Vietnam Sets Deadline for Pilot Crypto Exchange Licences by Mid-January

TheNewsCryptoPubblicato 2026-01-08Pubblicato ultima volta 2026-01-08

Introduzione

Vietnam is advancing cautiously into the digital asset space by planning to license pilot cryptocurrency exchanges under a sandbox framework before January 15, 2026. This follows the enactment of the Law on Digital Technology Industry in effect since January 1, 2026. The government, led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, has set strict criteria for licensing, including a minimum capital requirement of approximately $400 million and at least 65% institutional ownership from qualified entities like banks or securities firms. These institutions must also demonstrate two consecutive profitable years and clean audits. Multi-agency oversight will be implemented to monitor operations, money flows, anti-money laundering risks, and cybercrime, ensuring a tightly controlled initial crypto environment. Only about five companies are expected to be licensed initially.

Vietnam has taken a cautious path towards incorporating digital assets into its financial system. As the Vietnamese government plans to license pilot crypto exchanges by mid-January, specifically before January 15, 2026, under a sandbox framework.

Previously, in June 2025, Vietnam announced the Law on Digital Technology Industry which took effect on January 1, and explicitly covers digital assets. Following this, Digital and cryptoassets have drawn growing interest from domestic and foreign investors.

Vietnam Sets Strict Framework

According to the Vietnam Investment Review, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered regulators to issue these licences, as this plan was part of a national finance-sector review meeting outlining important tasks for 2026.

With that, the launch of the sandbox-style regulatory system keeps the initial crypto market tightly controlled. As the government plans to be controlled under this framework, only around five companies will be licensed initially. The criteria for the sandbox are very strict.

Each is required to meet a minimum capital threshold of about $400 million and maintain at least 65% institutional ownership, with more than 35% contributions from two or more qualified institutions such as banks or securities firms. These institutions must also show two consecutive profitable years and clean audits.

In addition, Vietnam intends to implement multi-agency governance, with the Ministry of Finance supervising operations, the State Bank of Vietnam monitoring money flows and anti-money laundering risks, and the Ministry of Public Security addressing cybercrime, to ensure that the initial crypto market is closely tracked and under control.

Highlighted crypto news today:

Binance Launches USDT-Settled Gold and Silver TradFi Perpetual Contracts

Domande pertinenti

QWhat is the deadline set by Vietnam for issuing pilot crypto exchange licenses?

AThe deadline is mid-January, specifically before January 15, 2026.

QWhat is the minimum capital requirement for companies to be licensed under Vietnam's crypto exchange sandbox?

AThe minimum capital requirement is about $400 million.

QWhich government body in Vietnam will supervise the operations of licensed crypto exchanges?

AThe Ministry of Finance will supervise the operations.

QWhat are the ownership requirements for companies seeking a crypto exchange license in Vietnam?

ACompanies must maintain at least 65% institutional ownership, with over 35% contributions from two or more qualified institutions like banks or securities firms.

QWhich law in Vietnam, effective from January 1, explicitly covers digital assets?

AThe Law on Digital Technology Industry, announced in June 2025, explicitly covers digital assets.

Letture associate

W3.io and Space and Time Collaborate to Launch Verifiable AI Finance Infrastructure

W3.io and Space and Time have partnered to launch a verifiable AI finance infrastructure designed to address the accountability gap in autonomous financial operations. The collaboration combines W3’s platform for creating and automating agent-powered financial workflows with Space and Time’s verifiable data blockchain, ensuring end-to-end proof from execution to settlement. This two-layer verification system processes over 200,000 operations daily and has been validated in production by Creatorland, a platform serving 100,000 content creators. The partnership enables businesses to deploy multi-vendor financial processes quickly and auditably, with support from integrations including Circle, Stripe, and PayPal. The system provides a trust layer for autonomous financial movements, ensuring data integrity and operational transparency beyond traditional cloud databases.

TheNewsCrypto1 h fa

W3.io and Space and Time Collaborate to Launch Verifiable AI Finance Infrastructure

TheNewsCrypto1 h fa

New York AG Sues Coinbase, Gemini Over Alleged State Law Violations

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Coinbase and Gemini, alleging their prediction markets violate state gambling laws. The complaint argues these platforms operate as unlicensed gambling activities since outcomes rely on chance, not skill. Both companies are also accused of allowing users under 21, the legal age for mobile sports betting in New York. The suit seeks restitution for customers, repayment of illegal profits, civil penalties, and restrictions on marketing, including a ban on promoting services on college campuses. Following the news, Coinbase's stock fell roughly 10%, while Gemini's dropped about 4%.

bitcoinist2 h fa

New York AG Sues Coinbase, Gemini Over Alleged State Law Violations

bitcoinist2 h fa

Crypto Extortion Hits Strait Of Hormuz As Scammers Exploit Shipping Crisis

An emerging crypto extortion scam is targeting shipping companies with vessels stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime risk firm Marisks. Criminals posing as Iranian security officials are sending fraudulent messages offering safe passage in exchange for transit fees paid in Bitcoin or Tether. The scam exploits desperation amid the ongoing regional conflict, which has severely restricted movement through the critical waterway. Victims are instructed to submit documents and pay a cryptocurrency fee to secure transit. However, the messages are not from Iranian authorities. Paying could not only result in financial loss but also potentially violate international sanctions, as any crypto transfer linked to Iranian entities may be considered material support. Legal risks remain even if companies are defrauded. The scheme appears to capitalize on earlier reports that Iran was considering a real crypto-based toll system.

bitcoinist5 h fa

Crypto Extortion Hits Strait Of Hormuz As Scammers Exploit Shipping Crisis

bitcoinist5 h fa

MIT Researcher Proposes New Path To Make Bitcoin Quantum-Safe

MIT Digital Currency Initiative director Neha Narula proposes a practical, staged approach to make Bitcoin quantum-safe. She argues that Bitcoin should immediately implement low-risk defenses through a soft fork, rather than waiting for full consensus on more complex issues. Her recommended solution involves deploying a post-quantum output type like P2MR (BIP 360) along with a new quantum-resistant signature opcode. This would allow users to securely migrate their funds to quantum-resistant addresses, provided they avoid address exposure. While this doesn’t resolve all challenges—such as how to handle inactive or lost coins—Narula emphasizes that immediate action reduces risk and provides time to gather data before a cryptographically relevant quantum computer emerges. She dismisses alternative proposals as impractical for broad use and acknowledges tradeoffs, such as reduced privacy efficiency, but insists progress shouldn’t be delayed by unresolved governance debates.

bitcoinist5 h fa

MIT Researcher Proposes New Path To Make Bitcoin Quantum-Safe

bitcoinist5 h fa

What To Know About This Week’s CLARITY Act Push—And Why Mid-May Is Now Key

After months of delay, the Senate is approaching a decisive moment for the CLARITY Act, with mid-May emerging as a critical timeframe. Pressure from traditional banking groups, particularly concerning stablecoin yield restrictions, is causing potential delays. Banking associations are urging members to voice concerns to key negotiators like Senator Thom Tillis. Although a recent compromise largely satisfied the crypto industry, unresolved issues remain, including ethics and DeFi provisions. The markup could be postponed until after the Senate's recess, pending further negotiations.

bitcoinist6 h fa

What To Know About This Week’s CLARITY Act Push—And Why Mid-May Is Now Key

bitcoinist6 h fa

Trading

Spot

Futures