Bitcoin

Thailand Expands Crypto ETF Offerings to Include Altcoins

Published

1 month ago

October 6, 2025

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to broaden its cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) landscape, moving beyond Bitcoin to incorporate altcoins such as Ethereum and Solana, with a potential rollout in early 2026. This expansion aims to provide local mutual funds and institutional investors with regulated access to diversified digital assets, addressing the growing demand from younger investors seeking portfolio diversification amid a 7.6% decline in the Thai stock market this year.

SEC Secretary-General Pornanong Budsaratragoon confirmed that the agency is drafting new rules in collaboration with other regulators to enable ETFs featuring “baskets of cryptocurrencies,” reducing reliance on overseas funds and direct token purchases, which carry higher risks like volatility and scams. By late 2024, active crypto trading accounts in Thailand had exceeded 270,000, underscoring the surge in domestic interest and positioning the country as a potential regional crypto hub.

Building on Bitcoin Foundations

Thailand’s journey into crypto ETFs began with the approval of its first spot Bitcoin ETF in mid-2024, managed by One Asset Management (ONEAM) as a “fund of funds” for institutional and high-net-worth investors. This followed global trends, including U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF approvals, and aligned Thailand with markets like Hong Kong. The new initiative extends this framework to altcoins, potentially including Ethereum for its smart contract capabilities and Solana for its high-speed blockchain, alongside multi-asset baskets to enhance liquidity and innovation in DeFi, NFTs, and Web3.

This policy continuity persists despite a recent leadership change, with the retention of Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira ensuring pro-crypto momentum under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Platforms like Binance are already expanding operations in Thailand, anticipating inflows from these regulated products that could unlock billions in investments.

Regulatory Safeguards and Investor Protection

To mitigate risks associated with altcoins’ higher volatility and liquidity challenges, the SEC is implementing stricter measures, including mandatory use of approved auditors for digital asset firms managing funds starting October 2025 and enhanced enforcement powers to suspend suspicious transactions. Custody standards, listing rules, and market surveillance will ensure secure, offline storage and compliance, protecting investors from money laundering and fraud—evident in the June 2025 blocking of unlicensed exchanges like Bybit and OKX.

These steps balance innovation with oversight, channeling demand away from unregulated platforms toward domestic, compliant options. Analysts predict this could attract international capital, deepen market liquidity, and foster Thailand’s role in Asia’s digital asset ecosystem.

A Broader Crypto Future

By integrating altcoins into ETFs, Thailand is democratizing access to diversified crypto exposure, appealing to tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z while aligning with global shifts toward tokenized assets. As rules finalize by year-end, the launch could catalyze institutional participation and economic growth, solidifying Thailand’s ambitions in the evolving world of digital finance.

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Bitcoin

Philippines Solidifies Status as Asia’s Leading Crypto Powerhouse

Published

5 minutes ago

November 18, 2025

Coin Reporter Correspondent

The Philippines has quietly become the most crypto-native nation in Asia.

While Singapore and Hong Kong compete for institutional headlines, and Thailand courts blockchain tourists, the Philippines has built the deepest grassroots adoption on the continent, with over 18 million active crypto users in a population of 115 million, a penetration rate that now surpasses even South Korea.

Real-World Use Cases Drive Mass Adoption

Two engines power the surge:

Remittances
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sent home nearly $40 billion in 2024. An increasing share now arrives instantly and at near-zero cost via stablecoins on platforms like PDAX, Coins.ph, and global players such as Binance and Maya. GCash, the country’s super-app with 90 million registered users, began rolling out direct crypto top-up and cash-out features nationwide in Q3 2025.
Play-to-Earn & Gaming Economies
The Axie Infinity boom of 2021 was only the beginning. Today, thousands of local and foreign-developed web3 games continue to pay out millions of dollars monthly to Filipino players. Entire communities in provinces like Cavite and Cebu have built sustainable income streams from gaming guilds and scholarship programs.

Institutions Follow the People

Traditional finance is no longer watching from the sidelines:

UnionBank became the first universal bank in Southeast Asia to offer direct crypto trading and custody to retail clients through its app
BPI and Metrobank now allow instant fiat on-ramps to licensed exchanges
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued 18 Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licences, more than any other ASEAN country, while maintaining one of the most pragmatic regulatory frameworks in the region

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. stated earlier this year: “We regulate to protect, not to block. Crypto is already part of the Filipino financial reality.”

A Blueprint for Emerging Markets

The Philippines model, high retail adoption first, followed by progressive regulation and rapid institutional integration, is now being studied by regulators in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Nigeria.

Local exchanges report that average user holdings have matured from speculative altcoins to stablecoins and Bitcoin, with monthly trading volumes regularly exceeding $4 billion across licensed platforms.

Industry leaders point to one statistic as proof of irreversible momentum: over 40% of GCash users have now transacted with crypto features at least once, a level of mainstream penetration that most developed markets can only dream of.

From remittance corridors to rural gaming guilds, the Philippines didn’t wait for permission to embrace digital assets. Instead, it forced the system to adapt, and in doing so has built what many now call the most vibrant, organic crypto economy in Asia.

The message to the rest of Southeast Asia is clear: when adoption leads, everything else follows.

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