Stock Exchange of Thailand headquarters in Bangkok

Thailand Moves Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Into the Draft-Rule Stage

By Isaac • August 25, 2026 11:26 pm • Comments

Thailand has moved its plan for locally listed crypto exchange-traded funds out of the talking stage and into draft rules.

The country’s securities regulator is now asking for public comment on a framework that would initially allow passive funds tied to the price of Bitcoin or Ether. The proposal lays out how the ETFs would be built, held and traded inside Thailand’s capital market.

In its official announcement, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission said each fund would track one crypto asset and maintain average net exposure of at least 80% of net asset value during the accounting year. Bitcoin and Ethereum would be the only eligible assets at the initial stage.

Trending: Solana Hits Record 4.2 Billion Transactions as Real-World Assets Near $4 Billion

The regulator also said the products would trade exclusively on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Asset managers would have to demonstrate that their people, systems and service-provider arrangements are ready to run the funds securely and in an orderly way.

The custody provisions show where Thailand is trying to draw the line between access and risk. Crypto held by the ETFs would primarily remain with digital-asset custodians regulated inside Thailand.

The SEC left room to permit qualified foreign custodians when circumstances justify it, but those firms would need supervision by a regulator with real legal authority and standards the Thai SEC considers adequate for investor and asset protection.

That revision followed an earlier public hearing in April and May. Most respondents supported the broad framework, according to the SEC, but their comments pushed the agency to add flexibility around custody without abandoning the domestic-first structure.

The draft also goes beyond the funds themselves. Mutual funds and private funds would be allowed to invest in Thai-domiciled crypto ETFs, subject to existing limits.

During the opening stage, however, the regulator would restrict alternative products tied to foreign crypto ETFs. That includes depositary receipts aimed at giving investors indirect access to overseas funds.

For Thai investors, the practical payoff would be access to Bitcoin or Ether exposure through a listed security rather than direct wallet ownership. The tradeoff is a tightly controlled structure: passive management, one underlying asset, an 80% exposure floor, regulated custody and specific risk acknowledgments before trading.

Cointelegraph noted that the proposal advances Thailand’s framework from broad principles to actual draft regulations. This is still a consultation, not an ETF launch or final approval.

Public comments remain open through September 20.

The timing comes as spot crypto funds continue to pull traditional market infrastructure closer to major digital assets. Cointelegraph’s same-day flow snapshot showed net inflows across U.S. Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP products on August 24, useful context for why regulators outside the United States are building domestic rules instead of treating listed crypto exposure as a passing experiment.

Thailand’s plan is deliberately narrower than that broader product set. Starting with Bitcoin and Ether gives regulators the two deepest and most widely recognized crypto markets while they test custody, disclosure and trading protections in a domestic ETF structure.

If the final rules preserve the draft’s core, Thailand would gain a locally listed route to the crypto market without asking ordinary investors to manage private keys or move assets through an exchange account.

The next milestone is what the regulator changes after the comment period—and how quickly qualified asset managers can turn the finished framework into real funds.

Join the conversation!

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

 

Search ProCoinNews