Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Singapore Dominates Southeast Asia's Crypto Market, Implications for Region

Singapore dominates Southeast Asia's crypto market with a 43.5% market share, positioning itself as a pivotal crypto hub in the region and across Asia. Its reputation as a thriving fintech and innovation center is bolstered by its concentration of crypto interest, attracting startups, exchanges, and investment firms and fostering a vibrant ecosystem.

Singapore's leading role in the crypto market also carries weight in shaping regional regulatory frameworks and can inspire other Southeast Asian nations to adopt similar approaches.

The Philippines' presence as the second-ranking country in Southeast Asia's crypto market highlights the transformative potential of digital currencies in empowering individuals and businesses. Singapore's ascendancy as a crypto hub holds the potential to bring about substantial economic and regulatory developments, propelling both the city-state and the wider Southeast Asian region into the forefront of the crypto revolution.

Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • Hong Kong expands digital yuan pilot to allow e-CNY wallets for cross-border payments

    The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the People's Bank of China have expanded their cross-border digital yuan pilot to allow Hong Kong residents to use e-CNY wallets for cross-boundary payments. The digital yuan is China's central bank digital currency, which has been piloted for several years and is among the most advanced of its kind globally. Users can set up wallets using just a phone number and top them up in real-time through 17 Hong Kong retail banks. The HKMA plans to work with the Digital Currency Institute to explore enhancing interoperability in payments and corporate use cases, such as cross-border trade settlement.
  • Türkiye proposes to align crypto legislation with international standards

    Turkey's ruling party submitted a draft encryption bill to parliament on May 16. The bill focuses on licensing and registration of encryption service providers and aligning with international standards.The draft law aims to update existing legislation to comprehensively regulate the emerging cryptocurrency market. The key areas of focus for the bill include consumer protection, platform transparency, and compliance with financial regulations. The proposed legislation aims to regulate cryptocurrency trading platforms and other service providers in the industry, requiring them to obtain a license from the Capital Markets Board of Turkey.
  • US Secret Service seizes domain used to run cryptocurrency scam

    On May 17th, the US Secret Service seized a domain used for cryptocurrency trust fraud in a "pig-killing plate" scam. In the "pig-killing plate" scam, scammers contact victims through various means, including dating apps, social media websites, and even random text messages disguised as wrong numbers.
  • French securities regulator issues new warning to Bybit

    The French securities regulator has issued a new warning to the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit, urging customers to make arrangements for the possibility that the platform may suddenly stop providing services to French customers. The Financial Markets Authority (AMF) stated in a notice on Thursday that the exchange is not registered as a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP), and therefore is providing services illegally in France. Bybit has been blacklisted by the AMF since May 20, 2022 for illegal operations.
  • Swiss Federal Council Plans to Implement Crypto Asset Reporting Framework to Improve Tax Transparency

    The Swiss Federal Council (consisting of seven members jointly leading the Swiss government) plans to implement a Cryptocurrency Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) to increase tax transparency.On the 15th, the Federal Council issued a consultation document to investigate public opinion on joining the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) to combat tax evasion and avoidance in cooperation with international tax authorities. Currently, Switzerland's joining of AEOI is scheduled for January 1, 2026. It is reported that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) established AEOI and other initiatives for the Group of Twenty (G20) countries, which later expanded to include other countries.Switzerland previously adopted the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) of the OECD in 2014, but did not include CARF regulating cryptocurrency assets and their providers.
  • US lawmaker: SEC should repeal crypto accounting policy before Senate vote

    US legislator Wiley Nickel wrote a letter to Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on May 15th, stating that the SEC should repeal the cryptocurrency accounting policy (SAB 121) before the Senate vote. Protecting investors is the mission of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, but SAB 121 does the opposite by preventing heavily regulated US banks from mass custody of digital assets. In addition, Wiley Nickel criticized the SEC for bypassing the rule-making process when issuing SAB 121, believing that the purpose of the cryptocurrency accounting policy is to clarify existing policies, not to create new ones.
  • Chinese Police Dismantle $1.9B Smuggling Ring Using USDT Stablecoin

    Chinese police have dismantled a large-scale underground banking scheme involved in smuggling operations valued at $1.9 billion. The illicit network used Tether's stablecoin USDT to facilitate the smuggling of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and the purchase of prohibited goods overseas. The crackdown coincides with China's nationwide observance of "May 15" Publicity Day for Combating and Preventing Economic Crimes. Police have arrested 193 suspects nationwide, including ring leaders Lin, Weng, Chen, and other unnamed individuals.
  • MAS: Singapore is working on global first-tier fund tokenization regulation

    Chia Der Jiun, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, introduced some fund tokenization pilots at an event for asset managers. These pilots are part of the Project Guardian and MAS Global Layer 1 (GL1) tokenization plans. Chia Der Jiun emphasized the advantages of tokenization in real-time settlement and process automation, which can improve efficiency and achieve greater customization of funds. UK asset management company Schroders and fund distribution platform Calastone are exploring this as part of the Project Guardian public blockchain trial in Singapore. A recent survey by Calastone showed that 96% of asset management companies in the Asia-Pacific region plan to launch tokenized products within three years. Chia stated that as these Project Guardian pilot projects approach commercialization, MAS is working with the pilot project managers to study the legal and regulatory treatment and impact of tokenized investment funds."
  • Singapore issued a budget statement for fiscal year 2024, planning to allocate S$2 billion to strengthen the digital economy

    Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat presented the country's budget statement for the fiscal year 2024 in February. The budget proposes an allocation of 2 billion Singapore dollars to strengthen its digital economy, marking Singapore's strong push for financial innovation and integration of digital assets, sending a clear signal of incorporating digital assets into its economic framework.
  • New Year, New Fintech Trends

    We closed out 2023 by sharing some of the big ideas we’re looking out for in fintech this year, including the rise of the developer as buyer in financial services, how financial professional services will be supercharged by software, and why AI will push Latin American SMBs to go digital.