Philippines' central bank says Binance and its local partner lack licenses to operate

Binance is trying to enter the Philippines market through a local partner. Regulators are making clear it won't be simple.

The country's central bank said neither the world's largest crypto exchange nor its local partner, BlockShoals Technologies Inc., holds the necessary license to operate as a virtual asset service provider (VASP) in the country, BitPinas media reported.

The license, issued by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is essential to facilitate crypto payment and transaction rails and is separate from any approval granted by the country's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

CoinDesk reached out to Binance for a comment.

Binance has previously been active in the country. But in 2023, the SEC noted it was operating without a license. It ordered internet service providers and app stores to block the exchange the following year.

Last month, Binance said it is working with BlockShoals, a local fintech company that received initial SEC clearance in November under the regulator's sandbox framework. The sandbox, called StratBox (Strategic Sandbox), is a controlled, supervised environment for fintech and crypto firms to test financial services.

According to BitPinas, the central bank has explicitly stated that participation in the sandbox doesn't substitute for central bank licensing, and entities seeking to operate in the country must comply with both frameworks independently.

The report also says the SEC revised its language in the sandbox deal, describing Binance as a global crypto-asset service provider rather than a global VASP, a narrower designation. The revised terms also require BlockShoals to integrate its systems with a licensed domestic VASP within 90 days before any user onboarding through Binance infrastructure can begin.

Binance is back at the door. Whether it gets in, and on whose terms, remains to be seen.