Best Crypto Exchanges in Singapore (MAS-Licensed, SGD)

We verified the regulatory standing of each exchange by checking its active legal entity against the MAS Financial Institutions Directory, last verified in August 2026. We also cross-referenced all remaining factors directly with the information published on each platform’s official website.

We then assigned a weighted average to each of these six factors, adding up to 100%. We scored each platform out of 10 per category based on how they satisfied our criteria. These weighted metrics were aggregated into a comprehensive percentage score, then converted into a final rating out of 10.

Higher scores indicate stronger overall performance across the factors we considered. Where there were ties, we applied editorial judgement and ranked based on: 1. higher regulatory-standing score; 2. higher SGD rails score; 3. lower published cost of a S$1,000 buy; 4. alphabetical by the registered entity name as the register spells it.

Singapore’s deposit insurance scheme does not cover Crypto and S$ balances held at these platforms. Since 4 October 2024, licensed providers must hold customer assets under a statutory trust, separate from their own — and MAS says customers may still face significant delays recovering assets if a provider becomes insolvent.

MAS regulates digital payment token services mainly for money-laundering and terrorism-financing risk and for technology risk, not to protect investors. A licence is not protection for your money.

At a licensed venue, a Singapore retail customer meets MAS-mandated conditions: no locally issued credit card payments, no leverage or financing, no trading incentives, and a risk-awareness assessment before the first deposit, trade, or withdrawal.

The platforms in the table below have been flagged by MAS and are not currently licensed to provide digital payment token services in Singapore; last checked in August.

Out of the 38 entities MAS granted MPI licenses for Digital Payment Token (DPT) services, we have ranked 5 retail exchanges that suit your needs:

Compared to other local competitors, OKX spot trading costs are drastically lower, ranging from 0.03% to 0.2%. The platform has capitalized on its current regulatory standing to launch the OKX Card in Singapore, allowing users to spend stablecoins globally. Moreover, it supports 90+ digital assets users can trade from.

Crypto.com offers a diverse range of 400+ digital assets and features a daily withdrawal limit of S$200,000 with a fee of S$1.99 per withdrawal. Spot trading fees vary depending on trading volume and CRO balance. However, it tops out at 0.5% for entry-level spot users.

The plan to increase its Singapore office headcount by 25% demonstrates a strong commitment to the region. Its trading fees range from 0.04% to 0.6%, depending on account tier. Traders with Accredited Investors access can withdraw up to S$1,000,000 daily, with an SGD FAST network cap of S$200,000/transaction.

Coinhako offers a moderate list of 100+ cryptocurrencies traders can select from. A recent major acquisition by SBI Holdings brings additional capital to finance the development of cross-border digital asset networks for the platform.

For high-volume traders, trading fees progressively decrease from 0.5% to 0.02% as 30-day trading volume increases. The exchange holds an intentional selection of 40+ vetted coins while offering deep institutional liquidity via its OTC trading desk.

Below is a breakdown of what a S$1,000 buy would cost you in Singapore:

To buy crypto in Singapore with SGD, follow the steps highlighted below:

1. Sign up on a MAS-regulated exchange: You’d need to sign up on a MAS-regulated exchange that supports Singapore Dollars (SGD). You may select from our top-ranking exchanges.
2. Verify your Identity (KYC): After signing up on your exchange of choice, proceed to complete the mandatory verification. To do this, you can use a SingPass alongside your NRIC or passport.
3. Complete the Risk Awareness Assessment (RAA): Then complete a Risk Awareness Assessment (RAA) in line with the MAS Consumer Protection Guidelines. The RAA is a compulsory short, multiple-choice questionnaire to help you understand the risks involved in trading digital payment tokens.
4. Deposit Funds: Now that your account is ready, proceed to deposit SGD into your account. You can use local bank transfer methods like PayNow, which is usually free. However, avoid credit or debit cards wherever possible since they often carry high fees.
5. Purchase the cryptocurrency: After a successful deposit, locate the local fiat trading pairs to place your orders. You may choose to buy at a specified price using a limit order or instantly execute your trades using a market order.
6. Secure your assets: To keep your assets safe, ensure you enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Consider moving your assets to an offline hardware or cold wallet if you’re holding long-term.

You may either keep your crypto in an exchange or your own wallet. Both have their pros and cons as highlighted below:

Exchange Custody: When you keep your crypto in an exchange custody, you authorize the exchange to hold your private keys. Although such a platform offers convenience, fast trading, and basic password recovery options, you are at risk of downtime or bankruptcy.

Self-Custody: When you use a self-custody wallet, you are in total control. The responsibility to keep your wallet safe depends on you. If you lose your 12-to-24 word recovery seed phrase or get scammed, your crypto is permanently gone with no safety net.

What determines the best storage is how actively your assets are used. We recommend you keep active trading funds on an exchange and move long-term holdings to your own wallet.

Singapore does not levy a capital gains tax, meaning you do not need to declare or pay tax when you sell off your digital assets.

However, if your activity amounts to carrying on a trade, IRAS taxes your profits as ordinary income at your applicable rate. To decide if you are trading, you must apply the eight factors from the official IRAS “Determining the Existence of Trade” guide.

Additionally, IRAS has published nothing on staking. For sales, digital payment tokens have been GST-exempt since 1 January 2020, as detailed in the IRAS Income Tax and GST e-Tax guides published on 30 January 2026.

As part of our ranking criteria, a platform must provide transparent, publicly available SGD rail documentation that clearly explains how users can top up with local currency using FAST or PayNow. 

These platforms, despite securing official Major Payment Institution (MPI) licenses, have not provided such documentation. Hence, we did not rank them.

They include Upbit Singapore, Revolut, Moomoo, Bitstamp, and Blockchain.com.

We verified platform data directly via the MAS Financial Institutions Directory and official exchange documentation. While we may receive compensation through affiliate links, our rankings remain completely independent and are never influenced by sponsorships or commercial partnerships.

Moreover, we excluded unranked licensed venues without published SGD rail documentation.