Breaking News: PLDT Block Websites of Unregistered Crypto Exchanges Flagged by SEC
Update on Aug. 12, 2025: In a news report, PLDT confirms it received the order from National Telecommunications Commission to block the exchanges:
“Upon receipt of the order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), we restricted access to the identified websites. These web addresses are no longer accessible on our network,”
PLDT
Original article follows:
Update: Globe has also blocked the exchanges.
The crypto exchanges recently flagged by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including OKX, Bybit, KuCoin, and Kraken, are now inaccessible through PLDT’s internet network.
This was confirmed by BitPinas through Dvcode founder Eli Rabadon, who shared screenshots of the websites as they appear on Smart, which is effectively the same Internet Service Provider as PLDT. (Update August 12, 2025: PLDT confirmed the blocking as per local media reports._
The development comes not even one day after the SEC released an investor advisory warning the public against engaging with ten unregistered platforms operating without proper licenses under the agency’s new Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) Rules.
Industry observers point to NTC Memorandum Circular No. 001-01 s. 2025, which reportedly directs internet service providers (ISPs) to adopt certain DNS services. Theoretically, this allows the government to centrally manage which websites are accessible, including the ability to block platforms identified by the SEC or other authorities.
This is a developing story: PLDT, Smart Block Unregistered Crypto Exchanges Flagged by SEC
What else is happening in Crypto Philippines and beyond?
thank you for this information…. however if people try to use a VPN/DNS proxy, etc to bypass the blocks, how would for NTC, the Philippine government and other similar countries and its legislations to combat this long term circumvention challenges and issues? is there any existing laws for now if people found trying to bypassing those blocks especially illegal, Unregistered Crypto Exchanges in any way?