Singapore's Crypto Regulatory Transparency: Ranked World's Most Friendly City
Singapore has been ranked first in the 2026 Global Crypto-Friendly City Index, ahead of traditional financial hubs like London and New York. The Asia-Pacific region also performed strongly, occupying six of the top 10 spots, highlighting Asia's growing influence in attracting digital asset capital, entrepreneurs, and infrastructure.
The index, released earlier this month by cross-border research platform Multipolitan, evaluates cities worldwide on regulatory clarity, tax efficiency, institutional infrastructure, and real adoption.
Multipolitan CEO Nirbhay Handa said: "Singapore's top ranking reflects a deeper structural shift in global finance. Crypto competitiveness is increasingly determined not by speculation, but by regulatory predictability, operational infrastructure, and capital efficiency."
Besides Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Taipei also made the top 10. Multipolitan noted this shows the Asia-Pacific region's growing competitiveness in digital assets, particularly in licensing regimes, stablecoin and ETF frameworks, digitally native consumer bases, and more competitive tax environments.
Low Tax Rates No Longer Enough: Regulation & Infrastructure Key
Multipolitan pointed out that low tax rates alone are insufficient to sustain long-term crypto competitiveness. The best-performing cities typically feature transparent governance, reliable licensing pathways, institutional-grade infrastructure, and higher levels of everyday adoption.
The platform calls this the "low-tax, high-credibility" model, which distinguishes modern digital asset hubs from traditional financial centers. The latter, despite mature financial systems, may constrain innovation, capital formation, and ecosystem development due to higher compliance complexity.
Focus on Deployed Infrastructure: Stablecoins, ETFs & Payment Integration
The index emphasizes assessing infrastructure that is already in place, not just policy announcements. Multipolitan cited Singapore's regulated stablecoin framework, Hong Kong's spot virtual asset ETFs, Dubai's licensed VASP ecosystem, and merchant-government payment integration as key factors supporting city rankings.
Multipolitan also noted that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuance in 2023; it has not yet become law, but the authority has indicated legislative work will follow.
Asia-Pacific Cities Continue Competing: Hong Kong Consolidates, Thailand & Dubai Shine
The index shows Hong Kong continues to consolidate its position through exchange licenses and institutional product expansion. Thailand is building competitive advantage via a regulatory sandbox and tax exemptions. Dubai ranks high due to zero personal income tax and a clearer regulatory infrastructure under the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).
