Bridging Institutional Crypto Demand with Regulated Trading

Singapore Exchange (SGX) is taking a major step to meet surging institutional appetite for crypto by launching Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures this month.

The move positions SGX as a bridge between traditional financial infrastructure and the fast-growing crypto-native ecosystem, offering regulated access for accredited and institutional investors to two of the world’s most liquid digital assets.

SGX Derivatives will roll out the perpetual futures contracts on November 24, providing participants the ability to speculate on the spot price of Bitcoin and Ether without expiration dates. Unlike standard futures, perpetual contracts allow traders to stay invested continuously, enabling more flexible risk management.

Globally, perpetual futures are among the most actively traded crypto derivatives, with daily volumes nearing $200 billion, and Asia has become a central hub for this growth. By offering these products on a regulated exchange, SGX brings transparency, robust clearing and margining standards, and enhanced confidence to institutions entering the digital asset space.

The new contracts will benchmark against the iEdge CoinDesk Crypto Indices, aligning institutional price discovery with regulated market infrastructure.

This marks Singapore’s second launch of Bitcoin and Ether perpetual futures, following EDXM International’s first offering on July 23, which included a total of 44 trading products, including Solana and XRP futures. With this addition, SGX strengthens its portfolio of crypto derivatives and broadens institutional trading options in the region.

Singapore’s Regulatory Framework and Global Positioning

Singapore continues to adopt a measured, compliance-first approach to digital assets. Under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSM) passed in April 2022, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) holds wide-ranging authority to supervise crypto firms incorporated locally, even if they operate overseas.

The MAS previously set a June 30 deadline for local crypto service providers to halt digital token services abroad unless licensed, with penalties for violations including significant fines and potential imprisonment.

Cryptocurrencies in Singapore are legal, but not recognized as legal tender; they are instead classified as digital payment tokens, securities, or utilities depending on their features, which determines the regulatory framework applied to each.

The launch of these perpetual futures underscores Singapore’s growing prominence as a hub for institutional crypto trading and signals increased confidence in digital assets as mainstream investment vehicles. Singapore currently ranks 15th on the global cryptocurrency adoption index, highlighting the country’s strategic importance for crypto innovation.

By combining regulated infrastructure with high-demand crypto products, SGX is providing institutional players with a secure, transparent, and flexible platform for managing exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum, while reinforcing Singapore’s position as a leading center for digital asset markets in Asia.