CZ Endorses Mutual Recognition for Crypto Licenses Across ASEAN

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao has endorsed the idea of mutual recognition of crypto licenses across Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.

This proposal, put forth by Fintech Alliance PH founding chairman Lito Villanueva at the ASEAN Tech Summit 2026 in Manila, would allow companies licensed in one member country to operate without repeating the full approval process from scratch in another.

Zhao argued that this would improve service quality and lower costs for consumers by allowing more licensed platforms to compete in the market.

ASEAN currently regulates digital assets separately, forcing companies to secure approvals country by country. Zhao suggested a common regional licensing framework could help accelerate the spread of crypto and stablecoin services across the bloc.