There’s wide agreement that Singapore is among the top crypto hubs in the world. The island city-state overtook the US to lead the world for adoption in Bybit’s World Crypto Rankings, solidifying the number one spot it was awarded in the Henley Crypto Adoption Index last year.
Anyone who’s attended the annual Token2049 event at the futuristic looking Marina Bay Sands won’t be surprised given Singapore’s regulatory clarity, institutional maturity and user engagement.
The seeds of its success were actually sewn in the 1980s when the fast developing nation embraced computerization with its IT2000 plan to become an “intelligent island.” When cryptocurrency began to become popular in the 2010s, the Monetary Authority of Singapore took a more open-minded approach than others and developed 2019’s Payment Services Act.
It helped attract crypto companies and capital inflows from across Asia, including Binance and Crypto.com. One of the standout successes is the homegrown institutional crypto platform Matrixport, founded by the people behind Bitmain.
It’s not an unqualified choice for number 1. Only around 11% of the fintech-savvy population owning crypto (other surveys put the figure higher), and physical merchant adoption is relatively low at 32nd in the world. However that may change in 2026 with Singapore’s Triple A and HitPay teaming up to enable 20,000 businesses to accept stablecoin payments.
Probably at least partly related to the fallout from the collapse of Terra-Luna, given Terraform Labs was run out of Singapore, the MAS launched a crackdown in 2025 on unlicensed entities offering crypto services to overseas clients. Bitget, Tokenize and Bybit itself had to scale back operations or leave the country. The crackdown was part of a broader effort to close regulatory loopholes and align with international standards.
But it’s still widely seen as striking a firm but fair balance.
“Singapore has achieved what no other crypto hub has: institutional trust at scale. This isn’t just about being crypto-friendly, it’s about building a credible, predictable environment where global institutions feel safe to innovate and invest,” Sky Wee, managing partner at Sky Ventures told Magazine.
Like most popular crypto hubs, Singapore doesn’t impose tax on personal crypto gains, though profits from crypto trading businesses may be taxed as income.
The Asia Pacific Region performed strongly in the rankings with Vietnam at number 9, Hong Kong (10), Australia (11), Philippines(17) and South Korea (20).
Singapore’s Henley Crypto Adoption Index ranking: #1, score 48.5/60.
World Crypto Rankings: #1.
Portugal – Popular global crypto hub for digital nomads
One of Cointelegraph Magazine’s most popular stories in 2025 was a guide to moving to Portugal as a crypto digital nomad.
The small country of 10.7 million people may not be a technology center like Silicon Valley or Singapore, but crypto people from across the globe are attracted by its digital nomad visa, tax breaks for highly skilled immigrants, and of course the great weather, beaches and food.
Catrina Wang, general partner at Portal Ventures, fell in love with Portugal after missing a flight home from a conference in 2022 and bought a home there the following year.
“I just really think it’s the best of multiple worlds when it comes to tax, lifestyle, value, and then it’s just a bit of balance to your crypto life,” she told Cointelegraph Magazine. “From a psychological standpoint, I moved there because it’s just the vibe. It is so laid back and chill.”
It’s almost as quick to fly from New York to Lisbon, as it is to fly to LA, and pretty much everyone speaks English. Leading members of international projects including Ethena, Bankless and Immunefi are based in Portugal and Lisbon hosts major conferences, including the Web3 Summit.
Portugal first became popular for a lack of crypto taxes (CGT is now 0% for long term holds and 28% for short term trades) and later saw a huge influx of crypto folk during the pandemic, along with those fleeing the Ukraine/Russia war.
While a Golden Visa is on offer, most opt for the Digital Nomad visa as it only requires international earnings of around $4,000 a month and for applicants to have about $12,000 in savings.
The World Crypto Rankings noted its crypto scene was driven more by lifestyle and community than institutional force, but added that “If regulatory clarity strengthens and infrastructure matures, Portugal could evolve from a destination of interest into a fully fledged crypto hub.”
Portugal’s Henley Crypto Adoption Index 2025 ranking: #17, score 31.1/60.
The World Crypto Rankings: #21.
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