China, 23rd May 2026 – Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd. (“Lianlian”), a leading AI-driven digital payment service provider, today announced that it has obtained a payment services licence from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of financial services conducted in or from DIFC. Operating from Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), the milestone marks an advancement in Lianlian’s global compliance footprint and the transition of its Middle East strategy from market entry to licensed regional headquarters.

With a presence in DIFC’s globally recognised financial ecosystem, Lianlian further strengthens its operational infrastructure in the Middle East and enhances its cross-border payment and settlement capabilities. Working closely with local banking partners, Lianlian will deliver more localised and efficient payment solutions, enabling seamless fund flows within the region and across international markets. Through continued optimisation of its transaction and settlement framework, Lianlian seeks to enhance the efficiency, stability, and reliability of cross-border financial connectivity, to support businesses expanding into and out of the Middle East.

“The Middle East serves as a critical trade and financial gateway connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa. Securing a DFSA licence represents a key step in advancing Lianlian’s global localisation strategy,” said Emily Zhou, General Manager, UAE, at Lianlian. “Going forward, we will continue to deepen collaboration with local financial institutions and ecosystem partners to build a more resilient regional payment network and further enhance our ability to serve global cross-border payment needs.”

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, said: “We are pleased to welcome Lianlian to grow their presence in the region and connect across global markets. Lianlian’s expertise in managing cross‑border transactions will support businesses that rely on efficient and compliant settlement infrastructure. The addition further strengthens DIFC’s position as the region’s leading platform for Chinese firms, and underscores our standing as a top 5 global FinTech hub in the GFCI rankings.”  

Lianlian’s recent announcement that it is moving towards becoming an AI native global financial infrastructure model aligns closely with DIFC’s ambition to be the world’s first AI-native financial centre.

With the DFSA payment license added, Lianlian has established a global regulatory network comprising 68 payment licences and related qualifications across key markets, and operates a payment network spanning more than 100 countries and regions. Operating from DIFC expands Lianlian’s regulated footprint and supports its cross-border payment operations across the Middle East and other international markets, reinforcing its ability to connect China, the Middle East, and global markets through compliant payment infrastructure.
 

About Lianlian DigiTech

Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd. (“Lianlian DigiTech” or “Lianlian”) was founded in 2009 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024. As a leading AI-driven digital payment service provider headquartered in China with a global footprint, Lianlian adheres to its mission of “Connecting the world, Empowering global commerce” and pursues an “AI-Native + Globalization” strategy. The Company is committed to building a trusted global intelligent financial infrastructure, enabling seamless connectivity between Chinese enterprises and global businesses.

About Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the world’s most advanced financial centre, shaping the global financial landscape and cementing Dubai’s reputation as a leading business destination across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA).
As the region’s only financial centre operating at scale across all sectors, DIFC is home to 8,844 active firms. These include 1,052 regulated firms, including over 500 Wealth and Asset Management firms (including 100 hedge funds), 290 banks and capital markets firms, 135 insurance and (re)insurance companies, and 70 brokerage entities. Home to over 1,677 AI, FinTech and innovation firms, DIFC sets the benchmark for financial innovation and is a top four ranked FinTech hub across the world
Underpinned by a trusted, world-class legal and regulatory framework, including the region’s most utilised commercial courts, DIFC ensures efficient governance and reinforces Dubai’s leadership in the digital economy. Connecting 50,200 professionals, it offers the region’s deepest pool of financial talent, serving as the gateway to MEASA for all financial players.
Beyond business, DIFC provides the complete urban experience with world-class lifestyle amenities, establishing it as a highly sought-after destination. The 17.7mn sq. ft. DIFC Zabeel District expansion which provides capacity for over 42,000 companies and a workforce of more than 125,000, DIFC is solidifying Dubai’s position as a top four global financial centre. The new District will also include premium Grade A commercial office space, over 1mn sq.ft. allocated to future technologies including the world’s largest Innovation Hub and world’s first purpose-built AI Campus, an expanded academy, residential buildings, hotels, a conference centre, and a range of retail, dining, and cultural offerings, including the Museum of Digital Art, the region’s first museum dedicated to digital art and new technologies.

Media Contact

Organization: LianLian

Contact Person: LianLian PR Department

Website: https://www.lianlian.com/

Email: Send Email

Country:China

Release id:45295

The post Lianlian DigiTech Advances Middle East Strategy to Offer Regulated Payment Services from DIFC appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

Warsaw, Poland, May 23rd, 2026- The international influence marketing team JESTER has shared its forecast on the development of AI avatars in iGaming and outlined how this tool may affect future marketing strategies in the industry.

AI avatars have become one of the most discussed trends in digital marketing. According to JESTER, in iGaming this tool is already attracting attention thanks to its media potential and strong reach, although its impact on performance and FTD remains limited for now.

As JESTER CEO Vladimir noted, high audience engagement alone does not guarantee business results.

“The problem with AI avatars is that this is more about the media side than direct performance. If an avatar is created at a very high technical level, meaning it is indistinguishable from a real person, and its creative side is well developed — including its story and the message it conveys in its content — it will definitely attract a lot of attention. But that is still not enough to turn a viewer into a player on the product,” he said.

JESTER also noted that the development of AI avatars on social media depends not only on content quality, but also on changes in platform rules. According to Vladimir, six Instagram accounts of AI avatars with a combined audience of 800,000 followers and millions of views were banned over the past week.

The limited potential of AI avatars is largely explained by the fact that synthetic identities still struggle to reproduce a real-life story and a long-term connection with an audience. JESTER believes this factor remains critical for trust and conversion in iGaming.

“A person builds that connection over years — through constant communication, personal experience, and consistency. An AI avatar may look convincing, but it still does not reproduce the same level of live contact or influence on audience behavior. If the audience later realizes it was communicating not with a human, but with a synthetic image, that can damage brand perception,” Vladimir added.

According to JESTER, AI avatars are becoming a new source of media exposure for iGaming brands, but there are still no guarantees when it comes to direct performance. Many companies are already building their own “farms” of AI avatars in an effort to eventually replace human influencers, but JESTER believes this is not likely to happen in the near future. For now, the most effective approach remains balanced: human influencers should remain the foundation of the strategy, while AI avatars can serve as an additional tool in media campaigns.

About JESTER

JESTER is an international influence marketing team working with 3,000+ influencers across more than 65 GEOs and delivering advertising integrations in gambling, betting, Web3 products, Digital Assets and fintech services, game providers, AI startups, and adult products.

The company focuses on long-term partnerships and systematic marketing strategies designed to drive sustainable brand growth.

Learn more about the company: jester.marketing

Chippendale, NSW, Australia, 23rd May 2026 — Chippendale Carshare has announced a major expansion of its vehicle rental operations, growing to 90 vehicles across Chippendale, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, supported by increasing demand through Turo and its own online booking platform.

Chippendale Carshare has confirmed a significant growth milestone, expanding its fleet to 90 vehicles and strengthening its presence across three key pickup locations: Chippendale, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport.

The expansion reflects growing demand for flexible, affordable and convenient car rental options in Sydney and Melbourne, particularly among airport travellers, business users, local residents, families, students, and customers seeking short-term or longer-term vehicle hire.

Customers can now browse available vehicles and make a booking online through the company’s booking platform at https://chippocarshare.com.au/booking.

Turo Helped Support Chippendale Carshare’s Growth

Chippendale Carshare says Turo has played an important role in supporting the company’s expansion from a smaller Sydney-based fleet into a 90-vehicle operation across two major Australian cities.

By allowing hosts to list vehicles online and connect with guests looking for flexible car rental alternatives, Turo helped Chippendale Carshare reach a wider customer base, improve vehicle utilisation, and scale its operations beyond a traditional single-location rental model.

The company’s growth has been supported by demand from Turo guests seeking accessible vehicles for airport travel, weekend trips, business use, family transport, moving needs, and longer rental periods.

Alexander Munao, founder of Chippendale Carshare, said Turo was an important part of the company’s growth story.

“Turo helped us prove that customers wanted a more flexible way to access rental vehicles,” Munao said.

“It gave us the ability to reach more travellers and local customers, test demand across different vehicle types, and build the systems needed to manage a larger fleet.”

“That demand has helped Chippendale Carshare grow to 90 vehicles and expand into Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, while still continuing to serve our original Chippendale location.”

90 Vehicles Across Sydney and Melbourne

The 90-vehicle milestone represents a major step in Chippendale Carshare’s continued development from a local Sydney car rental operator into a multi-location vehicle rental network servicing both New South Wales and Victoria.

The company’s expanded fleet includes a wide range of vehicles suited to different customer needs, including economy cars, compact hatchbacks, SUVs, 7-seat vehicles, vans, people movers and practical everyday rental vehicles.

By operating across Chippendale, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, Chippendale Carshare is now positioned to support customers looking for:

• Sydney car rental near the CBD
• Sydney Airport car rental
• Melbourne Airport car rental
• Chippendale car rental
• Affordable airport car hire
• Long-term car rental
• Van hire and people mover rental
• Flexible short-term vehicle hire

Airport Expansion Driven by Customer Demand

The addition of Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport locations has been introduced to support increasing demand from travellers who want a simpler, more flexible way to access rental vehicles close to major transport hubs.

Chippendale Carshare’s original Chippendale location continues to service inner-city Sydney customers, including those near Central Station, Broadway, Redfern, Ultimo, Surry Hills and surrounding suburbs.

The Sydney Airport location provides access for customers arriving into or departing from Sydney, while the Melbourne Airport location marks an important step in the company’s Victorian expansion.

“Customers are increasingly looking for flexibility,” Munao said.

“Some people need a small economy car for a few days, others need a van, SUV, people mover or long-term vehicle. Growing to 90 vehicles gives us more ability to match customers with the right car for the right trip.”

A More Flexible Approach to Car Rental

Chippendale Carshare has built its service around online booking, practical vehicle options and convenient pickup locations. The company says its model is designed for customers who want a straightforward alternative to traditional car rental, with the ability to compare vehicles and book online before arrival.

Turo helped accelerate this model by giving Chippendale Carshare access to a large marketplace of guests seeking flexible vehicle access. This helped the company understand customer demand, expand its fleet mix, and improve operational processes across cleaning, maintenance, pricing, vehicle availability and customer support.

The expanded network is expected to support a broad range of use cases, including weekend trips, interstate travel, airport arrivals, business transport, temporary replacement vehicles, moving vans, family holidays and longer-term rental requirements.

Chippendale, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport

The company’s three-location footprint allows Chippendale Carshare to service both city-based and airport-based rental demand.

The Chippendale location remains central to the company’s Sydney operations, offering convenient access for customers near the Sydney CBD and inner-city suburbs.

The Sydney Airport location supports travellers looking for car rental near Sydney Airport, while the Melbourne Airport location provides access for customers looking for car rental near Melbourne Airport and Tullamarine.

Chippendale Carshare says it will continue investing in fleet availability, operational systems and customer experience as demand grows across both cities.

Book a Vehicle Online

Customers looking for car rental in Sydney, Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport or Chippendale can view available vehicles and make a booking through the official Chippendale Carshare booking page:

Book a car with Chippendale Carshare

More information about the company and its vehicle rental services is available at:

Chippendale Carshare

About Chippendale Carshare

Chippendale Carshare is an Australian car rental operator based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company provides flexible vehicle rental services across Chippendale, Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, offering a growing fleet of economy cars, SUVs, vans, people movers and practical rental vehicles for short-term and longer-term use.

With 90 vehicles now operating across Sydney and Melbourne, Chippendale Carshare continues to expand its presence as an online-first car rental provider focused on convenience, flexibility and accessible vehicle hire.

Media Contact

Organization: Chippendale Carshare Pty Ltd

Contact Person: Alexander Munao

Website: https://chippocarshare.com.au

Email: Send Email

Contact Number: +611300011135

Address:81-83 Campbell Street

City: Chippendale

State: NSW

Country:Australia

Release id:45374

The post Chippendale Carshare Expands to 90 Vehicles Across Sydney and Melbourne appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section