Singapore Delays Crypto Bank Capital Rules to 2027

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has delayed implementing new crypto asset capital rules, originally based on Basel standards, until January 1, 2027, following comprehensive market feedback.

This postponement aims to prevent regulatory arbitrage, aligning Singapore with global standards, ensuring fair competition and reducing compliance costs for banks handling crypto assets like BTC and ETH.

Singapore’s 2027 Target for Crypto Capital Rules

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has delayed the enforcement of new bank capital rules for crypto assets based on feedback. In a consultation summary released on October 9, MAS stated the new start date is set for January 1, 2027, or later.

This postponement acknowledges the concerns of 13 market participants, including Circle and Coinbase. MAS emphasizes that an early adoption of the Basel crypto rules might lead to regulatory arbitrage as businesses may shift to jurisdictions with less stringent requirements.

The announcement sparked limited public responses from key stakeholders. While Circle and Coinbase were involved in the consultation, there has been a noticeable absence of commentary from their executives. Nevertheless, the delay has not caused any significant immediate market movement.

Crypto Alignment with International Financial Hubs

Did you know? Singapore’s decision aligns with similar postponements by major financial hubs like the EU and US, fostering a more balanced international regulatory environment for crypto.

According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin (BTC) currently trades at $121,398.99 with a market cap of $2.42 trillion, representing 58.5% dominance. While the 24-hour trading volume dropped 0.47%, the market sentiment over the last 90 days rose by 2.89%. As of October 10, 2025, the circulating supply is 19,932,262 BTC out of a max supply of 21 million.

The Coindesk research team suggests the delay in implementing these rules may stabilize investor confidence in the crypto sector as synchronous global regulatory moves diminish compliance uncertainty for financial institutions worldwide.

“We have decided to postpone the implementation date for new capital rules for crypto assets to ensure alignment with global standards and to take into account broad market feedback.” — Ravi Menon, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore