How Marex is improving access pathways for digital assets in Asia

Crypto adoption in Asia surged last year, with US$2.36 trillion in trading activity. Around 60% of trading volume in SGX’s Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures occurs during Asian hours, highlighting strong regional demand for regulated exposure to digital assets. In 2025, Marex joined as the day-one clearer for SGX’s crypto perpetual futures contracts, meeting institutional demand for transparent access to regulated crypto derivatives. 

Unlocking the significant capital that investors in Asia are keen to commit requires turning promising pilots into clear regulation, with robust custody standards and capital-efficient infrastructure – particularly mechanisms that allow digital assets to be more seamlessly integrated into collateral and margining frameworks. 

Progress may be helped by a major US regulatory development that took place in March, when regulators in that market clarified the distinction between major digital assets and securities. Digital commodities, collectibles, and tools are now explicitly categorized as not being securities. 

 

Asia could follow the US lead 

With the infrastructure now available to support growing demand for digital assets in the world’s biggest market, many in the sector are hopeful that this year could herald a new era – with even major financial institutions actively entering the space, taking advantage of newly clarified custody rules. 

It is expected that Asian markets will likely follow the guidance set by US regulators or provide greater clarity on the treatment of digital assets, given that Asia’s vast wealth pools – estimated at US$363 trillion in investible assets – are beginning to access crypto as a legitimate diversification tool.  This is particularly relevant as the next generation of wealthy families show a growing appetite for alternative assets, including private markets and digital assets. 

In our conversations with family offices and hedge funds across the region, investors have plainly stated that they plan to allocate more to digital assets. This is reflected in a steady pipeline of engagement, with several new institutional counterparties each week seeking to better understand how to access regulated crypto markets and integrate digital assets into their portfolios. 

There are signs of growing engagement with digital assets by Asian regulators. Japan is considering tax reforms aimed at encouraging adoption, although implementation may take time. Hong Kong has introduced regulated stablecoin licenses that could enhance liquidity. And earlier in the year, South Korea finally lifted a long-standing ban on corporate participation in crypto trading. 

 

Institutional investors call for familiar setup 

As a diversified financial services platform, Marex works with digital asset firms to understand their concerns and has subsequently liaised with a variety of stakeholders across Asian markets to improve the ecosystem.  

Many crypto-native firms hold assets in the form of stablecoins, yet they are required to post fiat currency as collateral when trading on traditional exchanges. The time and cost involved in conversion limit their ability to participate fully in regulated markets, reinforcing the appeal of jurisdictions where infrastructure is better aligned with institutional needs.  

Market participants, including Marex, have developed sophisticated solutions to bridge these gaps for Asia-based clients, but bespoke solutions cannot be easily scaled. A broader structural shift would help develop a truly resilient ecosystem in the region. 

All this comes at a time when the stakes are rising. A joint report by Ripple and Boston Consulting Group has estimated that on-chain real-world assets could grow by 30 times to reach US$19 trillion by 2033. Infrastructure initially developed for trading cryptocurrencies may eventually underpin tokenized markets for assets such as real estate, commodities, fine art and even carbon credits. 

If realized, such markets could significantly improve price discovery and channel capital more efficiently into productive assets. 

 

Marex is building value-add partnerships  

In addition to our work with SGX, Marex also went, the UK’s first FCA-regulated, centrally cleared digital asset derivatives venue. 

In July, Marex was also onboarded as a broker on Deribit, one of the leading platforms for digital asset derivatives trading. We can now offer institutional clients access to liquidity across crypto options, futures and perpetuals products.  

Most recently, Marex was among more than 30 firms selected to participate in DTCC’s landmark tokenization initiative, converting DTC-held securities into tokens used in live production trades – the broadest such effort to date across asset classes, use cases and participants.

Finally, Marex has also moved to enable access to USDC, the US dollar-linked stablecoin offered by Circle, as a form of initial margin collateral in partnership with Coinbase – ensuring that capital can move more swiftly and, increasingly, through digital asset rails. 

Such initiatives reflect efforts to anchor crypto activity within the same transparent, exchange-cleared frameworks that underpin traditional markets, and they demonstrate how we ae able to act swiftly on behalf of clients once rules are updated a playbook we are also applying across other regions.

 

Digital assets power Asia financial sector growth 

Marex’s global footprint enables us to share best practices across markets. Our capabilities enable us to respond swiftly to regulatory updates in order to build the infrastructure and frameworks that improve client outcomes. As regulators in Asia, Europe and the Middle East work through their approaches to digital assets, we are keen to ensure clients get the same access and efficiency wherever they trade. 

Meanwhile, Asia is clearly playing a significant role in global crypto trading and price discovery, but the steady improvement in the development of institutional-grade frameworks can prove challenging to track. 

As the regulatory framework matures for the emerging asset class, however, liquidity should deepen within Asia’s financial centers, thereby supporting the development of more resilient, and homegrown, digital asset markets. 

We are confident that Asia will remain not just a source of liquidity but a key venue for institutional activity as digital assets and tokenized markets grow.