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Thailand broadens crypto futures reach amid licensing overhaul

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The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has opened a public consultation on proposed rule changes aimed at letting licensed digital asset businesses apply directly for derivatives licenses. The move would remove the current requirement to establish separate entities for derivatives activities and would extend the use of digital assets as eligible underlying assets for futures contracts. The proposed framework also introduces more stringent measures to manage conflicts of interest and bolster supervisory oversight. Public feedback is welcome through May 20, 2026, and will shape the final rule set.

According to the Thailand SEC, the revisions are designed to broaden access to the country’s derivatives market while safeguarding investors. By enabling existing license-holders to extend into derivatives within their current corporate structures, regulators hope to lower entry barriers for crypto firms seeking to offer hedging tools and other risk-management products. The changes also aim to elevate standards for derivatives exchanges and clearing houses in line with international practice, creating a more coherent and resilient market infrastructure.

Key takeaways

  • Thailand proposes direct derivatives licensing for licensed crypto firms, eliminating the need for standalone entities.
  • Digital assets would be recognized as eligible underlying assets for futures, expanding the scope of Thailand’s derivatives market.
  • New rules emphasize conflict-of-interest controls and stronger regulatory oversight of exchanges and clearing houses.
  • Public comment runs through May 20, 2026, with decisions likely to influence regional standards and market access.

Thailand’s plan to streamline crypto derivatives licensing

At the heart of the proposal is a practical shift in how crypto firms can participate in the derivatives segment. Instead of having to spin up a separate corporate vehicle solely to handle derivatives activities, licensed digital asset businesses could apply to offer derivatives services within their existing entities. The SEC frames this as a way to reduce bureaucratic friction while keeping activities under tighter regulatory scrutiny, rather than loosening controls.

The proposed regime would also codify the use of digital assets as underlying assets for futures contracts, a step that regulators argue will modernize the financial toolkit available to Thai investors. By broadening the instrument base, the SEC intends to improve hedging options for portfolios and provide more robust risk-management tools for both retail and institutional participants. Still, the draft rules introduce enhanced safeguards—such as stronger conflict-of-interest provisions and clearer delineation of responsibilities among exchanges, clearing houses, and market participants—to preserve market integrity as activity migrates into the derivatives space.

The Thai move aligns with a broader trend in Asia toward formalizing crypto derivatives under conventional financial-market standards. Regulators in several jurisdictions have pursued a balance between enabling sophisticated products and maintaining guardrails to mitigate systemic risk, particularly given the volatility inherent in digital assets. In Thailand’s case, the next milestone is the public consultation window, which will solicit input from market participants, lawyers, and other stakeholders before a final framework is published.

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Global derivatives expansion: what the US could unlock

The Thai proposal arrives as the global derivatives landscape around crypto continues to evolve. In a parallel development, perpetual futures—positions that can be held around the clock—are gaining traction across major platforms as firms prepare for potential regulatory approvals in the United States. Blockchain.com, for example, recently launched perpetual futures trading within its self-custody wallet, enabling users to open leveraged BTC-denominated positions without transferring funds to an exchange. The feature, built on Hyperliquid’s execution layer, provides access to more than 190 markets with up to 40x leverage.

Other major exchanges have pursued similar offerings for non-US clients, expanding 24/7, multi-asset trading access. Kraken and Coinbase each introduced perpetual futures tied to equities for non-US users in earlier waves of product development. While these products remain largely inaccessible to U.S. residents for now, the regulatory outlook in Washington could shift the landscape. In March, comments from CFTC Chair Rostin Behn suggested the agency is actively considering crypto perpetual futures, indicating a potential move to enable such products within the coming months. If realized, the change could unlock a new cadre of venues and liquidity for U.S. traders seeking non-traditional hedges and speculative tools beyond spot markets.

The market has already seen strategic moves that hint at anticipated regulatory alignment. Payward, the parent company of Kraken, agreed to acquire Bitnomial, a U.S.-regulated derivatives venue, a deal framed as expanding access to regulated crypto derivatives for U.S. clients. The consolidation signals a broader industry push to anchor crypto derivatives in compliant, well-governed venues, which could appeal to institutional participants wary of regulatory risk and counterparty risk in less-regulated trading environments.

Taken together, the Thai consultation and the broader push in the United States underscore a shared objective: to mature crypto derivatives into reliable, capital-efficient tools for hedging, risk management, and yield generation. Regulators appear to be calibrating the balance between broad market access and robust oversight, with a clearer emphasis on standardized governance for exchanges and clearing environments worldwide.

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Industry implications and what to watch next

For investors and builders, Thailand’s proposed changes could reduce the friction for legitimate crypto firms to offer derivative products within a familiar corporate structure, potentially accelerating the regional adoption of hedging strategies and complex financial products tied to digital assets. If implemented with rigorous oversight, the framework could also reassure institutional players seeking compliant venues and clear risk frameworks, contributing to a more resilient regional market.

From a global angle, the emergence of perpetual futures and regulatory-adjacent activity in major markets raises questions about the pace of U.S. approvals and the boundaries of permissible products. Regulators are balancing the desire to protect investors with the benefits of more transparent, regulated marketplaces that can deliver access to mainstream participants. As the U.S. debate advances, exchanges and liquidity providers will likely continue expanding offerings for non-U.S. customers while preparing for potential U.S. entry points.

Market participants will be keenly watching several milestones: the final shape of Thailand’s derivatives licensing rules after the May 20 consultation; any formal guidance on the treatment of digital assets as underlying assets in Thai futures markets; and the timing and scope of any U.S. regulatory green lights for crypto perpetual futures. Together, these developments could influence where liquidity flows, how risk is managed, and which platforms gain prominence as the global crypto derivatives ecosystem evolves.

For readers tracking regulatory trajectories and product innovation, the Thai process offers a concrete example of how a jurisdiction can ease access to advanced financial instruments while preserving rigorous governance standards. The convergence of regional reform and global product experimentation suggests a maturation phase for the crypto derivatives arena, one that could redefine hedging options and capital efficiency for years to come.

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The public consultation in Thailand runs through May 20, 2026. As industry participants prepare feedback, observers should monitor how the final framework handles cross-border activity, conflicts of interest, licensing eligibility, and the interplay with existing securities and futures regimes. The outcome could both unlock new pathways for Thai crypto firms and accelerate the global shift toward regulated, investor-protective derivatives infrastructure.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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A 43% Projection Is Calling the Gold vs Silver Winner as Oil Cools

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Gold-Silver Ratio Daily Chart

The gold vs silver divergence has widened sharply this month. Silver (XAG/USD) is up 15.47% against gold’s (XAU/USD) 6% gain as Brent crude slides below $99 on continuing de-escalation talks.

The gap is not random. Proprietary indicators, options flows, and chart structure all lean the same way, though one structural force still defends gold’s downside.

Three Forces Are Separating Gold from Silver

The gold-silver ratio has formed an inverted cup and handle since late March. The ratio now presses against the handle’s lower trendline. A clean breakdown would extend silver’s lead, while a reclaim of the pattern’s upper bound would neutralize the silver-friendly setup.

Its handle low sits near 58, and a break below that level targets a further 16% compression, meaning silver extends the lead. A reclaim of 68 flips it back toward gold.

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Gold-Silver Ratio Daily Chart
Gold-Silver Ratio Daily Chart: TradingView

Silver’s Solar Lag Model, which tracks silver against solar-demand-driven industrial flows with a 10-day lag, has crossed above zero for the first time since late 2025. The November 28 cross preceded silver’s multi-week rally.

Silver vs Solar Lag Model
Silver vs Solar Lag Model: TradingView

Gold’s Real Yields Lag Model, BeInCrypto’s proprietary indicator, which measures gold’s path against 10-year real yields, is rolling the other way. It peaked at 2.685 earlier this month and now reads 0.308. Its slope mirrors the February rollover that broke below zero and bottomed at -3.497 during gold’s correction.

Real Yields Lag Model
Real Yields Lag Model:TradingView

One structural force still defends gold. Central banks now hold roughly 38,666 tons, about 17% of all gold ever mined, according to data cited by The Kobeissi Letter. Even if gold loses the relative race to silver, its downside is cushioned by a buyer base that does not respond to short-term macro rotations.

Taken together, the ratio is compressing in silver’s favor, silver’s industrial lag model is climbing, and gold’s monetary premium is fading, while central bank demand keeps gold’s floor intact rather than lifting it higher. The scoreboard reads three forces for silver, one defensive line for gold.

Positioning data shows whether options traders are reading the divergence the same way.

Options Traders Stack Long on One, Stay Balanced on the Other

Options activity on the iShares Silver Trust (SLV ETF), the largest silver-backed fund and the main proxy traders use to position on silver without touching futures, has turned sharply bullish since late March.

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The put-call volume ratio, where a reading below one means calls outnumber puts, has dropped from 0.77 on March 26 to 0.49 on April 21. The open interest ratio has fallen from 0.60 to 0.56 over the same window. Call activity is outpacing put activity on both intraday and structural horizons.

SLV implied volatility sits at 54.26% with an IV Percentile of 69%, meaning options are pricing expected movement above most of the past year’s range. Traders are leaning long and paying up for the range.

Want more insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Newsletter here.

SLV Put-Call Ratio
SLV Put-Call Ratio: Barchart

Positioning on the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD ETF), the equivalent physical-backed vehicle for gold exposure, looks different. The volume ratio has dropped from 1.35 on March 26 to 0.87, a shift from bearish to mildly bullish. The open interest ratio has barely moved from 0.53 to 0.54. Traders have stopped stacking downside protection on gold but have not rotated into aggressive call accumulation either.

GLD Put-Call Ratio
GLD Put-Call Ratio: Barchart

With indicators and positioning pointing the same way, the charts become the decider.

The Gold vs Silver Verdict Rests on Two Inverse Setups

The silver price (XAG/USD) daily chart has been carving out an inverse head and shoulders, a bullish reversal shape made of three lows with the middle one being the deepest. The pattern’s head sits near $60, and the neckline runs close to $80. The right shoulder’s buying volume sits marginally above its matching selling volume, offering subtle confirmation of strength

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A clean break above the $80 to $83 zone would activate a 43% projection toward roughly $115, pushing price near the $121 all-time high. The optimistic extension sits at $133 as a stretch target. A drop below $75 weakens the structure, a move under $69 risks invalidation, and a breach of $60 ends the bullish thesis.

Silver Price Analysis
Silver Price Analysis: TradingView

Gold price is building the same pattern but with weaker confirmation. The right shoulder’s selling volume pillar sits above the matching buy volume, the opposite of silver’s read, showing weaker strength. The neckline sits near $4,848, and a confirmed break above that level opens a 24% path to $5,934 from the neckline. That upside is roughly half of silver’s measured move.

Gold Price Analysis
Gold Price Analysis: TradingView

The gold-silver ratio from earlier provides the deciding context as the pattern too favors silver for now.

In the gold vs silver race, silver holds the volume confirmation, the cleaner options flow, and the larger projection. However, gold’s safe haven floor rests on central bank demand. Silver’s break above $80 opens a path to $115 and extends the lead. But a rejection there and a loss of $75 could hand momentum back to gold.

The post A 43% Projection Is Calling the Gold vs Silver Winner as Oil Cools appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Clarity Act Markup Slips to May as Tillis Seeks More Time, But OCC Advances Stablecoin Rules

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Clarity Act Markup Slips to May as Tillis Seeks More Time, But OCC Advances Stablecoin Rules

The Senate Banking Committee’s Clarity Act markup is tracking toward May after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told reporters he does not expect the committee to act in April.

Tillis, the lead negotiator on stablecoin yield provisions, wants more time to hear from banking stakeholders. The delay pushes the earliest possible window to the week of May 11.

Bank Lobbying Pressures Tillis on Stablecoin Yield

Tillis’s office has faced a coordinated pressure campaign from bank lobbying groups, including the North Carolina Bankers Association.

Banks have objected to details of a stablecoin yield compromise reached earlier this month between select crypto firms and banks, even though the full text has not been publicly released.

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“It’s very important to me not to accelerate things, to hear everybody, and give them a rational basis for what we do accept,” Sen. Thom Tillis, reportedly told reporters.

However, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) pushed back sharply, warning that “further delay is unacceptable” and that the offshore risk is real.

The Digital Chamber also sent a letter to Banking Committee leadership urging immediate action.

The trade group noted more than 270 days have passed since the House passed the Clarity Act.

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OCC Advances GENIUS Act Stablecoin Framework

Meanwhile, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is moving forward with its proposed rule to implement the GENIUS Act.

The rule would establish licensing, reserve, and redemption standards for payment stablecoin issuers under federal oversight. The public comment period closes May 1.

The parallel tracks highlight a split in the pace of US crypto regulation. While the OCC builds out stablecoin supervision, the broader market structure bill faces growing political friction.

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The post Clarity Act Markup Slips to May as Tillis Seeks More Time, But OCC Advances Stablecoin Rules appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Ex-FTX CEO Withdraws Motion for a New Trial, Still Asks for New Judge

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Ex-FTX CEO Withdraws Motion for a New Trial, Still Asks for New Judge

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year sentence for his role in misusing user funds at the crypto exchange, has dropped a motion in federal court requesting a new trial for his criminal case, but still has a pending appeal of his conviction and sentence.

In a Wednesday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Bankman-Fried responded to a March 23 letter from Judge Lewis Kaplan ordering the former FTX CEO to answer whether he received any assistance from lawyers for a pro se motion — a filing on his own behalf without an attorney. Kaplan’s order followed US prosecutors raising doubts whether the convicted company founder filed for an extension of his request for a new trial by himself in March, just a few days after his mother, Barbara Fried, though lacking standing, sent a letter to the court on her son’s behalf.

“I am the author of this letter, but did consult with my parents about it, since it concerns both of them,” said Bankman-Fried, referring to an extension to file for a Rule 33 motion for a new trial, adding:

“As I have had to focus on responding to these questions rather than drafting a response to the prosecution’s opposition, and because I do not believe I will get a fair hearing on this topic in front of you, I am now requesting to withdraw the Rule 33 motion, without prejudice to renewing it after my direct appeal and the related request for reassignment have been ruled upon.”

Letter from Sam Bankman-Fried, made public on Wednesday. Source: Courtlistener

Bankman-Fried requested in February that a different judge rule on his motion for a new trial, claiming that Kaplan showed “extreme prejudice.” He also awaits a decision on his appeal of his conviction and sentence in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Neither filing was apparently affected by Bankman-Fried’s letter, posted to the public docket on Wednesday.

Related: Interview with SBF’s parents drops chance of pardon on betting markets

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Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, was once the CEO of one of the largest crypto exchanges globally before he was convicted of fraud and charges related to his misuse of customer funds in 2023 and later sentenced to 25 years in prison. As of Wednesday, he was housed at the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc I, in California.

Is SBF still seeking Trump pardon?

Following his incarceration, the former FTX CEO has made several public statements through interviews and his social media accounts signaling plans to apply for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

His request for a new trial included claims that former US President Joe Biden’s Justice Department “threatened multiple witnesses into silence or into changing their testimony“ at his criminal trial. He has also posted to X praising Trump’s crypto policies and the president’s military actions in Iran.

In a January New York Times interview, Trump said that he had no intention of pardoning the convicted former FTX CEO.

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