Indonesia's Bittime Becomes First Platform Cleared for Crypto Futures Under OJK's New Derivatives Framework
Bittime (PT Utama Aset Digital Indonesia) launched cryptocurrency futures trading on July 15 after becoming the first digital-asset platform to clear approval from PT Central Finansial X (CFX), the derivatives exchange operator functioning under the oversight of Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), according to Kontan. The service covers 49 trading pairs with leverage up to 25x, offered under both cross-margin and isolated-margin schemes, and requires users to pass a knowledge test on derivatives mechanics and risk before the feature unlocks.
The launch operates under OJK's POJK 23/2025 regulation, the framework governing licensed digital-asset derivatives trading in Indonesia. Bittime's approval marks the first instance of a platform moving from OJK's existing spot-trading licensing regime into the newer derivatives track, positioning it as the reference case other licensed Indonesian exchanges will be measured against as they seek the same clearance.
Malaysia's CapBay and MDEC Open a RM200 Million Collateral-Free Financing Pool for Tech Firms
CapBay (Bay Smart Capital Ventures Sdn Bhd) and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) announced a RM200 million (roughly US$49 million) financing pool on July 16 under the MD Technology Financing Programme, according to Fintech News Malaysia and TechNode Global. The programme is open to companies holding Malaysia Digital status — both established technology firms and early-stage, pre-profit startups that have operated for at least six months — with financing capped at RM3 million per applicant, interest rates starting from 6% annually, repayment terms up to 60 months, and a six-month grace period before repayments begin.
The pool is explicitly aimed at asset-light businesses that conventional lenders typically decline for lack of physical collateral. CapBay said its underwriting model evaluates applicants on business fundamentals and growth potential — including intellectual property and talent — rather than requiring hard assets, with the full application process handled digitally.
Singapore's Episode Six Opens an AI Centre to Build Agentic Payment Tools for Banks
Payments infrastructure firm Episode Six opened an AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore this month, backed by AWS's AI Springboard programme under the Enterprise Compute Initiative administered by Digital Industry Singapore — a joint office of the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority — according to Fintech News Singapore. The centre will build agent-driven payment products on Episode Six's TRITIUM ledger platform, including a production-grade Model Context Protocol server intended to make the company's technical documentation and development tools directly accessible to AI agents. A first product is due in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Episode Six's Asia Pacific and Japan managing director Daryn Griggs framed the move around Singapore's position at the intersection of AI and financial infrastructure, with the centre's stated goals spanning internal operations, client onboarding and integration, and helping banks build their own agent-driven payment products on top of the platform.
Eyes on the Day Ahead
Watch for other OJK-licensed Indonesian exchanges to file for the same CFX derivatives clearance Bittime just secured, now that a first approval exists as precedent. In Malaysia, CapBay and MDEC have not yet disclosed an application deadline or opening date for the MD Technology Financing Programme portal — worth tracking as the first concrete indicator of demand. And Malaysia's AI Governance Bill public consultation remains open through July 31, still the nearest hard regulatory deadline in the region for AI deployers and infrastructure operators.
Layer 7 Ventures is a research-driven firm focused on AI and cryptocurrency in Southeast Asia. Views expressed are those of the firm and do not constitute investment advice.
