Taiwan FSC Drafts Stablecoin Issuance Rules: Banks Can Apply, Non-Bank Issuers Need NT$300 Million and a Single-Purpose Licence

Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission said on 3 November that its draft stablecoin rules would let banks and bank-invested companies apply, require non-bank issuers to hold NT$300 million in paid-in capital and be public, single-purpose companies, and allow only coins pegged one-to-one to the New Taiwan dollar or a single foreign currency; the draft goes to a 40-day consultation.

Taiwan FSC Drafts Stablecoin Issuance Rules: Banks Can Apply, Non-Bank Issuers Need NT$300 Million and a Single-Purpose Licence — editorial cover artwork
Taiwan FSC Drafts Stablecoin Issuance Rules: Banks Can Apply, Non-Bank Issuers Need NT$300 Million and a Single-Purpose Licence — editorial cover artwork

By Margaret Liu, Journalist, CBDCs and Regulation

Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said on 3 November 2026 that it has drafted the Regulations Governing Permission and Administration of Stablecoin Issuance, the rulebook that will decide who may issue a stablecoin in Taiwan and on what terms. Non-bank issuers would need at least NT$300 million in paid-in capital, would have to be public companies and could do nothing but issue and redeem stablecoins. Only coins pegged one-to-one to the New Taiwan dollar or to a single foreign currency would be allowed.

The rules are a draft. The FSC said it will pre-announce them for public comment shortly, with a 40-day comment window, and that they will take effect together with the Virtual Asset Service Act. That act was promulgated by the President on 22 July 2026, but the Executive Yuan has not yet set the date it takes effect.

Who can apply

The draft names three kinds of applicant:

Applicant — Condition in the draft

Banks — Eligible to apply

Financial holding companies, or companies limited by shares in which a bank has invested — Eligible to apply

Other institutions — Only if the FSC announces that they may apply

For the non-bank route, the FSC release sets three conditions: minimum paid-in capital of NT$300 million, completion of a public offering, and a business limited exclusively to stablecoin issuance and redemption. The release does not give a separate capital figure for banks.

Reserves, audits and the freeze obligation

Issuers would have to keep reserve assets, measured at fair value, at least equal to the total of each stablecoin in circulation, and would need to verify the identity of anyone who subscribes or redeems before accepting the transaction. A certified public accountant would audit the issuer periodically. The draft also requires internal control and audit systems, business continuity procedures and a cybersecurity management system.

Two provisions put issuers close to the existing banking perimeter. First, an issuer must be able to act promptly when an authority lawfully orders it to restrict the transfer of, or the disposal of, a stablecoin. Second, issuers would report financial and business data to both the FSC and Taiwan's central bank, and the rules set out what they must disclose publicly and how often.

Anti-money-laundering changes

Alongside the issuance rules, the FSC drafted amendments to two anti-money-laundering regulations. Stablecoin issuers would be designated as financial institutions under Article 5(1)(18) of the Money Laundering Control Act, so the full AML regime for financial institutions would apply to them. A separate change allows a financial institution's dedicated AML and counter-terrorist-financing unit to take on anti-fraud work as well.

What the draft settles, and what it leaves open

The draft answers the structural questions first. Banks get a direct route; a non-bank must be a capitalised, public, single-purpose company, which rules out a payments or exchange group issuing a coin from inside its existing business. Limiting pegs to the New Taiwan dollar or a single foreign currency also rules out basket-referenced coins.

The FSC release does not say how a foreign-issued stablecoin would be treated when offered in Taiwan, what reserve assets are eligible, or whether issuers may pay interest or rewards. Those points will decide how a licensed Taiwanese issuer competes with established dollar stablecoins. The full draft text and explanatory notes, which the FSC says it will publish with the pre-announcement, are where those answers will be.

The timing also depends on the Executive Yuan. The FSC says the rules will be issued to take effect on the Virtual Asset Service Act's effective date, so no Taiwanese stablecoin licence can be granted before that date is set. For comparison, the United States expects its GENIUS Act licensing requirement to apply from 18 January 2027, according to the US Treasury.

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