Thailand’s oldest financial institution is unable to amass the nation’s largest native cryptocurrency change on account of stringent crypto rules.
As reported by Cointelegraph in November 2021, SCB X Group, a subsidiary of Siam Business Financial institution (SCB), was set to purchase a 51% stake in Bitkub by the second quarter of 2022 as a part of a plan to turn into a regional fintech. Now issues appear to have taken a twist, because the financial institution has indefinitely postponed its plans to amass the favored change.
As crypto buying and selling continues to be hampered by regulation, SCB X has indefinitely determined to not transfer ahead with a $487 million provide for a 51% stake in Bitkub, Thailand’s main cryptocurrency change platform.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia on Thursday, the dad or mum firm of SCB, SCB X, knowledgeable the Inventory Trade of Thailand (SET) that the acquisition is “nonetheless present process due diligence.” A senior official of SCB X instructed the outlet that the workforce would not know when the deal will likely be sealed.
The information of the reschedule was revealed earlier this month when SCB X submitted a letter to SET outlining the present state of affairs. In an announcement, SCB X CEO Arthid Nanthawithaya stated:
“Presently, the matter is within the means of due diligence and dialogue with the regulatory our bodies. Due to this fact, the completion interval of the transaction is now prolonged.”
Thailand is thought to be one in every of Asia’s most progressive crypto nations, with merchants granted tax breaks and a regulated marketplace for cryptocurrency exchanges. Regardless, Many cryptocurrency exchanges, together with Binance and Huobi, have beforehand struggled with regulatory restrictions pointers within the nation.
Associated: Breaking: Zipmex suspends withdrawals as CEO denies monetary bother rumors
Earlier this yr, the Financial institution of Thailand and the Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) just lately introduced stricter cryptocurrency rules and utilization limitations to make sure that cryptocurrencies can solely be traded as property on licensed platforms. The information got here as international crypto costs plummeted and broken crypto buying and selling optimism, much more, dashing Bitkub’s aspirations of accelerating its consumer base.
On July 2, the SEC imposed civil penalties on Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Chairman Sakolkorn Sakavee for making up buying and selling quantity knowledge. He was fined $216,000 (8 million baht) and banned from managerial roles within the agency for a yr.