The Monetary Authority of Singapore, the city-state's central bank and financial regulator, clarified that FTX — which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — does not operate in the country. 

“The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said today, in response to media queries, that FTX.com does not operate in Singapore," it said in an email statement, which added: "FTX.com is neither licensed nor exempted from licensing in Singapore." 

The regulator conceded, however, that it was unable to prevent Singapore users from directly accessing overseas service providers — meaning that the exchange could onboard some users from the country. 

(by Tom Matsuda)