Talos to Double its APAC Headcount Within Next 12 Months

Talos is looking to double its headcount in the Asia-Pacific region over the coming year. Regulatory clarity in the likes of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan has drawn the New York-based firm to the region.

“Asia punches above its weight in terms of contribution to the bottom line of global digital-asset companies. Many of Talos’ top clients, by trading volume, are APAC-based firms,” Samar Sen, Talos’ APAC head, said in an interview.

New positions will be available in business development, client services, and product and engineering roles.

The move comes as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues its regulatory crackdown on crypto companies.

“The derivative space in Asia also sees a lot of sophisticated trading, much more so than in the US and Europe,” Sen said.

“We’re now seeing more macro hedge funds and asset managers entering the digital-asset space as buyers,” he added. “On the sell side, the landscape has changed dramatically. In the early days, many banks stayed on the sidelines, but now you’re seeing banks get more involved in a meaningful way.”

Just last week, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued a consultation paper seeking industry feedback on proposed regulatory measures for digital token service providers (DTSPs) under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSM Act).

The FSM Act passed in Parliament on April 5, 2022, provides a legislative framework for regulating digital token service providers DTSPs operating within and outside Singapore. The Act aims to enhance the regulatory oversight of DTSPs to mitigate risks associated with digital tokens.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the Securities Futures Commission (SFC), recently revealed that it plans to issue more licenses to crypto exchanges and digital asset firms by the end of the year.

SFC CEO Julia Leung said the regulator aims to “make progress” in approving licenses for eleven Virtual Asset Trading Platforms (VATPs).