Thailand wants a piece of the $120 billion Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF market, but on its own terms

Thailand has finalized rules allowing domestic Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs while restricting retail access to competing overseas investment products.The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Oct. 8 that 11 regulatory notifications will take effect on Oct. 16, establishing a framework for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds listed exclusively on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.Thailand's move follows the success of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in the United States, which have attracted about $70.37 billion in combined cumulative net inflows since their launches.According to SoSoValue data, the funds held about $121 billion in combined net assets as of Oct. 12, illustrating the scale of the market Thailand seeks to enter.Thailand prioritizes domestic ETFs over foreign competitorsUnder the new framework, Thailand will initially prohibit the issuance and offering of investment products linked to foreign crypto ETFs, including depositary receipts that would otherwise allow local investors to gain exposure to overseas funds through domestic securities markets.Securities companies will also be restricted from facilitating investments in foreign crypto ETFs for clients who ...