, model transparency and accountability for outcomes, while stopping short of prescribing one-size-fits-all rules that could chill innovation. Officials involved in consultations say the intent is to embed risk controls early—covering bias, explainability and security—rather than bolting them on after systems are deployed.

Enterprise adoption has followed a similar trajectory. Banks, insurers and large manufacturers are prioritising AI programmes that demonstrate near-term productivity gains and compliance readiness, favouring narrowly scoped applications over open-ended generative tools. Executives interviewed across sectors point to fraud detection, demand forecasting and maintenance optimisation as areas where benefits can be quantified and audited. By contrast, unrestricted text and image generation remains subject to tighter internal review, particularly where customer-facing outputs could expose firms to reputational or regulatory risk.

Scepticism has not slowed investment, but it has reshaped it. Venture funding has tilted towards platforms that promise governance controls by default—model cards, audit trails and data lineage—alongside performance. Start-ups building on foundation models increasingly highlight enterprise-grade safeguards as differentiators, responding to procurement teams that now treat ethics and security as commercial requirements rather than public-relations add-ons. Industry analysts note that this shift mirrors global buyer behaviour, but localised rules on data residency and consent amplify its importance.

Public-sector pilots underscore the same pattern. State administrations experimenting with AI for grievance redressal, traffic management and land records have emphasised human oversight and explainability, often keeping decision authority with officials while using algorithms to triage or recommend. Procurement documents reviewed by this publication show explicit clauses on dataset provenance and bias testing, reflecting lessons from earlier digital programmes where opaque automation triggered legal challenges.

At the national level, interoperability with global standards remains a priority. Engagements with multilateral bodies and peer regulators have sought alignment with emerging norms on risk classification and model evaluation, while retaining flexibility for domestic conditions. Officials argue that a principles-based stance will allow rapid adaptation as technology evolves, avoiding the lock-in that can follow prescriptive rules. Critics, however, warn that voluntary compliance may prove uneven without clear enforcement pathways.

Talent development forms another pillar of the blueprint. Universities and skilling platforms are expanding curricula that combine machine learning with ethics, law and product management, aiming to produce practitioners who can translate policy into code. Industry groups say demand is strongest for professionals able to design systems that pass audits and deliver return on investment, rather than purely experimental research. This has influenced hiring, with firms rewarding cross-disciplinary expertise.

Cloud providers and chipmakers are also recalibrating offerings for a market that prizes trust. Secure enclaves, confidential computing and on-premise deployment options are being pitched to enterprises wary of exposing sensitive data. Partnerships between domestic integrators and global technology companies have focused on localisation—language support, regulatory reporting and sector-specific controls—over raw model size.

UAE and India have elevated their strategic partnership with a sweeping set of agreements signed during the visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signalling a calibrated push to broaden cooperation across defence, energy, space, trade, investment and food safety. The pacts, endorsed alongside Narendra Modi, reflect a shared intent to anchor bilateral ties in long-term economic and security interests while navigating a volatile global environment.

The visit culminated in the exchange of multiple memoranda of understanding that collectively aim to translate political goodwill into operational outcomes. Officials from both sides framed the agreements as an expansion of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, emphasising implementation timelines and institutional coordination rather than aspirational language. At the centre of the package is a defence cooperation framework that strengthens military-to-military engagement, joint exercises, training exchanges and defence industrial collaboration, an area that has gathered momentum as both countries diversify security partnerships.

Energy cooperation featured prominently, with accords spanning hydrocarbons, clean energy and grid resilience. State-linked firms and private players outlined pathways to scale joint investments in upstream oil and gas while accelerating collaboration in renewables, green hydrogen and energy storage. The emphasis on clean energy dovetails with the UAE’s net-zero ambitions and India’s drive to expand non-fossil capacity, positioning both as partners in technology transfer and project financing across third markets.

Space cooperation agreements mark another pillar of the evolving relationship. Space agencies from Abu Dhabi and New Delhi committed to deeper collaboration in satellite development, earth observation, data sharing and human spaceflight training. The arrangements are designed to support applications ranging from climate monitoring and disaster management to urban planning and agriculture, underscoring the commercial and societal dividends of space-based assets.

Trade and investment pacts seek to build on the momentum generated by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which has reshaped tariff structures and supply chains between the two economies. New understandings focus on easing customs procedures, aligning standards and expanding market access for small and medium-sized enterprises. Investment promotion agencies agreed to coordinate sectoral roadmaps in manufacturing, logistics, digital services and infrastructure, with sovereign investors and development funds expected to play a catalytic role.

Food safety and agricultural cooperation agreements address a strategic priority for both governments. Protocols on standards, certification and inspection aim to streamline the movement of agri-food products while safeguarding consumer interests. Joint research initiatives are set to target crop resilience, post-harvest technologies and cold-chain logistics, reflecting lessons from climate stress and supply disruptions that have sharpened the focus on food security.

Diplomatic engagements during the visit also underscored people-to-people ties, education and skills. Universities and research institutions announced partnerships in advanced materials, artificial intelligence and health sciences, while vocational training programmes were aligned to labour market needs in construction, healthcare and digital services. These measures are intended to deepen the talent pipeline that underpins commercial ties.

Officials were careful to situate the agreements within a broader regional and global context. With shipping lanes under strain and commodity markets exposed to geopolitical shocks, both sides highlighted coordination on maritime security and supply chain resilience. The defence and logistics components of the package are expected to reinforce cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, where the UAE’s ports and India’s maritime capabilities intersect.

Economists note that the breadth of the accords reduces concentration risk by spreading cooperation across multiple sectors, while governance mechanisms embedded in the agreements could improve execution. Joint working groups, periodic reviews and dispute-resolution channels were outlined to ensure progress is measurable. Business leaders welcomed the clarity on standards and compliance, arguing that predictability lowers the cost of capital and accelerates project timelines.

Critics caution that delivery will depend on regulatory alignment and the pace of domestic approvals, particularly in capital-intensive sectors such as energy and defence manufacturing. Past initiatives have sometimes faced delays linked to procurement processes and technology transfer rules. Both governments acknowledged these constraints and signalled intent to address bottlenecks through empowered committees.

Bolna has raised $6.3 million in funding from General Catalyst, marking a significant capital infusion for the Bengaluru-based startup as it expands its voice orchestration platform designed for enterprises operating across multiple languages and customer touchpoints. The investment positions Bolna to deepen its presence in India-focused use cases while sharpening its technology for regulated sectors that demand reliability, security and compliance in automated voice interactions.

Founded to address the growing demand for natural, human-like voice interfaces in customer engagement, Bolna develops software that allows companies to design, deploy and manage AI-driven voice agents across telephony systems. The platform focuses on orchestrating speech recognition, natural language understanding, dialogue management and speech synthesis in a single workflow, enabling businesses to automate calls without sacrificing contextual awareness or linguistic nuance. The funding round underscores investor confidence in voice as a critical interface as enterprises look beyond chat-based automation.

Executives familiar with the company’s roadmap say the capital will be directed towards product development, hiring in engineering and applied linguistics, and expanding enterprise partnerships. Bolna has prioritised support for multiple Indian languages and dialects, a feature that has become central as companies in banking, insurance, logistics and commerce seek to reach customers outside metropolitan centres. Industry analysts note that voice automation in India faces distinct challenges due to code-switching, accent variation and noisy environments, making orchestration and model tuning more complex than in English-only deployments.

General Catalyst’s backing reflects a broader venture trend towards applied AI infrastructure rather than consumer-facing chatbots alone. Investors have increasingly focused on platforms that sit beneath applications, enabling enterprises to integrate AI safely into existing workflows. In Bolna’s case, the emphasis on orchestration allows companies to plug in different speech-to-text or text-to-speech engines, including proprietary or open-source models, while maintaining control over call logic and data handling. This flexibility has become attractive as organisations navigate data residency rules and sector-specific compliance obligations.

Voice AI adoption has accelerated as call centres confront rising costs and labour shortages, while customers continue to rely on phone-based interactions for sensitive or complex queries. Research firms tracking enterprise automation report that voice remains the dominant channel for high-value customer service in India, particularly in financial services and public-facing utilities. Bolna’s platform aims to complement human agents rather than fully replace them, handling routine calls and triage before escalating complex cases. Company officials have said this hybrid approach improves efficiency while reducing customer frustration associated with rigid interactive voice response systems.

Competition in the voice AI space has intensified, with global players offering end-to-end solutions and local startups focusing on language coverage and integration with domestic telecom infrastructure. Bolna differentiates itself by positioning as an orchestration layer rather than a monolithic model provider. This approach aligns with enterprise preferences to avoid vendor lock-in and to adapt quickly as speech and language models improve. Analysts also point to the growing importance of observability and analytics in voice systems, areas where Bolna has invested to give clients visibility into call outcomes, latency and error rates.

The funding arrives amid heightened scrutiny of AI ethics and transparency. Voice systems, in particular, raise concerns around consent, disclosure and bias. Bolna has stated that it builds safeguards into deployments, including clear disclosures when callers are interacting with automated agents and configurable controls to limit sensitive data capture. Such measures are increasingly demanded by enterprise clients as regulators and consumers push for responsible AI use.