Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced a partnership with BlockShoals Technologies as it pursues a regulated return to the Philippines. The collaboration will operate under the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission's Strategic Sandbox framework, known as StratBox, with BlockShoals acting as the approved local intermediary while Binance provides technology, security, operations, and compliance support.
The sandbox phase is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026 and will run for at least two years, in line with SEC rules. Within this controlled environment, the partners will test a tailored Binance platform for Filipino users under direct regulatory supervision. BlockShoals, a Philippine-registered company, was approved under the SEC's Crypto Asset Intermediary framework to conduct the live trial.
Seker, Binance’s Head of APAC, emphasized that the Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s most active digital economies and that StratBox creates paths for responsible innovation and better cooperation between regulators and industry participants. A BlockShoals representative added that the goal is to build a secure and locally accountable platform.
The move follows Binance’s loss of access in the Philippines. In late 2023, the Philippine SEC found Binance had offered unregistered securities and operated as an unlicensed broker. By March 2024, the National Telecommunications Commission blocked access to Binance’s website, and authorities later removed its mobile apps from digital stores in 2026. The SEC also widened pressure on other unregistered exchanges, issuing advisories against platforms including OKX, Bybit, MEXC, KuCoin, and Kraken. The country’s Crypto Asset Service Provider rules took effect in July 2025, requiring local registration, disclosure standards, and anti-money laundering safeguards.
The sandbox entry formalizes Binance’s supervised re-entry path after months of speculation and job listing rumors. Binance said the arrangement will allow it to meet regulatory milestones before any broader rollout, aligning with the evolving regulatory parameters in the Philippines.
