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That message reflects a wider shift in digital assets. After years dominated by token launches, trading cycles and proof-of-concept experiments, the emphasis across much of the industry has moved towards tokenised securities, cross-border settlement, digital identity, compliant custody and blockchain rails for mainstream financial institutions. Reuters has reported that major market infrastructure players are developing tokenised securities platforms, while analysts have projected strong growth in tokenised real-world assets, even as sceptics warn that much of the promise still sits in early-stage back-office applications rather than broad public adoption.

For Indonesia, that debate carries particular weight because the country has spent the past two years reshaping supervision of digital assets. Regulatory oversight of crypto assets and other digital financial assets was formally transferred from commodity futures regulator Bappebti to the Financial Services Authority, or OJK, under the wider financial sector reform framework. That has tightened the link between blockchain activity and mainstream finance, while signalling that the authorities want a more structured regime around licensing, compliance and consumer safeguards.

OJK’s own public updates show that digital financial assets and crypto supervision now sit within a broader integrity and resilience agenda for the financial system, alongside sandbox oversight and enforcement. That regulatory direction matters for a conference such as Indonesia Blockchain Week because institutional investors, banks and enterprises are less likely to engage seriously with Web3 infrastructure unless licensing, governance and disclosure standards are clearer than they were during the sector’s earlier growth phase.

Another strand of the Indonesian story is the state’s interest in sovereign digital infrastructure. Bank Indonesia’s Project Garuda, the central bank’s digital rupiah initiative, has been presented as part of a broader effort to safeguard monetary sovereignty in the digital era. Even though a retail or wholesale digital rupiah remains under development rather than fully launched, the project has become one of the clearest signs that distributed ledger technology is being examined not just by crypto-native firms but by the institutions that underpin payments and currency systems.

That backdrop helps explain why conference organisers are leaning into the language of “impact”. Across Asia, the conversation has become more institutional and more policy-aware. Reuters reported last year that wealthy Asian investors were increasing crypto exposure, while other reporting this year has shown how tokenisation is moving closer to exchanges and regulated financial venues. At the same time, risks remain central to the story: the IMF warned this month that tokenised finance could amplify market stress if regulatory guardrails and crisis-response mechanisms do not keep pace with technology.

That balance between promise and caution is likely to define the Jakarta event. Proponents of tokenisation argue that blockchain-based representations of bonds, funds, property interests and other assets can reduce settlement delays, widen market access and make ownership more divisible. Critics counter that many of these benefits are still more theoretical than proven at scale, and that fragmented standards, legal uncertainty and cybersecurity risks continue to hold the sector back. Reuters’ explainer on tokenisation captured that divide by noting both the liquidity and access arguments advanced by supporters and the unresolved questions over how fast real adoption will follow.

Indonesia Blockchain Week itself appears keen to place the country at the centre of that regional conversation. Organiser material describes the event as a gateway between local innovation and global capital, policy and technology networks. Yet the official website also shows some transitional messaging, with parts of the site still carrying 2025 branding even as other official channels and partner announcements point to the August 2026 summit. That inconsistency does not alter the announced dates, but it does suggest organisers are still in the process of consolidating the event’s next edition across platforms.

By Nantoo Banerjee The Reserve Bank of India and the government may officially deny or even pretend to ignore the adverse impact of the continuous downhill journey of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar on the economy, the disturbing trend, if not contained, is bound to lead the heavily import-reliant nation to high inflation […]

The article Indian Rupee’s Continuous Downtrend Is A Big Concern appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

India’s rupee surged on Monday after the Reserve Bank of India tightened banks’ foreign-exchange position limits, forcing lenders to cut dollar holdings and unwind arbitrage trades that had built up as the currency slid to a record low at the end of last week. The rupee rose as much as 1.4% in early trade and was quoted around 93.48 to 93.85 per US dollar, marking its sharpest one-day gain since February.

The immediate trigger was the RBI’s March 27 directive capping banks’ net open rupee positions in the onshore deliverable market at $100 million by the close of each business day from April 10. That replaced a looser framework under which banks’ boards could set limits up to 25% of total capital. Traders said the order prompted a burst of dollar selling as banks moved to reduce exposures that had become profitable while the rupee was weakening.

The rebound followed a bruising stretch for the currency. On Friday, the rupee hit a record low of about 94.84 to the dollar after heavy pressure from higher crude prices, risk aversion and foreign outflows. Reuters reported the rupee had fallen more than 4% in March, putting it on course for its worst monthly performance in more than seven years, while broader anxiety over the Middle East conflict and its implications for energy markets deepened concern over India’s import bill and external balance.

At the centre of the RBI’s move is the gap between the domestic market and the offshore non-deliverable forward, or NDF, market. Banks had been exploiting pricing differences between the two venues, building large arbitrage books that were profitable during the rupee’s slide. Estimates for those positions vary, but Reuters and other market reports put them broadly in the $25 billion to $50 billion range. By suddenly tightening the rules, the central bank appears to have targeted not only volatility in the spot market but also the speculative mechanics that were amplifying pressure on the currency.

That has given the rupee breathing room, but it has also shifted the strain onto banks. Lenders have warned that rapid compliance could force a disorderly unwinding of positions and crystallise losses in treasury books. Several banks have asked the RBI for three months to comply, arguing that a phased adjustment or permission to hold existing trades to maturity would reduce the risk of market disruption. Equity investors appeared to register that concern, with banking shares falling amid estimates that mark-to-market losses could run into thousands of crores if the unwind is abrupt.

The central bank’s intervention is being read in dealing rooms as one of its strongest attempts in years to reassert control over rupee pricing. Market participants said the RBI has already been active in local and offshore markets, using reserves and liquidity tools to keep the currency from sliding too quickly. The new cap adds a regulatory weapon to that defence. It also sends a signal that the central bank is prepared to curb trading strategies it sees as destabilising, even at the cost of squeezing bank profitability in the short term.

Whether the rupee can hold on to these gains will depend less on technical unwinding and more on the backdrop that pushed it down in the first place. Brent crude has climbed sharply, with Reuters reporting a move above $115 a barrel on Monday and a monthly gain of nearly 60%. For an economy that imports the bulk of its oil, that raises the risk of a wider current account deficit, imported inflation and renewed pressure on the currency. Bond yields also edged higher, indicating that traders remain alert to the wider macroeconomic fallout even as the rupee recovers ground.

India has cut special excise duties on petrol and diesel after a sharp rise in global crude prices, seeking to shield consumers from a broader inflation shock as the Iran war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz continue to unsettle energy markets. A government order issued late on Thursday reduced the special excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 a litre from Rs 13, while the levy on diesel was removed entirely from Rs 10 a litre. At the same time, New Delhi imposed fresh windfall taxes on diesel and aviation turbine fuel exports to recover part of the revenue loss and manage the fiscal hit.

The move underlines the pressure facing policymakers as oil prices remain volatile and the rupee weakens, raising the cost of imports for one of the world’s biggest crude buyers. Brent crude climbed above $112 a barrel on Friday, extending a rally driven by doubts over any near-term ceasefire and persistent fears that supply disruptions in the Gulf could deepen. Traders and analysts have said the risk premium now reflects not only lost barrels but also the strategic importance of Hormuz, through which a large share of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

For India, the tax cut is as much about inflation management as political optics. Retail prices at state-run fuel retailers have been largely held steady even as global crude costs have climbed, forcing public-sector oil marketing companies to absorb losses on every litre sold. Reuters reported that those losses were running at about Rs 24 a litre on petrol and Rs 30 on diesel at the time of the duty cut, a burden that had begun to raise concerns about the financial strain on the country’s dominant fuel retailers. By lowering excise duties, the government creates room for those companies to keep pump prices stable without taking the full blow on their balance sheets.

That relief, however, comes with a cost. The excise reduction is expected to trim government revenue by roughly Rs 70 billion every fortnight, with the net impact estimated at about Rs 55 billion after accounting for the new export levies on diesel and jet fuel. Those numbers matter because New Delhi is already balancing slower growth risks, higher import costs and sensitivity in bond markets. India’s 10-year government bond yield rose as investors weighed the inflationary impact of oil and the possibility that fiscal targets may come under pressure if energy turbulence persists.

Currency markets have been sending a similar warning. The rupee slipped beyond 94 to the US dollar, marking a record low and capping its weakest fiscal-year performance in more than a decade. Higher oil prices have compounded external pressures by widening import costs and fuelling worries over inflation, while signs of reduced support from the Reserve Bank of India have added to volatility in both the currency and government debt markets. The combination of a softer rupee and expensive crude intensifies the urgency for measures that can prevent fuel inflation from feeding into transport, food and manufacturing costs.

The government has paired the tax changes with broader supply assurances. Officials have said retail fuel prices will remain stable and that supplies of fuel, fertiliser and coal are adequate. India has also increased the availability of liquefied petroleum gas for industrial use, an indication that authorities are trying to prevent energy stress from spilling into factories and power demand. That broader messaging is aimed at containing panic in a market already on edge over whether the Middle East conflict could trigger a more prolonged energy shock.

The burden of holding down prices has not been distributed evenly across the sector. State-run retailers, which control more than 90 per cent of the country’s fuel stations, have largely refrained from raising pump prices, while private players have begun adjusting. Nayara Energy, for example, increased gasoline and gasoil prices this week, citing the combined impact of a weaker rupee and surging global crude prices. The divergence highlights the structural challenge for the government: keeping inflation contained without unduly damaging the finances of state-backed refiners and marketers.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 March 2026 – WRISE Group (“WRISE“), one of Asia’s fastest-growing independent wealth management firm, announced that WRISE Prestige, has established a strategic partnership with China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (“ChinaAMC (HK)“), one of the region’s most established asset managers. Through this collaboration, WRISE Prestige will serve as the first launch partner in Hong Kong with a period of exclusive access to the ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund (INC share class), offering clients a compelling fixed income solution designed for yield and diversification. To mark the partnership and the launch of the exclusive share class, WRISE Prestige and ChinaAMC (HK) co-hosted an event yesterday to formally announce the collaboration and introduce the investment strategy behind the ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund to invited guests and clients.

The ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund adopts a flexible, benchmark-unconstrained investment approach, allowing the fund manager to capitalise on opportunities across Asian credit markets dynamically. By focusing on fundamentally sound issuers, with a particular emphasis on China and the broader Asian region, the Fund seeks to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns. Its strong historical track record underscoring the robustness of its investment process.

Recent geopolitical tensions have triggered significant volatility across global financial markets, making diversified, income-oriented strategies that can navigate geopolitical uncertainty paramount for sophisticated investors seeking portfolio resilience. With a target dividend yield of approximately 9%*, the Fund’s Income share class is positioned to address the increasing demand among Asian investors for stable and sufficient cash flow solutions. This income-focused strategy complements the broader portfolio needs of high-net-worth individuals seeking resilience and yield beyond traditional asset classes.

Henry Shin, Chief Executive Officer of WRISE Prestige, said: “We are delighted to partner with ChinaAMC to bring the ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund (Income Share Class) to our clients as an exclusive launch in Hong Kong. In today’s volatile geopolitical landscape, investors require solutions that can adapt to changing conditions while delivering consistent income. The ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund embodies this approach, offering flexible mandate and strong yield potential that make it a valuable addition to our curated platform.”

Barney Gao, Head of Strategic Client Development at China Asset Management (Hong Kong), said, “We are pleased to collaborate with WRISE Prestige to introduce the ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund (Income Share Class) to investors in Hong Kong. This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering innovative and performance-driven investment solutions to a broader audience. With its focus on Asian bond markets and a flexible investment strategy, the Fund is well-suited to meet the income and diversification needs of investors in the region.”

This partnership highlights WRISE’s ongoing strategy to broaden access to best-in-class asset managers and deliver tailored investment solutions that address the complex and evolving needs of private wealth clients across Asia.

Important Information

This document is issued by WRISE Prestige Securities Limited (CE No. BSJ229). This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation or advice to buy or sell any investment product, nor should it be regarded as investment research.

Investment involves risks. The value of investments may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the principal invested. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

The ChinaAMC Select Asia Bond Fund is authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) in Hong Kong. SFC authorization is not a recommendation or endorsement of the Fund nor does it guarantee the commercial merits of the Fund or its performance. It does not mean the Fund is suitable for all investors.

Distributions (if any) are not guaranteed. Distribution rates are not indicative of the Fund’s return. The Fund may pay distributions out of income and/or capital (or effectively out of capital), which may result in an immediate reduction of the Fund’s net asset value.

This document has not been reviewed by the SFC.

* The Manager may at its discretion pay dividend out of capital or effectively out of the capital of the Funds. Payment of dividends out of capital amounts to a return or withdrawal of part of an investor’s original investment or from any such capital gains attributable to that original investment. Any such distributions may result in an immediate reduction in the Net Asset Value per Unit.

Hashtag: #WRISE

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

WRISE Group

WRISE is one of Asia’s fastest-growing financial firms, driven by strategic acquisitions of companies with deep expertise and solid foundations. With a strong presence across key financial hubs including Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Changsha, Taipei and Tokyo, WRISE is home to one of the largest networks of independent qualified advisors. With over 400 employees located globally, supported by an ecosystem of over 200 financial intermediaries and access to eight booking centres worldwide, WRISE ensures unparalleled service and expertise in navigating today’s financial landscape.

WRISE Group of companies include WRISE Wealth Management (Singapore), WRISE Wealth Management (Hong Kong), WRISE Wealth Management Middle East Ltd (DIFC, regulated by the DFSA), WRISE Prestige (Hong Kong) Limited, WRISE Prestige Securities (Hong Kong), WRISE Prestige Asset Management (Hong Kong), WRISE Capital (Hong Kong), WRISE Financial Services (Hong Kong) and affiliates including WeWrise Services.

China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited

Established in 2008, China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (“ChinaAMC (HK)”) is a leading Chinese asset manager in Hong Kong. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Asset Management Co. Limited, one of the trusted asset managers and largest ETF provider in Mainland China with over USD 464.5 billion assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

ChinaAMC (HK) has amassed an impressive performance history in both active and passive investments over the past 17 years. Boasting robust expertise in a variety of asset classes, covering equities, fixed income, ETF, L&I products, digital assets, as well as mandates and investment advisory services. ChinaAMC (HK) adopts a global outlook to build a versatile platform catering to institutional and retail investors in the region and worldwide. All efforts align with their vision of being “Beyond China Expert”.

The Ministry of Finance’s sale of long-dated Japanese government bonds proceeded without disruption, with bid-to-cover ratios indicating healthy appetite among institutional buyers. Market participants pointed to a combination of steady domestic demand and easing concerns over an immediate escalation in the Middle East as key factors underpinning the auction’s outcome.

Yields on benchmark Japanese government bonds remained relatively contained following the sale, suggesting that investors were comfortable absorbing supply even as global markets remained sensitive to geopolitical developments. Traders said the absence of sharp volatility in oil prices and currency markets helped anchor sentiment, reducing the risk premium typically associated with periods of heightened uncertainty.

The auction came at a time when global bond markets have been navigating a complex mix of factors, including central bank policy adjustments, inflation expectations and geopolitical risk. Developments surrounding Iran, including diplomatic signals that hinted at a possible de-escalation, contributed to a more measured tone across financial markets, supporting demand for sovereign debt perceived as stable.

Japan’s bond market continues to be shaped by the Bank of Japan’s evolving monetary policy stance. The central bank has been gradually adjusting its approach to yield curve control, allowing for greater flexibility in long-term interest rates. While this shift has introduced some volatility in recent months, domestic investors such as banks and life insurers have remained key buyers, providing a reliable base of demand.

Analysts noted that the latest auction underscored the resilience of Japan’s domestic investor base, even as yields edge higher compared with previous years. The gradual normalisation of monetary policy has encouraged some investors to lock in returns at levels that are more attractive than those seen during the ultra-low rate environment that prevailed for much of the past decade.

At the same time, foreign participation in Japanese government bonds has shown signs of fluctuation, influenced by currency movements and relative yield differentials with other major markets such as the United States. The yen’s performance remains a crucial variable, as currency hedging costs can significantly affect the attractiveness of Japanese debt for overseas investors.

The broader global context remains a critical factor shaping investor behaviour. Tensions in the Middle East have periodically driven spikes in oil prices, which in turn influence inflation expectations and central bank policy trajectories. Any sustained escalation could lead to higher global yields, potentially affecting demand for sovereign debt across advanced economies, including Japan.

Market participants have also been closely monitoring fiscal dynamics. Japan’s high debt-to-GDP ratio remains a structural concern, although it is largely mitigated by the fact that a significant portion of government debt is held domestically. The government’s ongoing issuance programme reflects the need to finance fiscal measures while managing the cost of borrowing in a gradually changing interest rate environment.

The smooth execution of the latest bond sale is likely to be seen as a positive signal by policymakers, particularly as they navigate a delicate balance between supporting economic growth and ensuring financial stability. Japan’s economy has been showing signs of moderate recovery, with wage growth and corporate investment providing some support, although external risks continue to loom.