At the 2026 Philippines Blockchain Week, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated that its attitude towards the tokenization of real-world assets has become more positive as regulatory sandbox projects progress. The agency said that existing laws and regulatory frameworks are sufficient to cover tokenized assets, and it is prepared to regulate related products under the current system.
The existing framework can cover tokenized products
Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo stated that tokenization could bring new forms of activity to capital markets and change the way securities are issued and traded. According to him, regulators are currently confident enough in overseeing tokenized products within the country's legal framework.
He also mentioned that asset tokenization is expected to drive financial innovation and provide new compliance channels for investors and market participants.
Four companies entered the regulatory sandbox
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expanding its use of the StratBox regulatory sandbox. This mechanism allows fintech companies to test their products and business models under direct regulatory oversight.
- One company is testing tokenized real estate products.
- Two companies are evaluating investment products targeting U.S. stocks.
- BlockShoals Receives Approval in Principle to Test Encryption Services
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) also emphasized that entering the sandbox does not mean that companies can be exempted from existing legal obligations. Regulators may temporarily adjust or exempt certain requirements for individual participants during the testing period, but this cannot be used to evade compliance responsibilities.
Virtual asset regulation is tightening in tandem.
Quevedo also stated that tokenized investment products could help overseas Filipino workers access regulated investment opportunities. This group often has investable funds but lacks access to legitimate products, making them more vulnerable to investment scams.
While promoting tokenization, Philippine regulators are also strengthening enforcement of digital asset businesses. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) stated that it has used artificial intelligence tools to identify investment scams and has partnered with major platforms such as Google and TikTok to remove illegal products targeting Filipino investors.
On the other hand, the Central Bank of the Philippines is also tightening regulations on virtual asset service providers. According to the new guidelines, platforms must conduct more comprehensive due diligence before listing crypto assets, assessing the issuer's background, market maturity, use cases, transparency, security standards, liquidity, and legal compliance.
Additional information:According to BitPinas, the Philippine central bank recently stated that neither Binance nor BlockShoals currently holds a virtual asset servicer license in the country, which is a prerequisite for providing crypto payment and trading services.
