If you’re planning to launch a crypto business in Singapore, a crypto license Singapore is more than a formality—it’s your entry ticket. But the path to getting one isn’t the same for everyone. A lean startup and a regulated institution might both be offering digital token services, but how MAS engages with them differs—sometimes drastically.
So the real question is: What’s the experience like on each side? And if you’re just starting out, how do you avoid overbuilding or underpreparing?
This article compares how different teams approach the same goal—and what it really means to “be ready” for MAS.
How Startups Can Prepare for a Crypto License in Singapore
For smaller teams, the first hurdle isn’t paperwork—it’s clarity. MAS doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but it does expect you to know what you’re building and how it touches regulated activity under the Payment Services Act Singapore. Are you holding funds? Facilitating token transfers? Enabling fiat ramps? If the answer is “maybe” or “kind of,” you’re not ready.
Founders often assume that MAS will guide them through the details. That’s not how it works. You need to arrive with your scope clearly defined and a real answer for how you plan to meet crypto compliance Singapore standards—even if you’re pre-revenue.
This means having someone (not a consultant) who understands AML risks, knows what a suspicious transaction looks like, and can explain your custody flow in plain language. MAS doesn’t license potential—it licenses operational readiness.
What Enterprises Face When Applying for a Crypto License Singapore
Credit From: cryptoslate
Bigger companies often assume they’ll get faster approval just because they have legal teams, funding, or brand recognition. But MAS doesn’t approve based on scale. If anything, they’ll hold enterprises to an even higher standard.
You’re expected to walk in with working systems, not future plans. Live compliance dashboards. Transaction monitoring tools. Documented workflows. If you’re applying at scale, MAS expects your governance to already reflect the maturity of a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP).
And while you might move through the application phase faster than a startup, you’ll face heavier post-approval monitoring. MAS will watch how you scale, how your risks shift, and whether your internal controls hold up once volume increases.
So while enterprises may have more resources, the pressure to meet MAS’s expectations—consistently—is far greater.
Crypto License Singapore: Which Route Is More Practical?
Credit From: cointelegraph
Neither path is inherently better. But each one comes with trade-offs. Startups often need more time upfront because they’re still building compliance muscle. But that also means they can embed it early—turning risk management into a core part of company culture.
Enterprises might seem better equipped, but they often treat compliance as a silo—something outsourced, separate, or tacked on. That disconnect becomes obvious during the Singapore crypto licensing process, and it’s where even big teams stumble.
What matters more than size is mindset. If you treat licensing as a checkbox, MAS will notice. If you treat it like the foundation of a real business, they’ll work with you—even if you’re small.
Same Rules, Different Realities
The rules don’t change—but your approach to them should. Whether you’re ten people in a coworking space or a multinational firm with a legal department, the expectations for a crypto license in Singapore remain high.
But so does the opportunity. Singapore isn’t trying to make life difficult—it’s trying to ensure the builders who stay are the ones worth trusting. So whether you’re just starting or already scaling, the question isn’t whether you can get licensed.
It’s whether you’re ready to build something that actually deserves to be.
