An open letter to our Malaysian customers

Thank you. Terima kasih. 谢谢. நன்றி. 23 October 2019

It’s finally happening. We’ve officially been confirmed as a Recognised Market Operator for cryptocurrency in Malaysia by the Securities Commission (SC) and we’re ready to re-start operations ?

Thank you to all of our loyal customers for your support over this time. It’s been a long journey and your patience has been greatly appreciated. We also want to extend our utmost gratitude to the Securities Commission for giving us this opportunity to serve our Malaysian customers, and for their forward-thinking approach to the regulation of cryptocurrency.

We’ll be sending out instructions on how to re-activate your account in the coming days, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation––we look forward to once again showing Malaysia the positive impact crypto and blockchain technology can have. ?

We’re back! ? 4 June 2019

It’s official! The Securities Commission (SC) of Malaysia has conditionally approved Luno’s application as a Recognized Market Operator (Digital Asset Exchange).

This means that once the SC has confirmed our satisfaction of the conditions, and we’ve coordinated with our bank partners, we’ll be ready to accept new customers, and enable the buying, selling and trading of cryptocurrencies on our platform. We’re very excited about the new regulation, and the future of Malaysian finance.

It’s been a long road, but our vision is for the long-term. Which is why we’ve been working closely with regulators and banks to make sure the groundwork for the future of money is set up.

The Malaysian government’s regulation of the industry is a big indicator of how we’re all levelling up – our money, our laws, and our futures. You can expect another update soon with more details and some exciting new changes we’ve been working on during this transition period.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and as always, to the moon!

Latest update on regulations: 25 March 2019

Dear Luno customers,

Cryptocurrency exchanges are regulated by the Securities Commission (SC) in Malaysia and Luno has already submitted its license application to the SC. We are currently waiting for further news on our application.

In this transitional period, all existing customers will still be able to buy, sell, send, receive, and store Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as withdraw their Malaysian ringgit. However, as mandated by the SC until the new license is in place, Luno is not able to accept any new customers.

Luno is at the forefront of cryptocurrency compliance, taking guidance from existing financial regulations, and we continue to work closely with governments, banks, regulators and financial institutions around the world.

We will continue to provide you with updates on the application status as and when further information becomes available.

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Update: 18 January 2019

Dear Luno customers,

Recently, Malaysia’s Minister of Finance and the Securities Commission (SC) announced that cryptocurrencies will be regulated by the SC. The SC intends to have the new regulations in place within the next couple of months and, in the meantime, has put in place certain interim requirements, which we explain further below.

Luno welcomes regulation. We are confident it will help build greater trust in the industry, and for businesses like ours. Importantly, it will also ensure that all cryptocurrency businesses have adequate standards in place for the protection of customers and their funds.

Until the new regulations are in place, the SC’s interim requirements prevent us from accepting new customers. However, nothing will change for existing customers. You can continue to buy, sell, send, receive, and store Bitcoin and Ethereum, and withdraw your Malaysian ringgit.

Luno is excited about the opportunity to apply for a license once the new regulations are in place. Doing so will get us another step closer to again accepting your Malaysian ringgit deposits, and enabling more and more people to buy, store and learn about cryptocurrencies.

We will continue to provide you with updates on the new regulation as and when further information becomes available.

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Update: 2 November 2018

Dear Luno customers,

We’re thankful for all your ongoing support, especially over the past few months, and want to take this opportunity to explain why deposits have not yet resumed in Malaysia.

2017 was a big year for cryptocurrencies and Luno. From the spike in Bitcoin price to investor interest generated the industry was in a bull market.

Quite naturally, this growth in trading and volumes attracted interest from banks and regulators. Particularly for large and high volume cryptocurrency exchanges like us.

Stringent policies affecting all cryptocurrency exchanges

In February 2018, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) issued a new policy requiring digital currency exchanges like Luno to implement measures against money laundering and terrorism financing activities. This includes transaction monitoring, reports on any suspicious transactions and monthly reports to BNM.

At Luno, we have a very strong compliance policy and culture that was established from the inception of our company. Hence, when the BNM reporting policy was announced, we were one of the first to register with them as a reporting institution.

Although we are now registered with BNM as a “Reporting Institution”, banks are still hesitant to work with us until the government create a regulatory framework and an official cryptocurrency exchange license to monitor exchanges.

Banks are learning how to work with cryptocurrencies

Money has evolved over thousands of years and continues to change. Banks understand that the potential for cryptocurrencies is huge and there are significant benefits for the adopters of this new financial system. However, banks operate in a highly-regulated environment, which predetermines their stringent approach towards any non-regulated businesses. Therefore, this transition will take time, as the industry evolves and involved parties define how to interact with each other.

We have been providing educational workshops for the government, banks and regulators to help them understand the nuances of the technology and its potential benefits, as well as getting them accustomed to the industry. We have also been actively lobbying for a cryptocurrency exchange license.

Government will regulate the cryptocurrency industry

Thankfully, the Minister of Finance Yang Berhormat Lim Guan Eng, has announced that the government will set up a new regulatory framework to approve and monitor “Digital Coin and Token Exchanges” in his recent Budget 2019 speech.

This means that cryptocurrency exchanges in Malaysia will be licensed and regulated under the purview of the Securities Commission. This is an extremely positive news from a very forward-thinking government who embraces new disruptive technology.

We welcome this announcement as we believe most of the innovation in the sector will come from cryptocurrency companies, financial institutions and regulators working together. At this juncture, we would like to thank the Ministry of Finance, Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission for taking this important and innovative step in regulating and fostering the development of an extremely exciting industry.

Once a new regulatory framework has been set up, we will apply and obtain a license from the government. With a license, we will be able to re-activate deposits and allow you to trade cryptocurrencies again.

The cryptocurrency market is here to stay. If you’ve been following industry news, 2018 has seen many big financial players and institutions join the sensible revolution by accepting cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class. This marks a huge shift in the market from retail to institutional and provides a lot of credibility to the market overall. It will only continue to grow as cryptocurrencies enter the mainstream.

Being the largest and earliest player in the crypto space in Malaysia, Luno is committed to building and growing the cryptocurrency market here. We will keep you updated on our progress and hope to bring you good news within a few months. We’re here for the long haul and appreciate your continued trust and patience.

Thank you.

To the moon!

David Low, Malaysia Country Manager