Securities Commission Malaysia makes digital-asset broking an explicit licensed lane

Malaysia’s 30 January 2026 practice note is the clearest official statement yet that certain CMSL holders may broker digital assets.

Malaysia’s 30 January 2026 practice note is the clearest official statement yet that certain CMSL holders may broker digital assets.

The change is the formalisation of a control stack: prior notification to the SC, third-party validation of operational readiness, approved-venue sourcing, SC-concurred assets, cash-upfront trading, no margin or discretionary authority, segregation of client assets, DAC custody, and records showing that client benefits accrue to the client.

Malaysia now has an explicit regulated broking-and-custody lane, not just a venue-only or retail-crypto narrative.

The 30 January 2026 practice note opens a defined pathway for certain Capital Markets Services Licence holders to broker digital assets, but only inside a control stack built around approved-venue sourcing, SC-concurred assets, DAC custody, segregation, and client-benefit recordkeeping.