Thailand drafts crypto ETF and futures rules to court institutional investors
Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission has begun drafting new rules to enable crypto exchange-traded funds and regulated futures trading, signaling a push to attract institutional capital and professional trading flows. Regulators say the move responds to growing demand from asset managers and institutional investors seeking regulated, tradable crypto products inside the region. If implemented, clearer ETF and futures frameworks could increase liquidity, give fund managers a compliant route to offer crypto exposure, and strengthen domestic exchanges’ competitiveness versus Singapore and Hong Kong. Market participants caution that success will depend on robust custody standards, risk controls and anti-money-laundering safeguards; the SEC appears to be balancing market access with investor protection. The initiative is likely to proceed through consultation and rulemaking stages before any launch timeline is set.