Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Anthropic Eyes $350 Billion Valuation as AI Funding and Share Sale Accelerate 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will block websites dealing in cryptocurrency after a complete ban on crypto was recommended following its meeting with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The SBP officials, which gave a presentation in the meeting about a regulating mechanism, noted that the central bank recently submitted recommendations under the direction of the Sindh High Court on the legal framework for cryptocurrencies in Pakistan.
SBP has recommended a complete ban on cryptocurrency.
After the meeting, FIA Director-General Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi said his agency will approach the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block crypto websites to prevent fraud and money laundering.
Abbasi, while emphasizing that FIA is mainly concerned about fraud and money laundering, opined that crypto has given a new dimension to fraud.
The meeting highlighted that Pakistan has “no regulatory framework for virtual asset service providers to comply with the Financial Action Task Force requirements.
The FIA recently initiated a probe into a massive financial scam that allegedly defrauded Pakistani investors of over $100 million after 11 apps linked to cryptocurrency exchange Binance stopped working.
