The Philippine SEC has reaffirmed its dedication to fostering the tokenization of real-world assets, as four firms, including one concentrating on real estate, advance within its regulatory sandbox.
Summary
- The Philippine SEC asserts that existing legislation can support tokenized real-world assets and related investment products.
- Four companies are developing innovative financial instruments within the SEC’s Strategic Sandbox, including a tokenized real estate project.
- The BSP has tightened its criteria for cryptocurrency listings while ensuring strict oversight of digital asset businesses.
At the Philippine Blockchain Week 2026, SEC Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo voiced optimism about the ability of the current legal structure to adequately manage tokenized assets.
According to Quevedo, the SEC believes that tokenization has the potential to create new opportunities for capital market activities and could lead to transformative changes in the issuance and trading of securities.
During the event, Quevedo highlighted that the SEC is now more comfortable in regulating tokenized products under the country’s prevailing legal framework. He further noted that asset tokenization could stimulate financial innovation and present new prospects for both investors and market participants.
These comments come as the SEC continues to expand its StratBox, a regulatory sandbox created for fintech companies to trial new products and business models under direct supervision.
Sandbox participants are already developing tokenized products
The SEC indicates that StratBox enables regulators to temporarily modify or suspend certain regulatory requirements for participants engaged in product testing. However, the agency has made it clear that participation in the sandbox does not exempt companies from their existing legal responsibilities.
In November 2025, the SEC announced that four firms had joined the program. One participant is trialing a tokenized real estate product, while two others are evaluating offerings designed to access U.S. equities. Additionally, BlockShoals Technologies has received initial approval to pilot crypto-related products and services in the sandbox ecosystem.
In a separate discussion, Quevedo remarked that tokenized investment products could grant overseas Filipino workers access to regulated investment options. He highlighted that many overseas workers have capital but often find it challenging to locate legitimate pathways for growing their savings, leaving them vulnerable to fraudulent schemes.
Simultaneously, Quevedo mentioned that the SEC has strengthened its enforcement capabilities as digital asset activities proliferate. He noted that the regulator utilizes artificial intelligence tools to identify investment scams and collaborates with major online platforms like Google and TikTok to eradicate illegal offerings targeting Filipino investors.
Crypto oversight is becoming stricter alongside tokenization efforts
As the SEC persists in examining tokenization, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has enacted stricter regulations for virtual asset service providers operating in the nation.
The new guidelines require that VASPs conduct more thorough due diligence prior to allowing the listing of cryptocurrencies for their clients.
The BSP has specified that exchanges must evaluate digital assets based on the issuer’s background, market development, practical applications, transparency and security standards, liquidity conditions, and legal compliance before listing on their platforms.
Licensing requirements continue to be a primary focus for regulators. Recent reports from BitPinas indicate that neither Binance nor BlockShoals currently possesses a virtual asset service provider license, which is critical for companies offering crypto payment and transaction services within the Philippines.
