Photo by Art Rachen via Unsplash

Singapore ranked most crypto‑friendly city worldwide

APAC cities also dominated the top 10.

Singapore was ranked the most crypto-friendly city globally with Asia-Pacific cities accounting for six of the top 10 positions, according to the Crypto Friendly Cities Index 2026 released by borderless living platform Multipolitan.

The index evaluates cities based on regulatory clarity, tax efficiency, institutional infrastructure, and real-world adoption of digital assets.

Singapore ranked first, ahead of centres including London and New York, due to its regulatory framework, tax treatment, institutional participation, and payments infrastructure, the report said.

Crypto competitiveness is increasingly defined not by speculation, but by regulatory predictability, operational infrastructure, and capital efficiency,” said Nirbhay Handa, CEO of Multipolitan.

The report highlighted Singapore’s regulatory architecture and expanding digital asset infrastructure as key drivers of its position, including its regulated stablecoin framework.

It added that Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Taipei also placed in the global top 10, reflecting broader regional strength in digital asset development.

According to the report, Hong Kong’s ranking was supported by exchange licensing and institutional product expansion, whilst Thailand benefited from regulatory sandbox initiatives and tax exemptions.

Dubai also ranked highly, underpinned by zero personal income tax and regulatory structures under the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

The index said tax advantages alone are no longer sufficient for competitiveness, and pointed to regulatory clarity and operational infrastructure as key differentiators across leading jurisdictions.

It added that jurisdictions with live infrastructure such as Singapore’s stablecoin framework and Hong Kong’s spot crypto exchange-traded funds  are increasingly shaping where digital asset activity is concentrated.

“Policy creates headlines, but infrastructure creates durable advantage,” Handa said.

The report said digital asset activity is increasingly concentrating in jurisdictions where financial innovation, governance, and mobility intersect.

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