THAILAND (CoinChapter.com) — The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC for cryptocurrency trading

This decision allows regulated exchanges in Thailand to list these stablecoins. The approval follows public consultations on regulatory changes finalized in February 2025

The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC for cryptocurrency trading in the Southeast Asian nation.

The development was reported by CoinChapter, adding that the approval allows regulated exchanges in Thailand to list the two stablecoins.

The news comes after public consultations on regulatory changes were finalized in February and set to take effect on March 16.

Thailand Approves USDT, USDC for Cryptocurrency Trading in Latest MoveToward Broader Adoption

Southeast Asian nation Thailand is moving toward broader stablecoin adoption as part of an effort to legitimize cryptocurrency usage. Authorities have also been working on expanding financial options by allowing regulated exchanges to list more digital assets.

Before the latest approval, the Thailand SEC had only allowed Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Stellar (XLM), and certain tokens used for central bank settlement. These were the only cryptocurrencies that could be legally traded on regulated platforms.

The approval of USDT and USDC grants more flexibility to traders while ensuring transactions remain within regulatory frameworks.

Thailand introduced a regulatory sandbox in August, allowing selected service providers to test cryptocurrency-related services. The approval of USDT and USDC is part of that ongoing effort to integrate digital assets into financial markets while maintaining oversight.

Tether and Circle on Thailand’s Stablecoin Approval

Following the announcement, Tether confirmed that USDT will be integrated into Thailand’s digital asset space. The company added that USDT can now be used as a payment rail, helping businesses and users conduct transactions.

Circle has not yet issued a statement.

The move by Thailand to approve USDT and USDC on regulated exchanges could also have implications for cross-border transactions in the region.

Stablecoins in Emerging Markets

Stablecoins have gained popularity in emerging markets due to their use in remittances and cross-border payments. A December report by Chainalysis highlighted that stablecoins offer lower transaction costs in regions with expensive banking services.

The report noted that remittance costs in Sub-Saharan Africa are 60% lower when using stablecoins compared to traditional methods.

Thailand’s approval of USDT and USDC follows a global trend where stablecoins are increasingly used as a bridge between cryptocurrency and fiat transactions.

Stablecoin Market Expands to $230 Billion

The total stablecoin market is valued at nearly $230 billion, according to DefiLlama. Tether’s USDT dominates, accounting for more than 63% of the market.

In December alone, 28.5 million unique users completed over 600 million stablecoin transactions, according to data from a16z Crypto. While this is a small percentage of the global payments industry, the continued growth of stablecoins shows their role in digital asset transactions.