Thailand’s Crypto ETFs: Initial Rules Allow Bitcoin and Ethereum

Thailand’s crypto ETFs have a new regulatory framework. On October 8, 2026, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the issuance of 11 related regulations governing the establishment and oversight of exchange-traded funds with crypto asset exposure. The rules will take effect on October 16, 2026.

In the initial phase, two crypto assets will be permitted for these funds: Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, the announcement itself does not mean that the Thai regulator has already approved a specific fund or that Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs have begun trading on a local exchange.

Thailand’s crypto ETFs will be passive and focused on a single asset

The framework stipulates that the funds must be passively managed. At the same time, a fund’s average net exposure must reach at least 80% of its net asset value (NAV) to a single crypto asset. In practice, the rule points to products tied primarily to Bitcoin or primarily to Ethereum, rather than funds with a freely changing digital-asset portfolio.

Crypto ETFs may be traded exclusively on an exchange. Therefore, the mere existence of SEC rules will not be enough for a specific product to enter the market: the fund must go through an approval process and be listed. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)’s general ETF rules, among other things, require an SEC-approved fund scheme and a market maker.

Custody under SEC oversight and no margin purchases

The regulation also addresses custody of the underlying assets. Fund assets must be held with a DA Custodian, meaning a digital asset custodian regulated by Thailand’s SEC. This is one of the conditions established for funds operating under the domestic regulatory regime.

Another restriction concerns purchase financing. Brokers will not be allowed to provide clients with margin loans to purchase crypto ETFs. According to the SEC, the rules also include requirements related to investor risk disclosures.

The new regime therefore creates a regulatory path for local exchange-traded funds with direct crypto asset exposure. The SEC moved from public consultation to issuing rules that will take effect on October 16, 2026, while initially limiting the scope of products to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

No specific funds have been announced yet

The SEC did not publish the names of fund managers or the launch date for the first product in its announcement. It is therefore unconfirmed which manager will submit the first application, what form a specific fund will take, or when it might be listed on the SET.

The next signals will be managers’ applications for approval of the first funds and SET announcements on the listing of specific ETFs. Further SEC implementing rules should also be monitored, particularly any decision on whether foreign DA Custodians may be used.

Verified and updated: 10/09/2026 06:19