MAS Top-Tier

Overview of MAS Regulation

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) was established in 1971 as one of the few integrated financial regulatory authorities globally that combines central banking functions with comprehensive financial supervision. As Singapore's central bank, MAS is responsible for formulating and implementing monetary policy, managing foreign reserves, and issuing currency. As the financial regulator, MAS oversees all financial institutions and market activities — including banking, insurance, securities, and futures. This unique "dual-role" architecture gives MAS an unparalleled combination of macroeconomic perspective and micro-level supervisory capability in the global financial regulatory landscape.

MAS commands exceptional international respect in financial regulation and has consistently been ranked among the world's most competitive financial regulators by the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI). Singapore's position as Asia's leading global financial center owes much to the robustness and transparency of its financial system, which is underpinned by MAS's effective oversight. For forex traders, a broker holding a MAS-issued Capital Markets Services Licence (CMSL) represents the highest standard of compliance and fund safety.

MAS's regulatory philosophy emphasizes a "risk-based approach," implementing differentiated supervisory measures based on the business scale, complexity, and risk profile of each financial institution. Simultaneously, MAS actively embraces financial technology innovation through its pioneering "Regulatory Sandbox" mechanism, allowing fintech firms to test innovative products and services in a controlled environment — achieving an effective balance between encouraging innovation and safeguarding against risk.

Regulatory Framework and Legal Basis

MAS derives its regulatory powers from several core pieces of legislation, of which the following are most directly relevant to forex trading regulation:

• Securities and Futures Act (SFA): This is the core legislation governing capital markets activities, which came into force in 2002. The SFA sets out licensing requirements, market conduct rules, disclosure obligations, and investor protection measures for all types of capital markets activities. Forex trading falls under the SFA's definition of "capital markets products," and entities providing forex trading services must obtain a Capital Markets Services Licence (CMSL) issued under the SFA.
• Financial Advisers Act (FAA): The FAA regulates entities and individuals providing investment advisory services. If a broker provides investment advice in addition to forex trading services, it must also comply with the FAA's requirements.
• Banking Act: If a forex broker also holds a banking license, it must additionally comply with the Banking Act.
• Payment Services Act (PSA): Enacted in 2019, this legislation regulates new types of payment services including e-money issuance and digital payment token services. Since 2020, MAS has required entities providing digital payment token (DPT) services to obtain a license.

MAS possesses broad enforcement powers, including the authority to impose fines on non-compliant entities, issue prohibition orders, revoke or suspend licenses, and bring criminal prosecutions against offending individuals. MAS is renowned for its strict enforcement, having imposed substantial penalties on numerous financial institutions for anti-money laundering violations in recent years, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to maintaining the integrity of the financial system.

Investor Protection Mechanisms

Client Fund Segregation

Under the Securities and Futures Act, entities holding a CMSL must keep client money strictly separated from their own funds. MAS requires licensed entities to hold client funds with approved financial institutions and maintain robust client money reconciliation and management processes. Similar to the FCA and SFC, this system ensures that client funds cannot be misappropriated by the broker under any circumstances — even in the event of the broker's insolvency, client funds remain protected.

Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC)

It is important to clarify that the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) only protects eligible bank deposits, with coverage of up to SGD 100,000 per depositor. The SDIC scheme does not cover funds held in forex trading accounts, investment products, or margin deposits. Therefore, forex traders' fund protection relies primarily on MAS's client money segregation requirements rather than the SDIC.

Fair Dealing and Transparency Requirements

MAS requires licensed entities to adhere to fair dealing principles, including providing clients with clear, accurate, and non-misleading product information and risk disclosures. Licensed entities must maintain transparency in trade execution, fee charging, and order processing, and must not engage in conduct detrimental to client interests. MAS also requires licensed entities to establish effective conflict of interest management frameworks, ensuring that clients' interests are always placed first.

Complaint and Dispute Resolution

When investors have disputes with licensed entities, they can seek assistance through the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC). FIDReC provides independent and impartial financial dispute mediation services, offering investors an efficient and cost-effective avenue for resolving disputes.

License Types

For forex trading, the core license issued by MAS is the Capital Markets Services Licence (CMSL). Under the Securities and Futures Act, the CMSL covers multiple activity categories, of which the following are most relevant to forex trading:

• Spot Foreign Exchange: Permits the licensed entity to conduct forex spot trading
• Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading: Permits the licensed entity to provide leveraged forex margin trading services — this is the license category most commonly sought by forex brokers
• Dealing in Securities: Covers securities trading and related services
• Dealing in Futures Contracts: Covers futures and options trading

In addition to the CMSL, brokers that provide investment advisory services must also obtain a Financial Adviser's Licence. Some larger financial institutions may hold multiple licenses simultaneously, including banking licenses, CMSLs, and Financial Adviser's Licences.

CMSL application requirements are stringent. MAS evaluates applicants based on several key criteria:

• Capital Adequacy: Licensed entities must maintain minimum capital and risk capital that meets regulatory requirements
• Management Capability: Company directors and senior executives must possess extensive industry experience and high standards of professional conduct
• Risk Management Framework: Applicants must establish comprehensive risk management policies, procedures, and internal control systems
• Compliance and Internal Controls: Applicants must establish a dedicated compliance function to ensure business operations meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Technology Capability: Applicants must possess reliable technology infrastructure and business continuity plans

Compliance Requirements

Entities holding a MAS CMSL must continuously satisfy a comprehensive set of compliance requirements:

• Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT): Singapore has one of the world's strictest anti-money laundering frameworks. Licensed entities must conduct comprehensive Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, including customer identification, beneficial owner identification, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring. MAS imposes severe penalties for AML/CFT violations, having levied substantial fines on numerous banks — both local and international — in recent years.
• Market Conduct Rules: Licensed entities must comply with the Securities and Futures (Licensing and Conduct of Business) Regulations issued by MAS, ensuring that their conduct in marketing, client service, and trade execution meets fair dealing and integrity principles.
• Risk Management: Licensed entities must establish a comprehensive risk management framework covering market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, and other areas, with regular stress testing.
• Financial Reporting and Audit: Licensed entities must submit audited financial reports to MAS on a regular basis, ensuring transparency and accuracy of their financial condition.
• Technology Risk Management: MAS has issued the Technology Risk Management Guidelines (TRM), requiring licensed entities to ensure the security, reliability, and business continuity of their IT systems.
• Fair Dealing Obligations: MAS requires licensed entities to act in clients' best interests when executing trades, ensuring fair and transparent transactions.
• Personnel Requirements: Key management personnel and representatives of licensed entities must pass MAS's fitness and propriety assessment and continuously maintain their professional competence.

How to Verify a MAS License

Verifying whether a broker genuinely holds a valid MAS CMSL is a critical step in safeguarding your funds:

1. Visit MAS's official list of licensed institutions: www.mas.gov.sg
2. Enter the broker's full company name in the search bar
3. In the search results, verify the following key information:
   • Confirm the regulatory status shows "Regulated" or "Licensed"
   • Check that the licensed activity types include "Capital Markets Services"
   • Verify the specific scope of services covers "Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading"
   • Confirm the company's registered address and principal place of business
4. For further verification, you may contact the MAS Investor Contact Centre at +65 6225 5888

Safety tip: Some unethical platforms may be incorporated in Singapore without obtaining a MAS license, or may claim to be MAS-regulated without holding a valid CMSL. Always verify license information directly through the MAS website, paying particular attention to the licensed activity types and specific scope of services. Additionally, be careful to distinguish between offshore companies merely incorporated in Singapore (not regulated by MAS) and genuinely MAS-licensed Singapore financial institutions.

Regulatory Developments and Innovation

In recent years, MAS has achieved remarkable progress in financial regulatory innovation:

• Regulatory Sandbox: MAS pioneered the fintech regulatory sandbox in 2016, becoming one of the first regulators globally to adopt this approach. The sandbox allows fintech firms to test innovative products and services in a controlled environment. This mechanism has greatly accelerated the development of Singapore's fintech ecosystem and has become a global benchmark for regulatory innovation. Innovative forex products and services can also be piloted through the sandbox framework.
• Digital Payment Token Services Regulation: Under the 2019 Payment Services Act, MAS has required entities providing digital payment token (DPT/cryptocurrency) services to obtain a license since 2020. By 2024, hundreds of entities had submitted DPT service license applications to MAS, with several receiving conditional approval.
• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG): MAS actively promotes green finance development, having issued Environmental Risk Management Guidelines requiring financial institutions to integrate climate change and environmental risks into their risk management frameworks. MAS has also launched green bond grant schemes to support sustainable finance innovation.
• Cross-Border Payment Interoperability: MAS actively drives the development of cross-border payment infrastructure, collaborating with multiple central banks to explore Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and cross-border payment interoperability solutions, including Project Ubin (with the Bank of Thailand) and Project Dunbar (with multiple central banks).
• Technology Risk Management Enhancements: MAS continuously updates its Technology Risk Management Guidelines, strengthening regulatory requirements for cybersecurity, data protection, and cloud service outsourcing to ensure financial institutions' technology infrastructure can handle increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
• International Regulatory Cooperation: MAS is an active member of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), actively participating in the development and coordination of global financial regulatory standards.