Vietnam’s digital asset exchange could begin official operations as early as the third quarter of 2026 under a pilot framework approved by the government, Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi said.

The deputy minister made the statement at the “Digital Trust in Finance 2026” forum themed “Digital Financial Trust in the AI Era” in Hanoi on Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and the State Bank of Vietnam, has approved five entities to prepare for the pilot implementation, he added.

According to Chi, the pilot framework was established under the Government’s Resolution No. 05, which serves as Vietnam’s first legal framework for digital assets. He said the upcoming launch is part of Vietnam’s broader push toward digital transformation in the financial sector, alongside efforts to modernize regulatory systems and digital infrastructure.

He also highlighted Resolution No. 57 issued in December 2024 by the Politburo, also the highest decision-making body in Vietnam. The resolution sets targets for Vietnam’s digital transformation agenda by 2030, such as raising the digital economy to at least 30 percent of GDP, increasing cashless payments to 80 percent of transactions, and innovative businesses accounting for 40 percent of all businesses.

The Ministry of Finance has been reviewing and proposing amendments to financial regulations to remove policy bottlenecks and create a more favorable legal environment for innovation and technology development, the deputy minister noted.

The first two businesses reaching the preliminary rounds for digital asset exchange approval are TCEX and SCEX. TCEX’s shareholders are affiliated with Techcom Securities, which are connected to Vietnam’s key lender Techcombank. SCEX, formerly LPEX, are linked with major banks LPBank and Sacombank.

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