Philippine SEC signals readiness for RWA tokenization

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission  (SEC) has signaled that the country is ready to accommodate the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), with Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo saying he believes the necessary legal and regulatory foundations are in place. 

Speaking onstage at the Philippine Blockchain Week 2026, Quevedo said the SEC was “now fully convinced that we have the proper law [and] the proper regulatory mind and background” to accept asset tokenization. He said the technology could spur innovation in the capital markets and “revolutionize” stock exchanges. 

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Quevedo said tokenized investment products could provide overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with more legitimate investment options. “Our OFWs, they have the capital. They do not know where to place their money. They do not know how to make their money earn,” he said, pointing to investment scams that have targeted Filipinos seeking returns.

Quevedo also told Cointelegraph that the regulator’s enhanced enforcement capabilities have made it better prepared to oversee emerging technologies. “We are also using artificial intelligence to go after these unscrupulous scams,” he told Cointelegraph, adding that the SEC was working with Google, TikTok and other online platforms to remove illegal investment offerings. 

The remarks frame regulated tokenization as both a capital-markets innovation and a potential investor-protection tool in the Philippines, where the SEC continued to pursue unregistered investment schemes.

Philippine SEC Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo (left) and Cointelegraph's Ezra Reguerra (right) at the Philippine Blockchain Week 2026. Photo: Cointelegraph

Philippine SEC tests tokenized assets under regulatory sandbox

Quevedo’s remarks build on the SEC’s Strategic Sandbox, or StratBox, which allows fintech companies to test new products and business models in a live but controlled environment under regulatory supervision.

The framework allows the SEC, within the scope of its legal authority, to waive or modify certain legal and regulatory requirements for individual sandbox participants. However, participation does not automatically exempt a company from existing laws, and the sandbox cannot be used to circumvent legal or regulatory requirements.

In November 2025, the SEC said four companies had been admitted to the sandbox, including one testing a tokenized real estate offering. Two participants were testing access to United States equities, while BlockShoals Technologies received in-principle approval to test crypto-related products and services.