Crypto participation in Singapore is no longer defined by the “cheapest exchange wins” era.
Key Takeaways:
Singapore retail investors now prioritize trust and regulation over low fees when choosing exchanges.
Most holders treat crypto as a long-term, small portfolio allocation rather than a speculative bet.
Social media is the main source of crypto education, creating both adoption and misinformation risk.
A new study by MoneyHero and Coinbase reveals a shift in priorities among retail traders in the country: trust and regulatory security now outweigh transaction discounts and promotional offers when choosing a platform.
Ownership Is High — but Exposure Is Controlled
Rather than speculating aggressively, Singapore residents with strong financial literacy appear to be integrating crypto carefully into their portfolios.
Among the 3,513 respondents surveyed, 61% already own digital assets, yet most cap their exposure at under 10% of their total investments. The typical holder keeps roughly three tokens, suggesting that diversification matters — but so does discipline.
Long-Term Participation Beats Short-Term Trading
The report indicates that Singapore is maturing into a “hold-dominant” market. 58% of respondents identify as long-term crypto participants, and 42% have stayed invested for more than two years, despite global market volatility. The survey also found that crypto’s user base will likely expand further, with 27% of non-holders planning to invest within the next year.
Confidence and Knowledge Gaps Exist Side by Side
The survey also reveals a paradox: high adoption doesn’t guarantee high understanding.
Although nearly half of respondents (48%) say they are confident in their crypto knowledge, 52% admit the opposite. The divide becomes more pronounced when looking at where users get their information — 62% rely on social media, while friends and family (55%) and traditional news outlets (43%) follow. Exchange blogs ranked lower at 27%.
This mix of learning sources accelerates adoption but increases the risk of misinformation becoming part of investor decision-making.
Regulation Is a Feature — Not a Friction
Singapore’s key differentiator continues to be its regulatory stance. The country is crypto-friendly but not loose, and that balance appears to be shaping investor behavior. The Payment Services Act, enacted in 2020, gave digital payment tokens a clear legal definition — one of the first frameworks in Asia to do so.
However, the regulator has shown it will intervene decisively when needed. This year, firms operating in Singapore were instructed to stop promoting services to foreign customers or face fines up to $200,000 or three years in prison. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has also warned that stablecoin oversight will tighten further, arguing that tokens without strong backing have repeatedly failed to hold their peg.
The Direction of Singapore’s Retail Market
The overarching takeaway from the survey is that Singaporeans are no longer treating crypto as a casino — or as a high-risk shortcut to wealth. Investors are keeping allocations modest, favoring secure exchanges, learning gradually and aligning investment behavior with long-term expectations rather than hype cycles.
The market may still have room to grow — but it is doing so in a way that looks less like speculation and more like routine portfolio construction.
For a retail landscape that was once driven by FOMO and aggressive trading, that is a major turning point.
