August 12, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Telco chief PLDT Inc. has restricted entry to 10 cryptocurrency trade platforms that had been discovered working and not using a license to guard its subscribers from potential fraud.
PLDT yesterday mentioned it’s blocking entry to crypto channels OKX, Bybit, Mexc, Kucoin, Bitget, Phemex, Coinex, Bitmart, Poloniex and Kraken as ordered by regulators.
The websites had been deemed unlawful by the Securities and Trade Fee for lack of registration, making it harmful for Filipinos to commerce their crypto property with them.
In flip, the Nationwide Telecommunications Fee (NTC) issued an order to telcos to dam entry to the websites instantly. PLDT, together with its wi-fi arm Good Communications Inc., wasted no time complying with the directive.
PLDT first vp and group head of public engagement Roby Alampay mentioned it’s pressing to dam unlawful websites given the prevalence of on-line scams, with increasingly more Filipinos falling prey to digital fraud as proven by information from anti-scam app Whoscall.
Stories of dangerous hyperlinks went up by 28 % to 18,735 within the second quarter, from 13,602 within the first quarter, exhibiting the migration of scams to on-line platforms.
“We work carefully with our authorities regulators in defending Filipinos from potential threats,” Alampay mentioned.
“Upon receipt of the order from the NTC, we restricted entry to those recognized web sites, (and) their net addresses are now not accessible on our community,” he added.
Crypto are digital property used
primarily for on-line transactions, and anybody can purchase, promote or commerce them on-line. Their worth modifications each day, just like the inventory market, so transacting them in unregulated channels might result in lack of funds, id theft and fraud publicity.
In the meantime, PLDT noticed cable theft incidence decline within the first half, a growth attributed to raised collaboration with authorities and communities. PLDT recorded a 43-percent lower within the incidents and a 36-percent drop in apprehensions.
PLDT chief working officer Menardo Jimenez Jr. mentioned the telco is increasing safety efforts to make sure the soundness of connectivity companies.
“As we speed up efforts to construct the Philippines’ digital future, fortifying infrastructure ensures we are able to persistently ship dependable service and help inclusive progress,” Jimenez mentioned.
