On February 12, Thailand is moving forward with the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in the country's regulated derivatives market.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand recently announced that it will expand the scope of permitted underlying assets to include digital assets and carbon credits, in accordance with derivatives regulations.
This move follows the Thai cabinet's approval of a proposal aimed at aligning Thailand's derivatives market with international standards while maintaining strong regulatory, risk mitigation, and investor protection measures.
This adjustment by the Thai SEC officially recognizes digital assets (including cryptocurrencies) as a legal investment asset class, qualifying them as underlying assets for regulated derivatives. This means that in the future, futures, options, and other contract products linked to assets such as Bitcoin may be launched on platforms such as the Thai Futures Exchange.
The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to develop supporting regulatory rules, including revising derivatives business licenses to allow licensed digital asset operators to offer contracts pegged to digital assets. The agency will also review the licensing and regulatory framework for derivatives exchanges and clearinghouses to accommodate the demand for crypto assets as a new type of underlying asset. Furthermore, the SEC stated it will collaborate with the Thailand Futures Exchange to finalize the specifications for digital asset-pegged contracts to support risk management and practical market applications.
