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Thailand SEC Issues Framework for Local Bitcoin and Ether Crypto ETFs

Thailand SEC Issues Framework for Local Bitcoin and Ether Crypto ETFs

Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission has finalized a regulatory framework allowing local fund managers to establish spot crypto ETFs, with the rules scheduled to take effect Oct. 16, 2026. Under the 11 notifications released by the regulator on Oct. 8, the framework permits products tracking bitcoin and ether to list and trade exclusively on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

The framework establishes operational parameters for digital asset fund management, the appointment of qualified custodians, and investor protections across the domestic financial market. While the rulebook opens the door for fund sponsors to submit products for regulatory clearance, regulators noted that each individual investment vehicle must still secure dedicated SEC approval before public trading begins.

According to CryptoRank and local reports, the finalized measures set explicit operational expectations for any domestic asset management company planning to enter the space. Under the published structure, the scope of the market remains intentionally narrow during its debut window, anchoring initial permissions strictly to products tied to the two largest digital assets.

Custody Mandates and Exchange Exclusivity for Crypto ETFs

The finalized rules mandate that all underlying digital tokens held by the funds must be stored with digital asset custodians supervised directly by the Thai SEC. Fund managers will not have the option of listing on secondary domestic trading venues, as products are restricted entirely to the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Crypto Briefing reported that the SEC announced its operational requirements on Oct. 16, 2026, setting baseline standards for asset management companies and mutual fund supervisors. The regulator also noted that it may evaluate the inclusion of qualified foreign digital asset custodians at a future stage if deemed suitable.

The rules outline detailed criteria covering technical infrastructure and organizational readiness before an institution can supervise custody pools for crypto ETFs. By centralizing holding verification with locally authorized entities, the commission intends to retain direct regulatory oversight over reserve balances and prevent offshore operational risks.

Institutional Allocation and Cross-Border Investment Limits

Alongside requirements for new offerings, the SEC updated its provisions to allow domestic mutual funds and private funds to invest directly in Thai-established crypto ETFs within their existing statutory investment boundaries. Previously, local funds were permitted to allocate capital only toward foreign-domiciled crypto products.

The commission has barred securities firms from offering margin loans to investors seeking to buy crypto ETFs, aiming to limit leverage risks. During the initial rollout, regulators have blocked retail access to cross-border crypto wrappers, prohibiting local brokerages from assisting general retail investors with foreign crypto ETFs while restricting such transactions strictly to institutional and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Financial intermediaries are also barred from listing or distributing alternative instruments referencing offshore crypto products, including depositary receipts. The SEC confirmed that these restrictions will remain intact throughout the initial phase of implementation.

Consultation Process and Launch Requirements

The finalization of the 11 regulatory notifications follows a pair of public consultations conducted by the regulator earlier in the year. The SEC sought industry feedback regarding its core principles across April and May 2026, followed by a second consultation phase covering the detailed draft text throughout August and September.

Industry executives emphasized that Oct. 16 represents the legal activation of the regulatory regime rather than a confirmed debut date for live market trading. Fuwattananukul stated that commercial success will depend on structural execution, observing, "Whether these products draw meaningful investment will depend on a few things: competitive fees, tight tracking of the underlying asset, and investor education."

Addressing the behavioral hurdles facing traditional market participants, Fuwattananukul remarked, "For many investors, especially those wary of opening exchange accounts or managing wallets, ETFs through their existing brokerage accounts remove a real barrier." Chimphlapibul noted the significance of local execution, adding, "However, the actual outcome will depend on operator readiness and investor response."

Prospective fund promoters must prepare independent administrative paperwork, obtain clearance for individual product prospectuses, and coordinate with the SET prior to any public listing. The SEC emphasized that general regulatory permission does not waive standard scrutiny for new investment funds.

Investor Protection Rules for Crypto ETFs

Under the regulatory standards, brokers must provide comprehensive disclosures explaining the structural features and volatile characteristics of digital assets to prospective buyers. Securities firms are legally required to obtain explicit confirmation from clients verifying that they comprehend the risks before executing any purchase of crypto ETFs.

The debut of the ETF channel coincides with changing domestic participation trends. According to 99Bitcoins citing official SEC data, active trading accounts across Thai digital asset exchanges dropped to 121,000 in July 2026, marking a 21.82% slide from June and a sharp drop from roughly 265,000 active accounts documented in 2024.

The mandate for formal risk acknowledgments applies uniformly across all authorized brokerages distributing the vehicles. By barring margin facilities and enforcing mandatory disclosure checkpoints, the regulator seeks to curb reckless retail speculation while still establishing an accessible route to regulated digital asset exposure.

Conclusion

The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission's regulatory package establishes the formal legal foundation for spot bitcoin and ether funds to trade on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. With the 11 notifications taking effect on Oct. 16, 2026, the next concrete step requires local asset managers to prepare organizational infrastructure, submit fund applications for SEC review, and secure formal listing clearance before any products can launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the Thailand SEC crypto ETF rules take effect?

The regulatory framework takes effect on Oct. 16, 2026. The Thai SEC released 11 notifications on Oct. 8 finalizing the legal guidelines for fund establishment, though individual products still require explicit regulatory clearance before listing.

Which digital assets are permitted under the framework?

The initial phase of the framework permits exchange-traded funds to track only bitcoin and ether. All qualifying funds must be listed and traded exclusively on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Are Thai retail investors allowed to purchase foreign crypto ETFs?

No. Under the SEC rules, Thai brokerages remain barred from facilitating investments in foreign crypto ETFs for retail clients. Offshore products are restricted exclusively to institutional and ultra-high-net-worth investors.

Can investors trade crypto ETFs using margin loans?

No. The SEC has explicitly prohibited securities firms and brokers from issuing margin loans to clients for purchasing crypto ETFs, keeping leverage curbs aligned with existing rules for direct digital asset acquisitions.

Sources

Strategy Bitcoin Purchase of 334 BTC Trails $176M STRC Buyback as Firm Posts $21B Q3 Gain

Strategy Bitcoin Purchase of 334 BTC Trails $176M STRC Buyback as Firm Posts $21B Q3 Gain

The latest Strategy Bitcoin purchase totaled 334 BTC for $28.7 million between October 1 and 4, while the company spent $176.3 million to repurchase its own Stretch (STRC) preferred stock, according to a Monday filing that also estimated a $20.91 billion third-quarter gain on digital assets.

The buy lifted Strategy's holdings to exactly 848,000 BTC, a record, but the capital split shows preferred-stock support now rivals coin accumulation: the company directed roughly six times as much money at STRC repurchases as at Bitcoin during the period.

Inside the Latest Strategy Bitcoin Purchase

The 334 coins were acquired at an average of $85,838.80 each, funded with $15.7 million in net proceeds from the sale of 92,894 Class A common shares and $13 million drawn from the company's USD Cash pool.

The buy extends a three-week accumulation streak, though it came in at roughly a fifth of the prior week's 1,665 BTC acquisition, according to tradersunion. CoinGape described it as one of the company's smallest buys this year.

Strategy has now spent a total of $63.97 billion building its position, an average of $75,440.70 per coin, meaning last week's coins cost nearly 14% more than its existing basis. At a Bitcoin price near $86,138, the holdings are worth roughly $72.4 billion.

The Block reported that the stash equals more than 4% of Bitcoin's 21 million supply cap and implies around $9 billion of paper gains at current prices. Co-founder and executive chairman Michael Saylor put the total cost at around $64 billion including fees and expenses.

STRC Buybacks Dwarf Coin Buying

Strategy repurchased 1,033,168 STRC shares for $102.6 million in the final days of September and another 740,634 shares for $73.7 million in the first four days of October, totaling about 1.77 million shares for $176.3 million.

The financing split underscores the priority: $154.1 million from USD Cash went to STRC repurchases versus $13 million from the same pool for Bitcoin, with another $22.2 million of buybacks funded by interest earned on cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.

The repurchases are part of an effort to keep STRC trading near its $100 issue price, and the preferred stock has traded below par for months, tradersunion reported. Strategy said last week it would maintain STRC's 12% dividend rate until the stock trades steadily near that level, according to BeInCrypto.

The buyback program has $547.2 million remaining, and the company issued no preferred shares from any of its four lines via the at-the-market facility in either reporting window. STRC traded at $99.45 in premarket activity Monday, near its stated amount, while MSTR rose 2.9% to $164.60, according to Yahoo Finance data cited by Cointelegraph.

A $20.91 Billion Quarterly Gain

The filing estimated a $20.91 billion gain on digital assets for the third quarter ended September 30, the largest figure in the disclosure. Because Strategy marks Bitcoin at fair value, the number reflects price appreciation across the quarter and carries $1.88 billion of associated deferred tax expense.

The recovery also let the company reverse a $4.12 billion deferred tax asset recorded as of June 30, when Bitcoin's fair value sat below cost basis. Strategy estimated its digital asset carrying value at $70.82 billion as of September 30.

Saylor disclosed the headline figure in a post, stating that the company booked a $21 billion Q3 2026 gain on its digital assets. He added, "USD Duration is 3.6 yrs and STRC's BTC Credit is 50 bps assuming 10% BTC ARR, 40% BTC Vol, and a BTC price of $84,289."

Despite the gain, net accumulation slowed sharply: Strategy's holdings rose just 0.2% during the quarter as sales offset most purchases, compared with a nearly 11% increase in the second quarter, Cointelegraph reported. The company spent about $1.38 billion repurchasing STRC during the quarter.

Cash Reserves and the Dividend Vote

Strategy now holds its dollars in two pools: a $4.88 billion USD Reserve earmarked for preferred dividends and debt interest, plus $833.4 million of USD Cash available for general corporate uses, Bitcoin buying among them. During the week ended October 4, the company pulled $142.5 million out of the reserve to cover dividend and interest obligations.

In a separate proxy filed Monday, the company is asking shareholders to approve moving STRC, STRF, STRK and STRD to dividends paid each business day, doing away with STRC's twice-monthly cadence and the quarterly schedule on the other three, Cointelegraph reported. If approved, STRC's daily schedule would start in November and the others in January.

Shareholders vote on the plan October 28, arriving as more of the company's cash flows to preferred shares than to new Bitcoin, according to BeInCrypto. The company said the proposal would not change dividend rates or overall payment obligations.

Over the weekend, gold advocate Peter Schiff contended that Strategy can no longer tap STRC for fresh capital and so has lost its ability to finance further Bitcoin buying. "There's no way that he's going to be able to start selling more Stretch; that means he's not going to be able to raise money to really start buying more Bitcoin," Schiff said, according to BeInCrypto.

Peers and Market Context

Smaller rival Strive disclosed a bigger purchase the same morning, buying 2,000 BTC between September 28 and October 2 at an average of $84,422 each, about $169 million, lifting its holdings to 29,462 BTC. Its filing also shows Strive holds 505,000 STRC shares worth $50.2 million — the same preferred shares Strategy is buying back.

Metaplanet, another Bitcoin treasury company, unloaded 10,000 BTC in the third quarter and later repurchased 11,000, a round trip intended to demonstrate to credit rating agencies that it could convert Bitcoin into cash on demand. Per Bitcoin Treasuries data cited by The Block, 196 public companies have adopted some form of Bitcoin acquisition model.

MSTR shed 7.1% over the course of last week to end Friday's session at $160.01, according to The Block's price page, before rising in premarket trading Monday on the filing. As of October 4, $18.83 billion in MSTR shares remained available under its at-the-market program.

Conclusion

Strategy's Monday filing established three things: a record 848,000 BTC treasury after a modest 334-coin buy, a $20.91 billion estimated third-quarter gain on digital assets, and $176.3 million spent repurchasing STRC — roughly six times its weekly Bitcoin outlay. The next concrete step is the October 28 special meeting, where shareholders will vote on moving all four preferred stocks to daily dividend payments, with STRC's new schedule slated to begin in November if approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much Bitcoin did Strategy buy in its latest purchase?

Strategy bought 334 BTC for $28.7 million between October 1 and 4, paying an average of $85,838.80 per coin. The purchase lifted its total holdings to exactly 848,000 BTC, acquired for a combined $63.97 billion at an average of $75,440.70 per coin.

Why did Strategy spend $176.3 million on STRC buybacks?

Strategy repurchased about 1.77 million STRC preferred shares for $176.3 million across late September and early October as part of an effort to keep the stock trading near its $100 issue price. STRC has traded below par for months, and the company has pledged to maintain its 12% dividend rate until it trades steadily near that level.

What was Strategy's third-quarter gain on digital assets?

The company estimated a $20.91 billion gain on digital assets for the quarter ended September 30, with $1.88 billion of associated deferred tax expense. Because Strategy marks Bitcoin at fair value, the figure reflects price appreciation across the quarter, and it allowed the reversal of a $4.12 billion deferred tax asset.

When do Strategy shareholders vote on daily preferred dividends?

Shareholders vote October 28 at a special meeting on a proposal to pay dividends on STRC, STRF, STRK and STRD every business day. If approved, STRC's daily schedule would start in November and the other three preferred stocks would follow in January, with no change to dividend rates.

How did Strategy fund its latest 334 BTC purchase?

Strategy sold 92,894 MSTR Class A common shares, raising $15.7 million in net proceeds that went entirely toward Bitcoin, and drew another $13 million from its USD Cash pool. No preferred shares were sold through its at-the-market program during the period.

Sources

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Yuga Labs’ First Bitcoin NFT Auction Nets $16.5M In 24 Hours

Yuga Labs’ First Bitcoin NFT Auction Nets $16.5M In 24 Hours

On Monday afternoon, Yuga Labs Inc., the company behind the top nonfungible token series Bored Ape Yacht Club, held a sale for its first bitcoin-based collection, dubbed "TwelveFold," and garnered $16.5 million. The company has announced that 288 successful bidders would receive one of the Bitcoin NFTs from the inventory within one week, while failed bidders will have their initial investment returned to them within twenty-four hours.

Late in February, Yuga released a new art series called TwelveFold, which he called "a graphic allegory for the encryption of data on the bitcoin blockchain" and which was "inspired by bitcoin." Three hundred pieces of the collection's generative art were created with that motif in mind. Although while NFTs can be launched on the bitcoin blockchain, this is not a common practise. Since the introduction of the project in January, the number of NFTs uploaded to the bitcoin blockchain that make use of Ordinals images that are "inscribed" on the blockchain has increased dramatically.

In contrast to other NFT collections from Yuga Labs, TwelveFold is the first to be distributed via the bitcoin blockchain. Bored Apes Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Otherside virtual land plots, Cryptopunks, and Meebits are just some of the company's other NFT collections that have been released on the Ethereum blockchain. Each of the 288 Bitcoin Ordinals-based NFTs was auctioned off, with the highest bidder paying just over 7 BTC. Tokens representing non-fungible digital assets, such as works of art, songs, video game items, concert tickets, and other intangible or tangible goods, are known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a subset of crypto assets based on blockchain technology. Due to the fact that NFTs are exchanged on blockchains and stored in crypto wallets, they have a market value that can be purchased, sold, and traded for cryptocurrency.

After only 24 hours, the auction for Yuga Labs' first collection of Bitcoin Ordinal nonfungible tokens brought in $16.5 million. By using "satoshis," the smallest unit of bitcoin named after bitcoin's anonymous developer, Satoshi Nakamoto, it is feasible to store photos on the blockchain. In total, 288 lucky bidders took home a piece of Bitcoin NFT art from the "TwelveFold" series. Yuga promised the inscriptions to the winners will be sent out within a week, and he promised to refund the money to the losers within 24 hours. In a late February announcement, Yuga called the collection a "base 12 art system centred on a 1212 grid, a visual allegory for the mapping of data on the Bitcoin blockchain." Yuga employed a recently released mechanism for adding NFTs to the bitcoin blockchain called Ordinals, which required a custom protocol.

Debate arises about the bidding process during an auction.

Since all bids had to be sent in bitcoin to a single address that Yuga managed, the auction's technique was received with scepticism from the cryptocurrency community. They said that those who won would get their NFT and those who didn't would get their money back. The idea of handing over money to a firm in the event of failure and then having to wait for a reimbursement was unsettling to the community. There were only 300 of these available, and the sale started on Sunday and lasted for 24 hours. There were 3,246 bids in total, with 288 buyers spending a total of $16.49 million in BTC to win the auction. Bidding went as high as 7.1159 BTC, or about $159,500, and as low as 2.2501 BTC, or just over $50,000.

Twitter user "ordinally," whose account is dedicated to the Ordinals, chimed in on the debate as well, calling the situation a "scammer's fantasy" because the Ordinals were "taking custody of bidders' bitcoin." He continued by saying that he had no evidence to suggest that Yuga was acting fraudulently, but that this would be a poor model for future auctions.

Argo Increases Bitcoin Production Despite BTC Difficulty Growth

Argo Increases Bitcoin Production Despite BTC Difficulty Growth

Repeatedly, Argo Blockchain has demonstrated its worth by increasing its daily Bitcoin output rate by an astounding 7%, despite the fact that average network difficulties increased by 10% in February. Even after several months, the cryptocurrency market is still in the red. One such company is Argo, a leading Bitcoin mining operation situated in the United Kingdom. When it comes to bitcoin mining, Argo Blockchain is a frontrunner in both the North American and European markets.

Bitcoin and Ethereum, two of the most popular cryptocurrencies, have dropped in value during the past week, and the short-term future is currently unpredictable. Despite the current status of the industry, however, some businesses are thriving. The company's mining output increased dramatically from January's 5.4 BTC per day to a staggering 162 Bitcoin or comparable in February.

Argo Boosts Bitcoin Manufacturing Capacity

Argo said on Tuesday that it would be increasing its Bitcoin output regardless of the rising difficulty of Bitcoin mining. In February, the firm reported creating 162 BTC, a daily rise of 7 percent from the previous month. Argo uses renewable energy to power its mining operations, decreasing the company's carbon impact and paving the way for long-term success. Argo claims that the rise in output is the end consequence of the company's efforts to enhance the effectiveness of its mining operations.

Won't There Ever Be A Bad Time For Mining?

As of 28 February 2023, the overall hashrate of Argo Blockchain was 2.5 EH/s, or the equal of 101 BTC. It's estimated that mining earned $3.76 million in February at the average price of a cryptocurrency of around the same market cap. He further stressed the firm's commitment to operational excellence and the enhancement of internal business processes. Acting CEO of Argo Seif El-Bakly was ecstatic by the team's accomplishment and lauded their hard work. He credited the incessant efforts of the technical and operations departments.

This release, however, contains important data and forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current judgements, assumptions, or expectations regarding its financial results, business strategy, and intentions. The actual results, prospects, and performance of the Company could be adversely affected by a number of risks and uncertainties. accordingly, it is crucial to maintain vigilance and adapt to the changing times. Instead, they monetize the mining process, which requires figuring out intricate mathematical puzzles in order to verify blockchain transactions. Bitcoin mining is a highly profitable industry within the cryptocurrency sector. Even with the price fluctuations, mining companies like Argo Blockchain are making huge profits. As a result, mining remains one of the best revenue generators in the cryptocurrency industry, as it can be relied upon to generate profits even in the face of economic uncertainty. Income for mining businesses is relatively immune to market changes, in contrast to the situation for traders and investors.
As opposed to traders and investors, mining businesses' profitability is only moderately tied to Bitcoin's market price. There will be increased competition in the mining market, leading to higher difficulty levels in the network, as more people and businesses enter the industry. A company like Argo Blockchain, which has created novel strategies to keep up, has just announced significant increases in Bitcoin output. Success stories like Argo's and the aforementioned businesses show how resilient and innovative they can be in the face of adversity, such as the growing difficulty of Bitcoin mining.
In conclusion, it's impressive that the Argo Blockchain was able to boost Bitcoin output despite the network's growing difficulty. It reflects the company's professionalism and commitment to superior business practises. In addition, Argo isn't the only company flourishing despite the increased difficulty of Bitcoin mining. It is safe to say that mining will remain an important part of the bitcoin ecosystem as it undergoes continual change and development in the years to come. Marathon Digital and Cipher Mining are two such companies. It has been reported that in February, Bitcoin production at Marathon Digital increased by around 10%. Moreover, Bitcoin production at Cipher Mining is up 16% from January levels. However, Argo is poised to remain a major participant in the mining sector, contributing to the expansion of the broader crypto ecosystem as the cryptocurrency market continues to develop.

Bitcoin falls below $22,500; Litecoin, Dogecoin tumble up to 8%

Bitcoin falls below $22,500; Litecoin, Dogecoin tumble up to 8%

Turbulence in the crypto market

The fate of cryptocurrencies was different on Friday, when equities on the Indian market were experiencing a rise. Prices on the cryptocurrency exchanges fell precipitously as a result of market worries. According to Investing.com, U.S. lawmakers have said they are looking into Binance, a prominent cryptocurrency platform, for allegedly breaking regulations.

The shares of cryptocurrency bank Silvergate Capital fell more than 50% on Thursday as a result of the company delaying the release of its financials. The top cryptocurrencies experienced an abrupt decline in value as a result of the concerns that were hovering over the industry.

The changes in price

But its phenomenal gains in February were short-lived, bitcoin fell once more. On February 20, Bitcoin reached a high of $24,809, which was a six-month high for the most popular cryptocurrency in the world. Bitcoin originally fell below the $23,000 mark before breaking through the $22,500 barrier to trade at $22,300. On the other side, Ethereum surpassed the $1,600 mark and was trading at about $1,560.

As their market leaders did, altcoins decreased. In the past 48 hours, well-known altcoins like Litecoin and Avalanche lost 9% and 8% of their value, respectively, while meme-based Dogecoin as Cardano lost 7% apiece and Polkadot as well as Shiba Inu lost 6% apiece.

Stablecoins, which derive their currency from fiat money like the dollar, were the only cryptocurrency to survive the attack. A sign of the bubble-like atmosphere that now surrounds the cryptocurrency industry is the effect that any volatility in the exchange of cryptocurrencies might have on the valuation of the coins themselves.

One of the main reasons why investors steer clear of cryptocurrencies is the market's tremendous volatility. Since the exchange has a significant effect on the worth of independent cryptocurrencies, there is concern about the market's maturation.
Even though trading in meme coins has the potential to be profitable, doing so is extremely hazardous and more akin to gambling than actual investing. You might turn a profit if you manage to purchase or sell at the ideal moment. However, the likelihood that you will lose most or all of your investment is higher.

Focusing on things that are anticipated to do well and over long term is a superior strategy. Since cryptocurrencies in aggregate is still quite speculative, its future performance is unknown. But if you do decide to invest in cryptocurrencies, be sure to pick assets that have good skills which are more probable to stay around over time.
Cryptocurrencies are well-liked because they protect users' privacy during monetary operations. The most widely used method for preserving privacy in bitcoin applications is now zero-knowledge technology. The projections for bitcoin in 2023 would take into account the potential for increased acceptance of zero-knowledge proofs.

In order to prove information without disclosing the facts included in the proof, zero-knowledge proofs employ a systematic methodology including a prover, validator, and scientific procedure. In the cryptosphere, zero-knowledge theorems are a unique tool because blockchain networks have built-in transparency.

The ZKPs' inventiveness is the most salient feature that underlies the potential projections for the crypto business in 2023 regarding the adoption of ZKPs. Zero-knowledge proof application cases have been established in numerous recent initiatives.
ZKPs specifically help in the crypto business with identity verification. Without disclosing their private or sensitive information, users might rely on ZKPs for the on personal identification. In order to increase interoperability, zero-knowledge demonstrations would also significantly improve the security of cryptographic bridges.

So, this is how the price changes can be seen in the market and you can know about it based on the predictions.