Philippines SEC Cracks Down on Unlicensed Crypto Exchanges – Who’s Next?

Regulators draw blood in Manila’s crypto Wild West.

The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission just fired a warning shot across the bow of major digital asset platforms operating without licenses. While the SEC didn’t name names, the move signals tightening oversight in one of Asia’s most crypto-friendly markets.

License or leave: The new enforcement mantra

This isn’t your grandma’s gentle regulatory nudge—it’s a full-on compliance blitz. The SEC’s targeting of household-name exchanges reveals growing impatience with the ‘ask forgiveness later’ approach favored by some crypto firms. Will this trigger an exodus, or just more creative compliance theater?

The irony? While traditional finance struggles with 19th-century settlement times, regulators somehow find endless resources to chase crypto innovators. Maybe those license fees fund particularly sharp enforcement teeth.