Singapore’s Monetary Authority (MAS) has placed cryptocurrency exchange Bybit on its Investor Alert List, warning the public that the platform is not licensed to provide regulated digital payment token services in the city-state. The addition, dated June 17, includes Bybit Fintech Limited and its main website, and aims to correct any misconception that the exchange is authorized by MAS.
The Investor Alert List is a public warning tool — not an enforcement action or ban. MAS uses it to flag entities that may be wrongly perceived as licensed. The regulator emphasized that the list is not exhaustive and is based on available information at the time of publication. Bybit, founded by Singaporean entrepreneur Ben Zhou, already restricts access for Singapore-based users through geo-blocking and terms of service.
The move comes amid a broader crackdown by MAS on crypto compliance. In May, the regulator revoked the Major Payment Institution licence of Bsquared Technology over false statements and risk-management weaknesses, and it is now reviewing whether senior officers bear personal responsibility. While tightening oversight, MAS has also approved providers like BitGo that meet its strict standards, highlighting the high compliance bar in Singapore.
Bybit’s addition to the alert list follows a different outcome in Malaysia: in April 2026, the exchange was removed from that country’s investor alert list after constructive engagement with local regulators. CEO Ben Zhou announced the delisting and noted Bybit’s investment in dual-licensed platform Hata. Days before the MAS alert, Bybit partnered with Plume to launch institutional fixed-income vaults, allowing users to deploy stablecoins into products linked to PIMCO and China Merchants Bank International. The exchange continues to operate globally and has not publicly commented on the Singapore listing.
