BANGKOK—Thailand implemented a zero percent capital gains tax on crypto sales via licensed platforms. The exemption spans five years, from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2029.
This move aligns crypto tax treatment with traditional securities. It aims to solidify Thailand's appeal as a regional crypto hub, drawing digital asset communities and capital. Trades on unlicensed or overseas exchanges still face standard personal tax rates, peaking at 38 percent.
This tax holiday follows an early 2024 initiative, which waived a seven percent value added tax on crypto gains. This consistent policy signals a clear national strategy to attract digital asset investment, signaling a long-term commitment.
Separately, Bitcoin Red Team founder Rob Hamilton now uses open-source Chinese AI models for his research. This shift follows OpenAI's restriction of his access to their tools for codebase analysis.
Hamilton expressed frustration. He said, "It absolutely guts me as a patriotic American to have to do this, but I will go back to using Chinese open-source models to protect Bitcoin infrastructure."
He added, "Black hats will not hit these issues. White hats will. We’ve hit a local minima in policy." Hamilton highlighted a concern: capable AI tools are unavailable to defenders, while malicious actors face no such restrictions.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute, with an alliance of more than 40 blockchain firms, responded. They urged frontier AI laboratories to establish a clear, trusted pathway for qualified open-source and digital asset defenders to access their strongest capabilities.
Asia-Pacific on-chain transaction volume shows significant growth. A report from Hashed Open Research and SCBX found regional volume grew 68 percent year-on-year, from $1.4 trillion to $2.36 trillion. This marks the fastest global growth.
The report also highlighted regional consumer behavior. Many skipped traditional banking cards, moving directly from cash to mobile payments, a clear leapfrogging trend. Digital payments now account for 60 percent of all transactions across Asia-Pacific.
First Digital founder and CEO Vincent Chok commented. Chok, whose company issues the FDUSD stablecoin, said prolonged U.S. uncertainty gives jurisdictions with clearer regulatory frameworks—like Hong Kong and Singapore—more time to strengthen their positions and attract capital and talent.
In a related enforcement action, a man in Shenzhen received a conviction for attempted extortion. He stole confidential research and development data, then posed as an overseas hacker to demand a Bitcoin ransom.
