Singapore is planning to roll out new laws that can make it harder for retail traders to commerce cryptocurrencies at a time once they appear to be “irrationally oblivious” concerning the dangers, its central financial institution chief mentioned.

Ravi Menon, managing director of the Financial Authority of Singapore (MAS), mentioned at an occasion on Monday that regardless of warnings and measures, surveys present that customers are more and more buying and selling in cryptocurrencies globally, not simply in Singapore, attracted by the prospect of sharp worth will increase.

“They appear to be irrationally oblivious concerning the dangers of cryptocurrency buying and selling,” he mentioned.

“Including frictions” on retail entry to cryptocurrencies was an space the MAS was considering, he mentioned.

“These could embrace buyer suitability exams and limiting the usage of leverage and credit score services for cryptocurrency buying and selling,” he added at a seminar titled “Sure to digital asset innovation, No to cryptocurrency hypothesis.”

Singapore’s welcoming strategy has helped the monetary hub appeal to digital asset services-related companies from China, India and elsewhere in the previous couple of years, making it a serious middle in Asia.

However latest defaults of some international cryptocurrency-related companies primarily based in Singapore, a lot of which aren’t topic to the monetary regulator’s pointers on client safety or market conduct, has triggered worries about tighter regulation.

The MAS will search public suggestions on its proposals by October, Menon mentioned, including that opinions are ongoing by regulators globally.

In January, the MAS issued pointers to restrict cryptocurrency buying and selling service suppliers from selling their companies to the general public. Learn full story

Cryptocurrencies have plunged this yr, as U.S. rate of interest will increase and runaway inflation immediate traders to ditch riskier belongings.

“MAS’ facilitative posture on digital asset actions and restrictive stance on cryptocurrency hypothesis should not contradictory,” Menon mentioned.

U.S. crypto alternate Gemini and Huobi, a crypto alternate initially targeted on China, are amongst these with a serious presence in Singapore.

About 180 crypto corporations utilized for a crypto funds license to the MAS in 2020 beneath a brand new regime however Singapore has handed out solely about two dozen licenses to this point after an elaborate due diligence course of that’s nonetheless occurring.