Singapore Regulator Explains Action Against Binance vs FTX — Warns Even Licensed Crypto Exchanges Can Fail

1 year ago

Monetary Autority of Singapore Clarifies Why It Treats Binance and FTX Differently — Warns Even Licensed Crypto Exchanges Can Fail

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the regulator overseeing the crypto sector, has defended the enactment it took against crypto speech Binance and not the collapsed crypto level FTX. The cardinal slope besides warned that cryptocurrencies are “highly volatile and galore of them person mislaid each value.”

Singapore’s Central Bank Clarifies Its Stance connected Binance and FTX

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s cardinal bank, issued a property merchandise this week “to code immoderate questions and misconceptions that person arisen successful the aftermath of the FTX.com (FTX) debacle.”

The cardinal slope explained: “A archetypal misconception is that it was imaginable to support section users who dealt with FTX … MAS cannot bash this arsenic FTX is not licensed by MAS and operates offshore.”

The MAS proceeded to warrant the enactment it took against Binance and not FTX. The erstwhile was placed connected the cardinal bank’s Investor Alert List (IAL) portion the second was not. The regulator clarified:

While some Binance and FTX are not licensed here, determination is simply a wide quality betwixt the two: Binance was actively soliciting users successful Singapore portion FTX was not.

The MAS ordered Binance to cease providing outgo services to Singapore residents successful September past year. A fewer months later, the crypto speech shut down its speech services successful the city-state.

“Binance successful information went to the grade of offering listings successful Singapore dollars and accepted Singapore-specific outgo modes specified arsenic Paynow and Paylah,” the cardinal slope stressed, adding that it received respective complaints astir Binance betwixt January and August 2021. The MAS detailed:

MAS placed Binance connected the IAL due to the fact that it had solicited Singapore users without a licence. Further, connected MAS’ referral, the Commercial Affairs Department commenced probe into Binance for imaginable contravention of the Payment Services Act (PS Act). There was nary crushed to spot FTX connected the IAL arsenic determination was nary grounds that it had contravened the PS Act.

Commenting connected FTX specifically, the regulator noted: “There was nary grounds that it was soliciting Singapore users specifically. Trades connected FTX besides could not beryllium transacted successful Singapore dollars. But arsenic successful the lawsuit of thousands of different fiscal and crypto entities that run overseas, Singapore users were capable to entree FTX services online.”

A caller survey indicated that erstwhile Binance unopen down services successful Singapore, its users switched to FTX. Subsequently, much users from Singapore were utilizing the FTX.com website earlier the speech collapsed than from immoderate different country, but South Korea.

Singapore’s Central Bank Warns About the Risks of Investing successful Crypto

Noting that “The astir important acquisition from the FTX debacle is that dealing successful immoderate cryptocurrency, connected immoderate platform, is hazardous” and investors “can suffer each their money,” the MAS warned:

Crypto exchanges tin and bash fail. Even if a crypto speech is licensed successful Singapore, it would beryllium presently lone regulated to code money-laundering risks, not to support investors.

Furthermore, the MAS emphasized: “Cryptocurrencies themselves are highly volatile and galore of them person mislaid each worth … The ongoing turmoil successful the crypto manufacture serves arsenic a reminder of the immense risks of dealing successful cryptocurrencies.”

Following the meltdown of FTX, Singapore government’s Temasek wrote down its $275 cardinal concern successful the crypto company. Singapore has been trying to trim risks for retail crypto investors with restrictive rules.

What bash you deliberation astir the clarification by the Monetary Authority of Singapore? Let america cognize successful the comments conception below.

Kevin Helms

A pupil of Austrian Economics, Kevin recovered Bitcoin successful 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests prevarication successful Bitcoin security, open-source systems, web effects and the intersection betwixt economics and cryptography.

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