Thailand is preparing to weave digital assets into its tourism and financial infrastructure, starting with a pilot program that would let visitors pay in crypto through card-linked platforms.
The initiative, still under government review, would allow foreign tourists to spend their digital currencies seamlessly, with merchants receiving Thai baht without being exposed to crypto volatility.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira described the plan as a fast-track path toward modernization, noting that such a system avoids direct pressure on the national currency while offering crypto holders real-world utility during their stay.
Beyond tourism, Thailand is eyeing sweeping reforms to its financial ecosystem. Authorities aim to bridge outdated regulatory gaps between traditional capital markets and the growing digital asset sector. Proposed changes would relax investment restrictions on institutions like life insurers, allowing them to move beyond government bonds into equities and private assets.
The government is also drafting legislation to expand the Thai SEC’s enforcement powers, tighten oversight of high-frequency trading, and improve governance around treasury stock practices.
Meanwhile, Thailand continues to embrace blockchain technology. The finance ministry recently announced a $150 million issuance of digital investment tokens, and a new initiative—G-Tokens—will let retail investors access government bonds in smaller, tokenized units. Regulators have also greenlit stablecoins like USDT and USDC for use on licensed exchanges.
With these moves, Thailand is positioning itself not just as a crypto-friendly destination for tourists, but as a regional innovator in integrating blockchain with traditional finance.
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South Korea’s top financial watchdog has issued informal guidance urging local asset managers to scale back their investments in crypto-related stocks, according to a Korean Herald report.
In a surprising move on Tuesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initially approved Bitwise’s proposal to convert its cryptocurrency index fund into a full-fledged exchange-traded fund (ETF)—only to halt the decision just hours later.
Senators Tim Scott, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) have released a discussion draft of a new digital asset market structure bill—framed as the Senate counterpart to the CLARITY Act.