The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand has finalized regulations for domestic spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds. The regulator published 11 notifications on October 8, 2026, with the framework becoming effective on October 16, 2026. Currently, no specific ETF products or issuers have received approval for trading.
The new rules mandate that these ETFs must be passively managed and listed exclusively on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Each fund is required to maintain a minimum of 80% average net exposure to a single asset, specifically Bitcoin or Ether. Furthermore, all fund assets must be held by digital-asset custodians that are licensed by the SEC.
The framework introduces strict requirements for market participants. Investors must complete educational programs and sign risk acknowledgments before trading. Additionally, securities firms are prohibited from offering margin lending for these products. Retail investors are currently barred from accessing foreign crypto ETF-linked structures.
Local mutual funds and private funds are permitted to invest in these domestic ETFs, provided they adhere to existing regulatory limits. This policy marks a shift in focus toward domestic funds, building upon previous regulations that allowed limited exposure to foreign Bitcoin ETFs for institutional and professional investors.
