Why a map of institutions is needed
The civil-law reader who has absorbed Chapters I to V knows that Singapore regulates through one legislature, one regulator and one court hierarchy. That knowledge can mislead, because a digital-asset matter still passes through a dozen public bodies and several private ones, each with its own statute, its own habits and its own view of the client. A founder incorporating a token company meets ACRA before MAS. A family office meets IRAS and MAS at once. A fraud victim meets the Commercial Affairs Department, the Attorney-General's Chambers and the General Division of the High Court in that order. A lawyer admitted elsewhere meets the Singapore Academy of Law before anything else. This chapter names those bodies, states what each does in a digital-asset matter and explains how to approach it. It is a map for the first year of a Singapore practice, which the later Parts assume.
For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of October 2026.