BlockShoals Joins Fintech Alliance PH, Eyes StratBox Pilot This Year
The membership comes as BlockShoals targets a StratBox pilot launch within the year, pending a BSP-licensed VASP partner for fiat-to-crypto conversion.
BlockShoals operates as the SEC-approved Crypto Asset Intermediary through which Binance products are made available locally, under the Securities and Exchange Commission‘s Strategic Regulatory Sandbox (StratBox) framework.
Fintech Alliance PH counts more than 100 corporate members, together accounting for more than 95% of the country’s digital retail financial transaction volume.
The organisation pioneered an industry-led Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics in Asia and continues to advise regulators and policymakers on inclusive digital finance.
Alfredo “Al” Panlilio
“Our vision is to be the most trusted and reliable Crypto Asset Intermediary in the Philippines and the region, setting the benchmark for regulatory compliance, consumer protection, and operational excellence,” said BlockShoals Chairman Alfredo “Al” Panlilio.
He said the company pursues that vision by treating compliance as the foundation of its digital asset services and measuring success by the trust it earns from regulators and customers, not market share alone.
BlockShoals is currently onboarding a BSP-licensed virtual asset service provider to enable fiat-to-cryptocurrency conversions, according to Binance Philippines’s recently appointed General Manager, Jen Bilango, speaking at a media roundtable.
Building the Regulatory Case for Crypto in the Philippines
BlockShoals Legal Advisor and Arden Consult founder Marie Antonette “Tonet” Quiogue said the company’s sandbox entry followed nearly two years of engagement with regulators to put consumer protection measures in place before operations begin, including know-your-customer procedures, compliance checks, and product suitability assessments.
Marie Antonette “Tonet” Quiogue
“Phase one starts once we have our rails,” she said, referring to the VASP integration.
Binance Asia-Pacific Head SB Seker said the company plans a tiered approach to product access, matching complexity to a customer’s demonstrated knowledge.
Basic users can open accounts for spot trading, he said, while more complex products require additional knowledge, skill, and experience tests.
Bilango separately said Binance is exploring partnerships with local issuers to offer tokenised securities and bonds to global investors.
SEC PhiliFintech Innovation Office Assistant Director Paolo Ong said the SEC created the sandbox in 2024 to let new business models operate in a controlled environment while regulations catch up.
He said the framework lets untested products reach the market “in a controlled environment” while it gives the SEC oversight to observe outcomes before it adopts broader rules.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Philippines based on an image by BlockShoals Technologies via its Press Release.
