# Southeast Asia Articles associés

7 Months After the Collapse of Huiwang, Southeast Asia's Escrow Platforms Undergo a Major Reshuffle

Following the collapse of Huione Pay—dubbed the "Alipay of Southeast Asia"—seven months ago, the region's underground financial guarantee platform sector is undergoing a significant reshuffle. This power vacuum has been swiftly filled by emerging platforms such as XinBi, Tiger/Navigator, JinBei (renamed JinBo), Dali/Tiancheng, and FullyLight. These platforms, operating largely via Telegram and offering services like escrow for illicit transactions, have absorbed the vast user base and markets left behind by Huione. While positioning themselves as "trust intermediaries," their primary clientele consists of networks involved in online scams, money laundering, illegal gambling, and even human trafficking. For instance, the Tiger/Navigator platform explicitly provides "escrow" services for kidnapping-for-ransom operations ("强押车交易"). Data underscores the immense scale: Huione alone processed over $103 billion in cryptocurrency payments and facilitated over $31 billion through its escrow market before its downfall, linking it to Cambodia's notorious Prince Group. Since its collapse, competitors have seen explosive growth. For example, the XinBi platform has accumulated over $1.6 billion in total USDT revenue, while platforms like NewPay, OkPay (under Dali), and FullyLight Wallet collectively processed over $4.8 billion in USDT in a single year. This ecosystem thrives in regions like Cambodia and Myanmar, where regulatory gaps allow these platforms to act as critical financial infrastructure for sprawling cybercrime industries, from scam compounds to online casinos. The article concludes that the moniker "Southeast Asian Alipay" is a misnomer, obscuring the platforms' fundamental role in enabling serious criminal enterprises rather than representing legitimate financial innovation.

Odaily星球日报07/22 04:19

Coinbase Targets Crypto Crime, Freezing $3M Linked To Scam Operations

Coinbase froze over $3 million in cryptocurrency linked to Southeast Asian scam networks as part of a multi-agency "Disruption Week" campaign. The operation, coordinated by the DOJ's Scam Center Strike Force, involved companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Starlink, and disrupted over 1.4 million scam accounts. The DOJ noted that investment fraud, including "pig butchering" scams, is among the fastest-growing threats, with crypto-related scams causing billions in losses. This action follows other recent crackdowns targeting scam infrastructure globally. Coinbase highlighted that blockchain provides a permanent transaction record, aiding investigations and countering the narrative that crypto is solely a tool for crime.

bitcoinist06/05 07:01

Conviction 2026 to focus on digital financial infrastructure, AI and blockchain development

The Vietnam Digital Asset Economy Forum, Conviction 2026, will be held on August 14-15 in Ho Chi Minh City, themed "Connecting Vietnam to the Global Digital Asset Economy." It will gather regulators, institutions, and tech companies to discuss blockchain, digital assets, AI, and digital financial infrastructure development. This aligns with Vietnam's national strategy, following the recent Law on Digital Technology Industry 2025 and the designation of blockchain as a strategic technology. The forum aims to explore integrating blockchain and digital assets into Vietnam's financial systems, supporting innovation and security. Vietnam ranks fourth globally in digital asset adoption, potentially benefiting from a "late-mover advantage" in building its regulatory framework. Building on the success of Conviction 2025, the 2026 edition will expand discussions to include Vietnam's roadmap as an international financial center, asset tokenization, regulations, stablecoins, and AI applications. Organized with city authorities and industry associations, the event seeks to position Ho Chi Minh City as a regional hub for technology and digital transformation in Southeast Asia.

TheNewsCrypto05/27 09:42

Crypto Crime Crackdown Escalates As Myanmar Targets Scammers With Execution

Myanmar's military government has proposed a harsh new law, the Anti-Online Fraud Bill, which mandates prison sentences of 10 years to life for digital currency fraud, with the death penalty for operators of scam centers whose coerced or trafficked workers die. The bill responds to online fraud threatening national stability. This crackdown is part of a broader regional effort; China executed 11 people in January linked to Myanmar-based scams, and U.S. authorities have collaborated internationally to arrest hundreds and shut down centers. Southeast Asian scam compounds, often using cryptocurrency, pose a global law enforcement challenge. The move comes as the FBI reports Americans lost over $11 billion to crypto fraud in 2024. Myanmar's parliament, reconvening after a 2021 coup and controversial 2026 elections, may consider the bill in June.

bitcoinist05/16 15:25

UK targets crypto network behind Southeast Asia scam centres in first-of-its-kind sanctions move

The UK government has imposed first-of-its-kind sanctions on the cryptocurrency platform Xinbi for its role in enabling large-scale scam operations in Southeast Asia. Announced on March 26, the measures target a network providing crypto-based services to fraud centres, including the sale of stolen data and tools to target individuals. The action also focuses on individuals linked to a major scam compound in Cambodia, known as “#8 Park,” which can house up to 20,000 workers—many of whom are reportedly trafficked and forced to conduct scams. Authorities stated that Xinbi played a central role in facilitating payments and laundering proceeds from these illicit activities, which include romance frauds targeting global victims. The platform has also been associated with moving crypto assets connected to North Korea. This move is part of a broader crackdown that has already led to over £1 billion in asset freezes and seizures, following coordinated efforts with international partners like the US. The sanctions aim to isolate such platforms from the legitimate crypto ecosystem, disrupt financial channels, and freeze UK-based assets of sanctioned individuals. This action reflects a strategic shift toward targeting the financial infrastructure behind illicit operations, not just the perpetrators, signaling increased regulatory focus on crypto-enabled crime.

ambcrypto03/26 23:01

Crypto’s Dark Side: Funds To Suspected Human Traffickers Climb 85% In 2025

bitcoinist02/14 04:02

Vietnam, the Next Web3 Holy Land?

Vietnam has officially launched a pilot program for cryptocurrency exchange licensing, marking a shift from a regulatory gray area to a formal oversight framework. The key requirements include a high capital threshold of 10 trillion VND (approximately 300 million RMB), which effectively excludes smaller players and encourages participation from major local financial institutions such as SSI Securities and MB Bank. This move aligns with a broader regional trend in Southeast Asia, where countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines have also upgraded their regulatory frameworks. Vietnam’s approach resembles Singapore’s institutional-friendly model, emphasizing compliance and stability over retail speculation. However, challenges remain, including potential market concentration among traditional financial players, higher compliance costs for users, and a possible mismatch between regulatory capacity and fast-evolving Web3 innovations. Rather than competing directly with hubs like Hong Kong or Singapore, Vietnam may find its niche as a development center within a new geographic division of labor: compliance in places like Dubai, development in cost-effective markets like Vietnam, and global operations elsewhere. This strategy could allow Vietnam to leverage its talent pool and supportive policies while avoiding the complexities of becoming a full-scale financial hub.

marsbit01/27 12:39

On-Chain Data Analysis of Tudou Guarantee's Shutdown Event: A Chain-Based 'Black Industry Migration' Triggered by US Sanctions

On January 16, Tudou Guarantee announced the cessation of its services and the closure of all public groups. Beosin Trace conducted an on-chain data analysis of the incident, revealing that Tudou was a major black/grey market escrow platform on Telegram. After the shutdown of Huione Guarantee in May 2025, Tudou became its main successor, experiencing a significant increase in transaction volume. However, from December 2025, Tudou's deposit activities declined sharply, with almost no activity after January 10, 2026. A refund address saw a spike in outflows on January 11, aligning with the platform’s shutdown preparations. Many former Tudou merchants migrated to Xinbi Guarantee, which saw a surge in USDT deposits, averaging 2,700–2,800 transactions per day between January 8–16. These addresses have been flagged as high-risk by Beosin KYT. The shutdown is linked to increased U.S. sanctions targeting Southeast Asian cybercrime throughout 2025, including actions against entities in the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar, which disrupted illegal operations and forced platforms like Huione and Tudou to cease operations.

marsbit01/19 10:19