The Taiwanese financial watchdog is reportedly considering trialing institutional crypto custody services, with local banks being evaluated for a pilot program.
Taiwan Looking To Integrate Crypto Assets Into Economy
Taiwan’s financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is reportedly encouraging local banks to pilot digital asset custody services.
In Q1 2025, the regulator plans to collect applications from interested financial institutions eager to trial digital asset custody services. Three banks have already expressed interest in participating in the pilot project.
Sources close to the matter suggest that financial institutions wishing to participate in the trial will be required to specify the type of digital asset they would like to hold, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), or Dogecoin (DOGE), among others.
Given the significant amount of funds in the industry – currently exceeding $2.2 trillion in total market cap – several security-related guidelines that interested institutions must adhere to have been issued.
For instance, relevant institutions must share their target user base, including professional investors, general investors, digital asset entities, etc. They must also ensure an efficient security infrastructure and implement mechanisms to prevent money laundering.
In addition, the participating institutions must have security mechanisms to avoid engaging with digital assets from illegal sources. Failing to do so may result in their cryptocurrency asset wallets being seized by government authorities.
According to the report, Hu Zehua, Director at FSC, commented that the regulator is considering releasing further information about the trial at least 15 days before accepting applications. Additionally, the FSC aims to gather public feedback on the proposed trial and tweak the process accordingly.
Recent regulatory developments in Taiwan indicate that the island nation is steadily warming up to digital assets. For instance, on September 30, the FSC approved institutional investors to invest in foreign crypto exchange-traded funds (ETF) via a re-entrustment process.
Crypto Ecosystem Coming Of Age In Asia
Taiwan’s recent embrace of digital assets reflects its growing significance as a powerful industry that boosts the national economic outlook. However, it is not the only country in Asia adopting a pro-crypto stance.
Neighboring Japan is reportedly considering a review of its existing digital assets regulations, potentially leading to lower taxes on crypto gains and the approval of ETFs.
Another Asian crypto heavyweight, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), recently announced that all digital asset conversions and transfer transactions will be exempted from the Value Added Tax (VAT). The move is seen as an effort by the UAE financial regulator to attract crypto capital to the country.
However, concerns remain among financial watchdogs regarding the potential risks of crypto assets for retail investors. A recent report found that nearly 70% of South Korean crypto exchanges could not return user funds after shutting down their operations. BTC trades at $62,303 at press time, down 0.1% in the last 24 hours.
