Binance partners with BlockShoals for Philippine sandbox

The global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced a partnership with Philippine fintech firm BlockShoals Technologies Inc. to re-enter the Philippine market through a regulatory sandbox program. The arrangement, announced on May 26, represents Binance's first formal attempt to establish a regulated presence in the country after its platform was blocked over two years ago.

Under the partnership, BlockShoals will serve as the approved local intermediary within the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission's Strategic Sandbox, or StratBox, framework. BlockShoals, which has received approval as a Crypto Asset Intermediary, will handle local compliance, while Binance will provide the global technology infrastructure, security, operations, and product support. A Binance spokesperson described the move as a compliance-oriented market approach developed in collaboration with local stakeholders.

The supervised testing phase is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026 and is expected to run for at least two years. The process is designed to allow the partners to meet regulatory milestones within a controlled environment before any potential wider rollout. A representative...