Bithumb’s tie-up with SSI Digital positions it for Vietnam’s strict crypto exchange pilot as competition for scarce licenses heats up and scrutiny mounts at home. South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb is expanding its overseas push through a new partnership in Vietnam as the country moves toward licensing its first domestic digital asset trading platforms. Bithumb said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SSI Digital (SSID), a subsidiary of Vietnam’s largest securities company, SSI Securities, to cooperate on establishing and operating a virtual asset exchange in the country. The agreement, signed in Hanoi in March but announced Thursday, also leaves the door open for Bithumb to make a strategic equity investment in an SSID-designated entity, subject to Vietnam’s regulatory approvals. Read more
OKX Ventures and HashKey are buying into VPBank-backed CAEX as Vietnam’s strict crypto pilot pushes offshore exchanges toward a challenging onshore licensing regime. CAEX, a crypto platform linked to the Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) ecosystem, said OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital are backing the company as it seeks to qualify for Vietnam’s pilot regime for crypto exchanges. CAEX said Friday that the two offshore companies will join VPBank Securities (VPBankS) and technology partner LynkiD as shareholders. According to a release shared with Cointelegraph, their investment is intended to help CAEX reach Vietnam’s minimum charter capital threshold of 10 trillion dong (about $380 million), a key condition for participating in the pilot program. Read more
Vietnam detained ONUS-linked suspects in an alleged token fraud case as police described price manipulation, false promotions and centralized market control. Vietnamese authorities have detained multiple ONUS-linked suspects after alleging they used false promotions and manipulated token trading to misappropriate investor funds through the crypto platform. The Ministry of Public Security said Thursday that the investigation targeted a group accused of selling digital tokens through the Onus platform, using misleading promotions and coordinated trading activity to attract users. Authorities claim the group manipulated supply and demand and adjusted token prices, presenting the assets as legitimate investment opportunities while maintaining centralized control over their markets. Investigators named several suspects in the case, including Vuong Le Vinh Nhan, who is linked by Vemanti to XPLOR, the Singapore-based parent company of ONUS Pro; Tran Quang Chien, identified in Vietnamese reporting as the technical a...
Five companies, including bank affiliates and a major conglomerate, are competing for Vietnam’s first crypto exchange licences as authorities plan to restrict offshore trading. Five Vietnamese companies are reportedly competing to launch the country’s first licensed crypto exchanges as authorities move to bring trading onshore and ban overseas platforms. Five companies have passed an initial qualification round, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a March 12 finance ministry document. The group reportedly includes affiliates of private banks Techcombank, VPBank and LPBank, alongside stockbroker VIX Securities and conglomerate Sun Group. VPBank and Sun Group reportedly confirmed their licence applications to Reuters. Vietnam opened applications for licenses to operate crypto exchanges in January. The move came after new procedures issued by the finance ministry and a law that, for the first time, defines crypto assets as property while still banning their use as legal tender or for payments. Read more
Vietnam’s Finance Ministry proposes a 0.1% tax on crypto transfers, 20% corporate tax on profits and tough licensing standards for digital asset exchanges. Vietnam is preparing to introduce a tax framework for cryptocurrency transactions that would align digital assets with securities trading, according to a draft policy circulated by the Ministry of Finance. Under the proposal, individuals transferring crypto assets through licensed service providers would face a 0.1% personal income tax on the value of each transaction, local outlet The Hanoi Times reported. The structure mirrors the levy currently applied to stock trades in the country. According to the report, the draft circular, released for public consultation, classifies crypto transfers and trading as exempt from value-added tax. However, the turnover-based tax would apply to investors regardless of residency status whenever a transfer is executed. Read more
The licensing move operationalizes Vietnam’s crypto pilot, though regulators have yet to confirm receiving or approving any exchange applications. Vietnam began accepting applications for licenses to operate digital asset trading platforms, marking the operational start of the country’s long-planned pilot program for a regulated crypto market. The State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) officially opened the licensing window on Tuesday, following the issuance of new administrative procedures under Decision No. 96 by the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam, which implements a resolution on piloting a regulated crypto asset market. “Applications for the aforementioned administrative procedures will be accepted beginning January 20, 2026,” the SSC said, framing the move as part of a broader effort to bring crypto under formal regulatory oversight. Read more
Vietnam’s crypto pilot gets no takers, with steep capital rules and bans on stablecoins and tokenized securities limiting interest. Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance confirmed that no companies had applied to participate in the country’s five-year digital asset trading pilot despite increasing global interest in regulated crypto markets. At a Sunday news briefing, Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi told local media outlets that the ministry has not received any proposals from enterprises seeking to pilot digital asset trading in the country. “As of now, the ministry has not received any proposals from enterprises,” Chi said, adding that the pilot will allow a maximum of five participants. He also said the ministry is expediting the process so that the first eligible enterprise can be licensed and begin operations as soon as possible. Read more
Vietnam is one of the leading countries for crypto adoption in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and ranks number four globally, according to Chainalysis. The State Bank of Vietnam, the country’s central bank, anticipates credit growth of about 20% in 2025, a move that could see liquidity flow into global crypto markets amid rising adoption in the region. Pham Thanh Ha, deputy governor of the central bank, said Friday that interest rates need to be slashed further to encourage economic growth and mitigate the uncertainty from US-imposed tariffs, according to Reuters. Vietnam’s government legalized cryptocurrencies in June as part of broader technology regulation, which categorized cryptocurrencies as either virtual assets representing real-world tokenized products or crypto assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). Read more