Filipino crypto traders are welcoming tighter rules from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and they are also saying that rules alone will not keep new users safe. On 30 September 2026, Global Miranda Miner Group (GMMG) said the BSP’s proposed freeze on new payment system operator registrations and its tighter controls on virtual asset service providers (VASPs) are a sign that the Philippine crypto market is maturing.
The message came from Arlone Abello, CEO of GMMG and Founding Chairman of the Innovative Movement of the Philippine Association of Crypto Traders (IMPACT), at The Crypto Roundtable. Joining him on the panel were John Garcia, Head of Strategic and Market Education Ventures at GCash, Alden Yburan, Head of GCrypto, and Patrick Lao, Head of Retail at PDAX.
GMMG CEO Arlone Abello shares insights in a panel discussion on crypto identity, financial and market literacy
For Abello, the BSP’s direction is something to celebrate. “A pause on new licenses and closer controls on virtual asset service providers are not a step back for crypto. They are what happens when an industry grows up,” Abello said. “When every payment can be traced to a real business, users, banks and partners can deal with crypto platforms with the same confidence they have in any other financial service. That is how the industry earns its place in mainstream finance. Our job now is to make sure users mature at the same pace.”
The numbers show why this matters to everyday Filipinos. About 10% of Filipinos now use crypto, and users are projected to reach nearly 12.8 million this year. Much of this adoption comes from demand for digital-first financial services in a country where about 76% of the population is unbanked or underbanked. For many new users, crypto is one of their first experiences of investing, which makes understanding risk all the more important.
[L-R] Arlone Abello (Coach Miranda Miner), CEO of Global Miranda Miner Group; Patrick Lao, Head of Retail at PDAX; John Garcia, Head of Strategic and Market Education Ventures at GCash; and Alden Yburan, Head of GCrypto, at The Crypto Roundtable
The people taking part have also changed. Abello said the market has moved well beyond the play-to-earn boom that drove early adoption. It now draws traders moving across from gold and equities, professionals applying familiar investment approaches to crypto, and younger Filipinos building crypto into their wider financial plans.
Even so, Abello reminded the community that regulatory oversight does not mean risk-free investing. Regulation can strengthen safeguards, but it cannot by itself make people better investors. Without stronger financial literacy, market participants may still face losses even in a regulated market.
GMMG said it will continue working with industry partners and regulators to expand education in technical analysis, risk management, market behavior and disciplined trading. The next edition of The Crypto Roundtable will be held in November 2026, and updates will be posted at globalmirandaminer.com.
The Crypto Roundtable brings together industry leaders and participants to discuss market literacy and the Philippine digital asset market