Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments.
Hong Kong gaming firm to invest $100M in crypto
Boyaa Interactive International, a publicly traded Hong Kong holding company specializing in online card and board games, wants to secure the approval of its shareholders to invest $100 million in crypto.
According to this week’s announcement, Boyaa Interactive directors want to allocate $45 million of corporate funds to Bitcoin (BTC), $45 million to Ether (ETH), and $10 million to stablecoins such as Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC). As for rationales for the investment, the directors wrote:
“The Internet gaming business mainly operated by the Group has a high degree of logical fit with Web3 technology. It attaches great importance to communities and users, covers virtual asset attributes and other characteristics, making Web3 technology easier and more widely used in the Internet gaming industry.”
The company’s brand of 75 online games, such as its Texas Hold’em casino, has around 1.18 million daily active players. In Q3 2023, Boyaa Interactive generated $14 million in revenue and $4.2 million in earnings, respectively.
A Boyaa Interactive online casino.
China signs $400M CBDC deal with United Arab Emirates
The People’s Bank of China — the country’s central bank — has signed a $400 million cooperation memorandum on central bank digital currencies with the United Arab Emirates.
The China Council For The Promotion of International Trade said the memorandum was signed in Hong Kong and will last for five years, allowing for the interchange of each other’s CBDC during bilateral trade.
“The renewal of the currency swap agreement reflects the depth of relations between the UAE and China and demonstrates the UAE Central Bank’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with China in the fields of finance, trade, and investment. China is the UAE’s largest global trading partner, with non-oil trade…
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