Who’s got the charm, cash and code to be a crypto hub?
Kazakhstan, the Maldives and Pakistan have recently outlined ambitions to position themselves as crypto hubs and build out their digital economies.
Historically, these countries haven’t been top of mind for global crypto firms — though Kazakhstan did have a brief moment in the spotlight as a go-to destination for Bitcoin (BTC) miners after China’s mining ban.
Meanwhile, established financial centers are now in a race to become the world’s leading crypto hub by finding the right balance of regulation, talent, capital and infrastructure.
Here’s how five of them are backing their crypto dreams.
Singapore is the crypto hub with parental guidance
Singapore has long stood out as a financial hub, bolstered by its AAA credit rating, low corporate tax rates and pro-business regulations. With the emergence of digital assets, the Lion City is among the front-runners in the crypto hub race.
Singapore was among the early movers in crypto regulation. Its Payment Services Act (PSA) of 2019 — enacted in 2020 — was one of Asia’s first comprehensive legal frameworks that covered crypto activities.
The PSA uses the term “digital payment token” (DPT) to define digital representation of value that can be transferred, stored or traded electronically — like crypto.
At the time of writing, there are 33 DPT service providers licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the city-state’s central bank. Casper Johansen, co-founder of Singapore- and Hong Kong-based Spartan Group, said license approvals have moved at a measured pace, giving faster-moving hubs like Dubai room to catch up.
“Singapore is more of an institutional financial hub than a retail financial hub,” Johansen said, alluding to the city-state’s limitations on crypto marketing to retail investors.
“The ban on marketing to retail has not affected Singapore’s position as a global crypto hub. Crypto firms set up in Singapore for the low and transparent taxes, strong regulatory framework and rule of law, world-class professional services, ease of living and global connectivity,” Johansen added.
But cracks have emerged recently, particularly around immigration and hiring policy. In late 2024, concerns flared when the CEO of blockchain analytics firm Nansen, Alex Svanevik, shared that he was denied permanent residency. The government has ramped up efforts to prioritize local hiring amid growing political sensitivity over foreign labor.
UAE rolls out the welcome mat for crypto hub status
Unlike other crypto hub contenders, Dubai has a dedicated digital asset regulator, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).
Its wide-ranging licensing regime provides clear guidelines — even for NFT platforms — which major economies like the European Union have yet to address. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework currently excludes NFTs.
VARA’s clarity is appealing to companies frustrated by regulatory uncertainty elsewhere. Binance, a borderless exchange with no official head office, has had to rethink that model under global regulatory pressure — and the exchange’s ties to the UAE have been growing.
Richard Teng, former CEO of free zone Abu Dhabi Global Market, took over as the CEO of Binance after Zhao, and has recently hinted that UAE is a strong candidate for the exchange’s headquarters, though a decision hasn’t been made yet.
The UAE also provides its own incentives, such as no personal income tax and free zones like the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) offer 0% corporate tax advantages and 100% foreign ownership.
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Crypto firms have reported easier access to banking services in Dubai, which is an improvement over the challenges companies say they’ve faced in the US under “Operation Chokepoint 2.0.”
Hong Kong makes crypto hub push with retail access and staking ETFs
Hong Kong has long acted as a financial gateway to mainland China, where crypto activities like mining and trading remain banned.
Previously, the city had a voluntary licensing regime, when only OSL and HashKey were licensed to serve institutions and professional investors. In Hong Kong, professional investors are legally defined as those with portfolios worth at least 8 million Hong Kong dollars (about $1 million).
It was later updated to the mandatory regime, launched in 2023, which opened the doors to retail.
The shift to mandatory licensing marked a turning point. OSL and HashKey became the first exchanges authorized to serve retail investors, while firms like Bybit and OKX withdrew their applications and exited the market. As of now, 10 platforms are licensed, while 15 have either withdrawn or been rejected.
Hong Kong has made further strides with the listing of Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) ETFs, and recently approved staking within Ether ETFs, which is not yet permitted in the US. It has also introduced stablecoin sandboxes under the supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to trial approved digital assets in a controlled environment.
“Sandboxes are an experiment, so too are staking ETFs,” said Kelvin Koh, a Spartan Group co-founder. “The key point is that these experiments are happening in Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong recently released its ASPIRe roadmap in February 2025, which aims to foster blockchain innovation and fill regulatory gaps to set the city up as a global crypto hub.
Trump 2.0 dreams of crypto hub
US crypto firms were stuck in regulatory gridlock under the Securities and Exchange Commission formerly led by Gary Gensler, whose aggressive “regulation by enforcement” strategy triggered years-long legal battles.
That changed with the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has embraced a crypto-friendly stance. The SEC has since dropped multiple high-profile cases and investigations, including those against Coinbase, Uniswap and Consensys, signaling a shifting regulatory climate that is prepared to welcome back crypto to US soil.
President Trump declares the US the future capital of AI and crypto. Source: The White House
Binance.US resumed US dollar services in February after 18 months of restriction that followed enforcement action from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a $2.7-billion settlement and a four-month prison sentence for ex-Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.
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Rival exchange OKX reentered the US market in April 2025 after a $500-million settlement with the Department of Justice. Also in April, Nexo announced — during an event with Trump’s son in attendance — that it rekindled its American dream after scrapping it in 2022.
Traditional finance is warming up, with institutional investments flooding into Bitcoin and Ether spot ETFs, provided by some of the world’s largest asset managers, including the $11.5-trillion giant BlackRock.
The financial love affair goes both ways as crypto firms are also increasingly open to integrating into the existing US infrastructure.
Galaxy Digital listed on Nasdaq on May 16, Circle is considering another IPO attempt, and Hong Kong’s blockchain unicorn Animoca Brands is now eyeing a New York listing, citing Trump’s stance on crypto.
The world’s largest financial center, New York City, is making its own move. Mayor Eric Adams said on May 12 that the Big Apple is “open for business” with crypto companies.
UK’s crypto hub push goes quiet, but London’s still calling
In 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched a bold vision to make the UK a global crypto hub, pushing for stablecoins to be recognized as regulated payment instruments and outlining a broader framework to integrate crypto into the country’s financial system.
That momentum translated into real movement: In April 2025, the UK Treasury released near-final legislation aimed at bringing crypto assets — like trading platforms, stablecoins and staking services — within the country’s regulatory perimeter.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is now consulting on how to regulate intermediaries, lending and other core parts of the ecosystem, signaling continued regulatory development.
But while the machinery of regulation keeps turning, the political will has cooled. As Arvin Abraham, partner at law firm Goodwin’s private equity group, told Cointelegraph, crypto was once central to Sunak’s competitiveness agenda, but under the current Labour government, that focus has faded.
The new Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, spearheaded by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, highlights fintech as a priority without a focus solely on crypto.
“The UK does not feel like it’s prioritizing it as much as it was a few years ago,” Abraham said.
Abraham added the UK remains “one of the best places to set up a new startup,” especially for early-stage capital raising.
He points to generous tax incentives for angel investors and the unique convergence of finance and startups in London, calling it “probably one of the best cities in the world for fintech-type businesses.”
In that sense, even without headline-grabbing crypto policy, the UK’s structural appeal still draws Web3 firms — just now with a quieter backdrop.
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The US Senate has voted to advance a key stablecoin-regulating bill after Democrat Senators blocked an attempt to move the bill forward earlier in May over concerns about President Donald Trump’s sprawling crypto empire.
A key procedural vote on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, or GENIUS Act, passed in a 66-32 vote on May 20.
Several Democrats changed their votes to pass the motion to invoke cloture, which will now set the bill up for debate on the Senate floor.
Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the bill’s key backers, said on May 15 that she thinks it’s a “fair target” to have the GENIUS Act passed by May 26 — Memorial Day in the US.
The GENIUS Act was introduced on Feb. 4 by US Senator Bill Hagerty and seeks to regulate the nearly $250 billion stablecoin market — currently dominated by Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC).
The bill requires stablecoins be fully backed, have regular security audits and approval from federal or state regulators. Only licensed entities can issue stablecoins, while algorithmic stablecoins are restricted.
Several Democratic senators withdrew support for the bill on May 8, blocking a motion to move it forward, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving Trump’s crypto ventures and anti-money laundering provisions.
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The bill was revised soon after to receive enough bipartisan support to proceed to a vote.
Hagerty’s stablecoin bill builds on the discussion draft he submitted for former Representative Patrick McHenry’s Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act in October.
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The US Department of Justice is reportedly conducting a probe over Coinbase’s contracted customer service agents in India, who accepted bribes in exchange for allowing criminals access to user data.
According to a May 19 Bloomberg report, DOJ investigators are looking into the data breach, which Coinbase disclosed to the public on May 15. The exchange reported that a group of customer support contractors — subsequently fired — “abused their access to […] systems to steal the account data for a small subset of customers.”
“We have notified and are working with the DOJ and other US and international law enforcement agencies and welcome law enforcement’s pursuit of criminal charges against these bad actors,” said Coinbase’s chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, according to Bloomberg.
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Though “no passwords, private keys, or funds were exposed” according to Coinbase, the data breach resulted in social engineering attacks targeting users, including a Sequoia Capital partner, with losses estimated at up to $400 million. The attackers also attempted to extort $20 million from Coinbase in exchange for not disclosing the breach, which the company refused.
Backlash in the courts
The attempted social engineering attacks have resulted in Coinbase users filing several lawsuits against the exchange, alleging that the company mishandled their personal data. One user, a retired artist named Ed Suman, reported losing $2 million to the scammers.
Coinbase’s stock price fluctuated following the news of the breach and an unrelated probe from the US Securities and Exchange Commission over its reported “verified user” numbers. Cointelegraph reached out to Coinbase for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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On May 22, US President Donald Trump is expected to host up to 220 people who had purchased the most significant quantities of his memecoin at a private event in Washington, DC.
Though the exact number of attendees was unknown as of May 19, reports and blockchain data have revealed some of the tokenholders who qualified to apply for the May 22 dinner and “VIP tour” and reception, presumed to be in the White House. Bloomberg reported on May 7 that more than half of the 220 wallets were likely controlled by foreign nationals.
Among the memecoin dinner applicants, who likely still face background checks ahead of getting a confirmed appearance before the president, included Synthetix founder Kain Warwick, a consultant named Vincent Deriu, and crypto user Morten Christensen, who reportedly only paid $1,200 for the opportunity.
Others included a World Liberty Financial adviser going by the pseudonym “Ogle,” and a representative from the Singapore-based startup MemeCore. Cointelegraph has also learned that Vincent Liu, chief investment officer of the Taiwan-based company Kronos Research, plans to attend.
Trump’s memecoin, even before the announced dinner and reception, was criticized by many members of Congress.
Some lawmakers said the president was opening the White House up to potential bribes and conflicts of interest by allowing people, perhaps tied to foreign governments, to put money directly into his pockets without transparency.
Interfering with stablecoin, market structure bills
The controversy has spilled over into proposed legislation connected to digital assets, including a bill in the Senate aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins and a draft market structure bill in the House of Representatives. Some Democrats said they would not support any legislation until “Trump’s crypto corruption” was addressed.
“Democrats are thinking that this is just an official means by which to conduct corruption,” said Rebecca Liao, co-founder and CEO of layer-1 blockchain Saga, in a statement shared with Cointelegraph. “What began as a bipartisan bill with potential widespread support has now transformed into a proxy war between the Democrats and the Trump administration.”
Related: Trump’s crypto ties ‘add a certain level of challenge’ to passing bills — Coinbase exec
Some organizations have planned protests during the memecoin dinner on May 22. The Democratic Party’s arm in Arlington, Virginia, announced its members would gather to oppose those in the White House “cashing in on their public office.” Cointelegraph reached out to the organization for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Buying influence, or just speculating on an emerging market?
The top 220 tokenholders reportedly spent a combined $148 million to have the opportunity to attend the event, which finalized its leaderboard on May 12. However, anyone with a wallet can still buy TRUMP tokens and potentially influence the president’s policies after the dinner is completed.
“The decision to acquire the [TRUMP] token was not political,” Vincent Liu of Kronos Research, who plans on attending the memecoin dinner, told Cointelegraph. “It was based on identifying early momentum, cultural relevance, and potential market catalysts.”
In April, Freight Technologies said it would invest $20 million in the TRUMP token, suggesting that it could affect the president’s trade policies between the US and Mexico, where the firm conducts some of its business. GD Culture Group announced in May that the memecoin would be included in its plans for a $300-million crypto reserve.
“The issue is the conflict of interest between the Trump family’s crypto investments and the administration’s pivot toward crypto-friendly policies,” said Liao. “The Trump family has very openly invested in crypto and has started their own crypto ventures. This has created a perception problem where policy shifts favoring cryptocurrency could be viewed as self-enrichment rather than in the national interest.”
If the stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act, is the first test for how Republicans and Democrats will respond to Trump’s potential conflicts of interest in the crypto industry, there is already a stark contrast between the two parties.
House Speaker Mike Johnson largely brushed off concerns about the president and his family’s connections to the industry, saying he was “not an expert in that.” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly reportedly said there were “no conflicts of interest” because Trump’s children managed his assets through a trust.
Lawmakers are expected to take up a vote on the GENIUS Act in a matter of days, possibly before the memecoin dinner and reception are held. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Republicans intended to address some of the Democrats’ concerns around Trump and crypto, or move forward with a vote with no significant changes to the bill.
Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions
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