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Fortune Most Powerful Women Asia 2026 Reveals Shifting Landscape of Business Power as Technology and Finance Lead

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DBS Group CEO, Tan Su Shan retains No. 1 spotTechnology emerges as the leading sector, with 16 women in tech on the 2026 listTwenty-four newcomers join the ranking of 100 women across 14 markets

SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Business power across Asia-Pacific is shifting, as a new generation of women leaders gains influence alongside some of the region’s most established corporate figures. Fortune today unveiled its third annual Most Powerful Women Asia list, recognizing 100 women whose leadership, business performance and influence are helping shape the region’s economic future.

At the top of the 2026 ranking, DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan retains the No. 1 position, while Grace Wang holds at No. 2. One of the year’s most significant moves comes from technology entrepreneur Zhou Qunfei, who climbs 25 places to No. 3, underscoring the growing influence of technology among Asia’s most powerful women in business.

That shift is reflected more broadly across the ranking. Technology is the most represented sector on this year’s list, with 16 honorees, ahead of banking with 14. Their presence reflects the increasingly central role technology plays in Asia’s economy, as businesses spanning digital platforms, advanced manufacturing and other technology-driven industries grow in scale and influence.

The ranking also reveals both continuity and change in Asia’s corporate leadership. Of the 100 honorees, 76 return from last year’s list, while 24 make their debut, bringing a new cohort of leaders into the ranking alongside many of the region’s most distinguished and established business figures.

The list spans 14 markets across Asia-Pacific, with mainland China accounting for the largest number of honorees at 18, followed by Hong Kong SAR with 16 and Singapore with 12. Other markets represented include Thailand (9), India (7), Japan (6), Australia (6), Vietnam (5), Malaysia (5), South Korea (4), the Philippines (4), Taiwan (3), Indonesia (3) and Macau SAR (2).

The Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Business in Asia 2026:

Tan Su Shan, CEO, DBS GroupGrace Wang, Chairwoman and CEO, Luxshare Precision IndustryZhou Qunfei, Founder and Chairwoman, Lens TechnologyMeng Wanzhou, Deputy Chairwoman, Rotating Chairwoman and CFO, HuaweiBonnie Y. Chan, CEO, Hong Kong Exchanges and ClearingMalina Ngai, Group CEO, AS WatsonWang Fengying, President, Xpeng MotorsRoshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCLTechMitsuko Tottori, President and CEO, JAL GroupJoey Wat, CEO, Yum China

Beyond individual rankings, the list reflects the international reach of women leading some of Asia’s largest businesses. Twenty-five honourees hold global or regional leadership positions at Fortune Global 500 companies, while 23 serve as CEOs, chairs or other C-suite executives at Fortune Southeast Asia 500 companies.

“What stands out in this year’s ranking is how the landscape of business power in Asia is evolving,” said Charmian Choo, Asia list Senior Manager. “We see established leaders continuing to shape some of the region’s largest companies, alongside a new generation rising through the ranks. The prominence of technology is particularly striking, reflecting the sector’s growing influence on Asia’s economy and the women increasingly at the forefront of that transformation.”

Fortune evaluated candidates based on the scale and performance of their organizations, career trajectory, influence, innovation and broader societal impact.

Alongside the business ranking, Fortune also spotlights 10 exceptional women whose achievements extend beyond the corporate world, including world champions, celebrated artists, a space pioneer and changemakers in philanthropy and public policy. Their stories offer a broader perspective on the different forms of influence shaping contemporary Asia.

Celebrating Asia’s Women Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City

Fortune will recognize the 2026 honorees at the Most Powerful Women Asia Leaders Breakfast and Awards Presentation on November 3, held in conjunction with the inaugural Fortune Southeast Asia 500 Summit at the JW Marriott Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The gathering will bring together Fortune’s MPW community across Asia, as well as senior women leaders for a conversation on the changing nature of leadership, influence and opportunity in Asia. More information on the event can be found here.

The full Fortune Most Powerful Women Asia 2026 ranking and accompanying stories will be available internationally on Fortune.com/asia  and on newsstands across Asia from today.

About Fortune:
Fortune is the premier global media company for global business leaders, built on a 96-year-old legacy of trusted, award-winning journalism. Independently owned, Fortune tells the story of business, spanning legacy companies to the world’s new generation of innovators. Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable, in regions around the world. Its iconic rankings include Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, Most Powerful Women, and World’s Most Admired Companies. Fortune builds world-class communities by convening industry thought leaders for exclusive summits and conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum, Fortune Brainstorm Tech, and Fortune Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Media contact
Charmian Choo
Senior Manager, Asia List, Fortune
charmian.choo@fortune.com

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Atlas Free Launches Wayplace to Connect Human Trafficking Survivors With Services

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New online tool empowers individuals to navigate their journey toward freedom, stability, and long-term healing with confidence

SEATTLE, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Atlas Free, an anti-sex trafficking nonprofit and field catalyst working to dismantle the business of exploitation, has launched a new resource to help human trafficking survivors find services to support their healing. A real-time database of services across the United States, Wayplace lets survivors prioritize what matters most to them, from long-term residential care and case management to specialized services such as trauma-informed equine therapy. Survivors can then choose their preferred program and get connected to services, all through the Wayplace platform. Wayplace currently has 100 organizations that offer 110 unique services. As the platform continues to grow, Atlas Free will add new organizations and services, providing survivors with a broad range of options to meet their unique needs.

In the past, survivors faced many barriers that made available services difficult to find or access. Wayplace connects survivors directly to the services they need and puts the choice in their hands. Built with survivor safety and privacy at its core, Wayplace operates on the web, with nothing to download or install, and has built-in security features to safeguard users.

“Atlas Free incorporated the insight of survivor leaders with extensive experience in the field. I commend the organization for developing a survivor-centered, user-friendly platform that empowers survivors by honoring their choice and voice.” –Service provider of an organization offering services on Wayplace

To learn more, visit atlasfree.org/wayplace.

If you are a survivor of human trafficking, survivor advocate, or organization offering supportive services, please visit Wayplace directly at wayplace.org.

About Atlas Free
Atlas Free’s mission is to accelerate and resource the fight against sex trafficking and exploitation. The organization identifies and invests in impactful programs, leaders, and organizations fighting human trafficking worldwide, empowering a global movement to bring freedom everywhere. Learn more at Atlas Free and join the global movement to end sex trafficking at atlasfree.org.

Media Contact
Lindsey Bretz
Marketing Director
LindseyB@atlasfree.org

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SOURCE Atlas Free

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Caladan Receives In-Principle Approval from VARA

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Caladan’s Dubai entity has received in-principle approval for Broker-Dealer Services to institutional clients under Dubai‘s virtual asset framework.

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caladan, a digital asset market maker in Asia, today announced that its Dubai entity, CLDN Broker Dealer FZE, received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) for Broker-Dealer Services on September 15, 2026.

The Caladan group conducts principal trading and provides aggregated liquidity to hundreds of digital assets across 40+ exchanges and dozens of bilateral counterparties. Caladan aggregates these fragmented markets for digital assets into a single source of tailored liquidity, made available via the Caladan API with sub-10ms latency and FIX 4.4 and 5.0SP2 support.

“Dubai has one of the clearest regulatory frameworks for virtual assets in the world,” said Julia Zhou, President and Co-Founder of Caladan. “Our team has worked closely with VARA on governance, risk management, and compliance to reach this stage.”

The approval is part of Caladan’s ongoing strategy to build regulated operations in the financial centers where its clients trade.

“We are seeing growing global demand from institutional clients for the aggregated liquidity we offer,” Zhou continued. “These clients need to work with a regulated counterparty to commit capital, and this approval moves us closer to offering that in Dubai. We thank VARA for their engagement.”

CLDN Broker Dealer FZE has received In-Principle Approval from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) for Broker-Dealer Services (reference IPA/26/09/004). In-Principle Approval is not a license. CLDN Broker Dealer FZE will not provide Broker-Dealer Services in or from the Emirate of Dubai until VARA issues a full license. If licensed, CLDN Broker Dealer FZE will serve institutional clients only and will not serve retail clients. A VARA approval or license is not an endorsement of CLDN Broker Dealer FZE or of any virtual asset.

About Caladan

Caladan is a digital asset market maker in Asia. The firm provides aggregated liquidity across 40+ exchanges and hundreds of tokens, with $170B in annual trading volume. Caladan serves token issuers, exchanges, and institutional clients through on-exchange market making, liquidity provisioning via the Caladan API, and options OTC. The market-making and liquidity services described in this release are provided by Caladan group entities outside Singapore and are not provided by CLDN SG Pte. Ltd.

www.caladan.xyz

Contact

caladan@forefrontcomms.com
Forefront Communications

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SOURCE Caladan

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Solana Foundation Launches Solana DvP, an Atomic Settlement Program Built for Financial Institutions

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Onchain open-source delivery-versus-payment infrastructure, tailored for the world’s leading financial institutions

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solana Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of Solana, today announced Solana DvP, an open-source escrow program that offers financial institutions an open-sourced API for for delivery-versus-payment settlement on Solana.

Released under the MIT license, it aims to bring the settlement certainty that banks and other financial institutions require to public blockchain infrastructure for the first time as a reusable standard that is atomically settled, provides isolated escrow, and enforces deadlines.

J.P. Morgan provided Solana Foundation with valuable input on institutional settlement practices and requirements. The result combines J.P. Morgan’s decades of securities settlement expertise with Solana‘s performance as the leading venue for tokenized real-world assets. Until now, institutional trades settling onchain have typically relied on bespoke smart contracts. Solana DvP replaces that with one standard rail.

“Atomic settlement removes counterparty risk that is inherent in traditional finance. Solana DvP program provides institutions with one open standard across the Solana ecosystem, on public infrastructure, with finality in seconds instead of days.” – Catherine Gu, Head of Product, Digital Assets, Solana Foundation.

“A shared, open standard for atomic delivery-versus-payment is exactly the kind of foundational infrastructure institutional market participants require to operate at scale without introducing settlement risk and counterparty exposure. We were pleased to contribute our settlement expertise.” – Rhodel D’souza, Head of Markets Digital Assets, J.P. Morgan.

Delivery-versus-payment is the bedrock of securities settlement: it ensures the asset and cash move simultaneously to eliminate principal risk. Traditional markets achieve this through a multi-day chain of clearinghouses, depositories, and custodians, tying up capital for one to two days. Solana DvP hopes to compress that process into a single atomic transaction: both legs settle together, or neither does, with finality in seconds rather than days.

The program is meant for the assets institutions can hold. Solana DvP supports SPL Token and Token-2022, including the extensions regulated issuers depend on — like permanent delegate, pausable tokens, and transfer hooks. Any two counterparties can use it with any settlement agent — a bank, a custodian, an exchange. J.P. Morgan’s feedback helped shape the program to meet institutional requirements from day one. The result is an open standard that anyone can adopt, build on, and use.

Solana DvP has undergone external security audits and is ready for use with real funds. We also plan to add privacy into the program so that trade settlements can be made private and confidential.

Solana Foundation welcomes design partners and early participants ahead of the production release. Learn more here, or explore the code on GitHub.

About Solana
Solana is a high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, AI agents, and crypto applications. Solana operates as a single global state machine, and is open, interoperable and decentralized. For more information, please visit https://solana.com.

About Solana Foundation
Solana Foundation is a non-profit based in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of Solana. For more information, please visit https://solana.org

Media Contact: press@solana.org 

Disclaimer
J.P. Morgan’s involvement with Solana DvP was limited to providing input regarding securities settlement practices and should not be construed as J.P. Morgan designing, developing, operating, approving, certifying, warranting, endorsing, or guaranteeing Solana DvP or its performance in any way.

Disclaimer
The material provided by the Solana Foundation (where relevant herein, “Solana“) is provided to you for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice. No aspect of these materials has been approved or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulator, and no part of these materials is or represents an offer to buy or sell any financial product, including a security.

The information provided herein is not intended to influence, persuade, or induct any investment-related decision. Third-party data, information, or other content has not been endorsed or approved by Solana. Solana has not conducted, and does not purport to have conducted, any extensive or approved legal analysis regarding the permissibility or regulatory status of the matters discussed herein. You should not assume that any activity or product described is permitted or compliant with applicable laws or regulations.

Investing in securities, generally, and in particular investing in tokenized securities is speculative and involves a high degree of risk. We strongly encourage you to complete your own independent due diligence before considering offering or purchasing tokenized securities including obtaining additional information, opinions, financial projections, legal, or other investment advice. The figures, projections, and other relevant data herein are hypothetical in nature and should not be indicative of future or expected results. There can be no guarantee that actual performance will achieve comparable results. Neither Solana, nor any of its affiliates, and any of its and their respective officers, directors, agents, or employees provide any investment advice, endorsement, analysis, or recommendations with respect to any securities and no communication from Solana, through any medium, should be construed as such.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solana-foundation-launches-solana-dvp-an-atomic-settlement-program-built-for-financial-institutions-302898811.html

SOURCE Solana Foundation

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