Crypto Journalist
Amin Ayan
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GoTyme Bank, one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing digital banks, has launched crypto trading for its 6.5 million customers through a new partnership with US fintech firm Alpaca.
Key Takeaways:
- GoTyme Bank has launched in-app crypto trading for 6.5 million users, offering 11 assets including BTC, ETH, SOL and DOT.
- The service is designed for beginners, emphasizing simplicity and seamless access without external exchanges.
- GoTyme plans regional expansion to Vietnam and Indonesia as it prioritizes rapid user growth over short-term profitability.
The rollout allows users to buy and store 11 crypto assets directly inside the GoTyme mobile app, with purchases auto-converted from Philippine pesos to US dollars.
Supported assets include Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), Polkadot (DOT) and several other major altcoins.
GoTyme Targets Beginners With Simple In-App Crypto Trading
While GoTyme has not indicated whether more advanced trading tools will be added later, the bank says the service is intentionally designed for newcomers.
“Our product focuses on simplicity and reliability, designed for people who want to buy crypto confidently without complicated technical analysis or managing multiple apps,” CEO Nate Clarke said.
GoTyme, launched in October 2022 through a joint venture between Singapore’s Tyme Group and the Philippines’ Gokongwei Group, has seen rapid user growth.
The bank promotes a frictionless onboarding process, allowing users to open a bank account and debit card in as little as five minutes, a feature that now extends to crypto access as well.
The digital bank is also setting its sights beyond the Philippines. Clarke recently said GoTyme plans to expand into Vietnam and Indonesia, aiming to capture a larger share of Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital banking market.
He noted that profitability is not yet a priority. “We are very much still in a growth phase. We are not optimizing for profitability at the moment.
What matters to us is building a growing and engaged customer base,” Clarke told The Digital Banker.
The Philippines continues to be one of the most active crypto markets globally. It ranks ninth on Chainalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, while local policymakers are considering a proposal to create a national strategic reserve backed by 10,000 BTC.
Philippine Senator Pushes to Put National Budget on Blockchain
As reported, Philippine Senator Bam Aquino is preparing a bill that would place the country’s entire national budget and government financial transactions on a blockchain system, aiming to make public spending fully transparent and easily traceable by citizens.
In August, Aquino said the proposal would allow “every peso” to be logged on-chain, creating what he hopes will become the world’s first fully blockchain-based national budget.
The Philippines is emerging as a testing ground for public-sector blockchain initiatives.
Congressman Miguel Luis Villafuerte recently introduced a separate bill to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to 10,000 BTC over five years.
According to the bill, the holdings could only be sold under strict conditions, such as retiring sovereign debt, and no more than 10% of the reserve may be liquidated in any two-year period after the minimum holding period expires.
As of November 2024, the Philippines’ debt had risen to ₱16.09 trillion ($285 billion), with domestic obligations accounting for nearly 68% of the total.
