New tech on the block: Fintech, crypto, cleantech, blockchain & cybersecurity

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent tech launches.

Fintech: ICICI Bank & Visa launch Corporate Sapphiro Forex Card for business travellers

ICICI Bank and Visa announced the launch of the Corporate Sapphiro Forex Card, a prepaid forex card designed to empower India’s entrepreneurs and corporate leaders travelling abroad for work. This first-of-its-kind card for business travellers integrates the flexibility of a prepaid forex card powered by Visa Infinite offerings, curated lifestyle benefits, unmatched convenience and value for frequent travellers.

Vipul Agarwal, Head – Cards & Payment Solutions, ICICI Bank, said, “We are delighted to partner with Visa to expand our range of forex cards into a new category of premium forex card for business travellers. As the Indian businesses and corporates expand internationally, we envisage the need for a premium forex card linked to the business account with exclusive features. The digital journeys on InstaBIZ and Corporate Internet Banking will enable business travellers to apply, load and manage their cards on the go. Accordingly, this India-first innovation of the Corporate Sapphiro Forex Card is tailored for business owners and brings attractive benefits from Visa Infinite platform to a prepaid forex card, for the first time in Asia.”

Features

• The card offers exclusive privileges to entrepreneurs and corporate leaders travelling internationally
• Customers can apply and load the card digitally and instantly
• First bank in Asia to offer a prepaid card powered by Visa Infinite, a premium platform of Visa for top tier cards

Crypto: RWA Trading to bridge traditional & Onchain finance

Aark Digital the 1000x perp-dex on Arbitrum announced its updated roadmap, highlighting both its rapid token growth and product expansion. Following an all-time high in trading activity, the platform is preparing to introduce new layers of liquidity, gamification, and leverage, positioning itself as the most advanced environment for high-frequency decentralized trading.

“Our mission has always been to build high-frequency trading infrastructure that adapts to the volatility and speed of crypto markets,” said Eden, CEO and Cofounder of Aark Digital. “The next chapter raises the stakes with 2000x leverage, advanced buybacks, and intelligent trading tools, ensuring that Aark remains at the frontier of decentralized high-leverage trading.”

Features

• With the extension of leverage from 1000x to 2000x, Aark is setting a new benchmark across the perpetual DEX landscape.
• Complementing this expansion is a new iteration of Aark’s pioneering token buyback model. Designed to dynamically capture long-term value, the enhanced framework will strengthen AARK’s liquidity and ecosystem utility.
• Additional tokenomics upgrades include walletless onboarding through Particle Network’s Universal Wallet, enabling seamless access without setup friction, and multi-chain deposit capabilities allowing access to major blockchains.
• The roadmap also introduces real-world asset (RWA) trading, bridging traditional instruments with decentralized markets, alongside a pipeline of expanded token listings that will support leverage scaling up to 2000x in the coming future.
• On the product side, Aark is rolling out gamified features such as affiliate programs, deposit incentives, leaderboards, live chat functions, and a Free Trial Mode to onboard new traders risk-free.

Cleantech: NG SAF: An Indigenous Ethanol-to-SAF Technology

GPS Renewables, a global full-stack, renewable oil & gas companies offering technology and project solutions for climate-positive biofuel projects, has partnered with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) to develop a first-of-a-kind commercial-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from ethanol. The same technology can be used to produce SAF from methanol as well.

Gomatam Ravi, CTO, GPS Renewables, said, “We are thrilled to partner with CSIR-NCL to build an indigenous and breakthrough SAF technology that can position India as a leader in SAF production. At GPS, we have always prioritized technology that can fast-track India’s transition to clean energy, and this collaboration reflects that commitment. While many have demonstrated the process at lab scale, none have succeeded in producing SAF from Ethanol at an industrial scale. With NG SAF, we aim to change that. We are confident that with our expertise in scaling cleantech solutions and CSIR-NCL’s scientific backing, we can deliver an indigenous and industrially viable SAF solution to the world.”

Features

• As part of the partnership, GPS Renewables will invest in developing technology based on a patented catalyst from CSIR-NCL. The technology will enable one-step oligomerization of ethylene and other olefins – a process where small molecules are joined together to form larger molecules that emulate Aviation Turbine Fuel. Multiple players have demonstrated the Ethanol-to-Jet Fuel process at lab scale, but commercial-scale production has remained elusive.
• With a license to the CSIR-NCL technology, GPS will engineer a commercial-scale plant under the project brand NG SAF. This partnership aims to demonstrate the first commercial-scale Ethanol-To-Jet plant. GPS Renewables holds the exclusive rights to commercialize this technology.

Blockchain: University Rolls Out Blockchain-Powered Academic Records on Avalanche

Avalanche, the blockchain platform, collaborated with Centurion University of Technology and Management, Andhra Pradesh (CUTM-AP) to issue blockchain based academic degrees.

“Blockchain technology is transforming the way institutions preserve and verify academic records. With this initiative, we are strengthening trust in our degrees while giving our students an edge in a digitally connected world,” said Dr. PK Mohanty, Vice Chancellor,  CUTM-AP.

Features

• Starting this academic year, students will receive a blockchain-secured credential, which is tamper-proof, transparent, and instantly verifiable across the globe.
• The university will issue 1,000+ degrees annually, covering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, as well as diplomas, certificates, gold medals, and honorary degrees.

Cybersecurity: Sequretek Ensures Every Asset Matters with the Launch of Percept CTEM

Sequretek, a platform in AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, launched its latest SaaS innovation: Percept CTEM. This groundbreaking platform aims to eliminate surprises by offering complete visibility into every asset within an organization, providing a proactive and predictive approach to managing risks.

“Organizations frequently realize too late that a low-priority asset can serve as a backdoor for a security breach,” said CEO & Co-Founder Pankit Desai. “Percept CTEM ensures you’re never caught off guard by continuously mapping and validating security across all systems, giving you peace of mind that every asset, no matter how small, is always protected.”

Features

• Percept CTEM gives organizations the power to proactively manage risk. Enhanced with AI, it prioritizes risk based on business context.
• The platform identifies vulnerabilities before they evolve into threats and offers automated mitigation recommendations.
• Unlike traditional security tools that may only focus on high-value targets, Percept CTEM treats every asset, critical or not, with equal vigilance.
• It understands that every breach starts somewhere, and that one entry point can disrupt business operations.