Binance Seeks Return to Philippines Through SEC Sandbox Partner

Binance is seeking to reenter the Philippine market through a partnership with a local fintech company participating in a regulatory sandbox, a move aimed at rebuilding its business presence in the country after its access was blocked.

Cointelegraph reported on May 26 that Binance signed a partnership with BlockScholes Technologies, a fintech company approved to participate in StratBox, the strategic sandbox run by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the partnership, Binance will provide technology, security, operations and compliance support. BlockScholes will serve as the approved local brokerage operator. Binance described the deal as its first formal approach to entering the Philippine market through a local partnership and regulatory discussions.

The sandbox phase is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. Binance expects the process under the Philippine SEC framework to last at least two years.

Access to Binance remains blocked in the Philippines. In November 2023, the Philippine SEC warned that Binance was not authorized to sell or offer securities in the country because it had not secured the required registration and licenses.

In March 2024, the Philippine SEC asked the National Telecommunications Commission to block access to Binance-related webpages. Local internet service providers then began restricting access to the exchange in line with the NTC's directive.

The Philippine crackdown on unregistered operators has since expanded to other major exchanges. In August 2025, regulators warned investors about 10 exchanges, including OKX, Bybit, KuCoin and Kraken. On April 21, they added dYdX, Aevo, gTrade, Pacifica, Orderly, Deriv and Ostium to an investor warning list.

The partnership points to a shift in Binance's regulatory strategy in Southeast Asia. The exchange's local operations had been constrained by access restrictions and licensing issues. By working through an approved local brokerage operator and the sandbox framework, Binance could expand its engagement with regulators.