External or independent asset managers and multi-family offices require a license for fund management and, in most instances, also obtain an exemption from the requirement to hold a license for financial advisory to carry out their services in Singapore. Although the terms are not conclusively defined, external or independent asset managers (“EAMs” or “IAMs”) provide […]

While remote working and communications has been possible in business for a long time already, COVID-19 pushed respective initiatives forward at many companies. We have become used to data sharing platforms and video conferencing. These are the same tools that enable your internal audit to be carried out remotely, without the need for your internal […]

Under the Payment Services Act 2019 (the “PS Act“)_a digital payment token (“DPT“) “is, or is intended to be, a medium of exchange accepted by the public, or a section of the public, as payment for goods or services or for the discharge of a debt”[1] which “is not denominated in any currency, and is […]

The recent pandemic has arguably forced social distancing into the core of all business activities. These include activities where clients and customers are required to engage and interact with their customers digitally. This means that the customer is not able to engage in the physical presence of their relationship managers for matters such as execution […]

As business gradually returns to normal, companies large and small have begun to deal with a host of financial and operational issues that have been adversely impacted during the Circuit Breaker. Importantly, senior management should evaluate the operating effectiveness of the internal control environment by assessing the risk level and materiality of the actual disruptions […]

Regulatory technology (“regtech”), a subset of financial technology (well known as “fintech”), seeks to achieve better regulatory outcomes through the use of technology. Regtech has been used by financial institutions for decades; for example, WorldCheck, a well-known tool used to screen customers. In recent years, regtech gained increasing traction among financial institutions for the efficiency […]

The ability for financial service providers to run relationship management activities was unexpectedly interrupted during the global pandemic. Like all businesses, online interaction has become increasingly central to relationship management. Sourcing sticky AUM via in-person relations will continue to be extremely limited and challenging if not near impossible. As available face time between relationship managers […]

COVID 19 has caused significant turbulence in the global markets. Global stock markets have yet to recover and traditional assets are less attractive in the current situation. However, a potential bright spark could be seen in the crowdfunding space. As fall-out from COVID 19 has placed enormous pressure on businesses, numerous reports have been compiled […]

Inefficiencies of the Blockchain A digital token’s blockchain functions much like the Torrens land titles register system. If the digital token’s blockchain, a register of digital assets (the “Register” or the “Blockchain“), reflects the user’s digital payment tokens (“DPTs“), the user’s ownership is proved. The assets are recorded in addresses (the “Address“) on the Register […]