Singapore proposes to regulate bitcoin futures | News

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Singapore’s central bank plans to bring bitcoin and other similar cryptocurrency futures traded on approved exchanges under its regulation in response to interest from international institutional investors, it said on Wednesday.

Market watchdogs worldwide have been debating whether and how they should regulate the cryptocurrency industry. Many have focused their attention initially on investor protection issues given concerns about market manipulation and cryptocurrencies’ volatility.

In a consultation document, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said that it had seen interest from institutional investors in trading “payment tokens” like bitcoin and ether, who “have a need for a regulated product to gain and hedge their exposure to the payment tokens.”

The consultation will close on Dec. 20.

Derivatives products are a particular concern for regulators looking to protect investors, and…