Capital.com Secures Singapore Licence Covering 4 Activities, Targets Client Onboarding in 2027
Key Facts
CAPITAL COM SECURITIES (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD. has obtained a capital markets services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, according to the authority’s Financial Institutions Directory. The licence covers dealing in securities, units in collective investment schemes and over-the-counter derivatives, as well as providing custodial services. The directory lists Lim Ian Hian Tony as chief executive of the licensed entity and gives its address as 9 Battery Road. Reuters reported that Capital.com said it had received licence approval, adding that the approval was granted late in the previous month, according to the company. The authority’s register did not specify the date the licence was granted, so the timing of the approval remains based on what Reuters reported the company as saying.
The licence provides a legal framework for carrying out the specified activities in Singapore and allows the company to establish a local operation within the scope of its registered services. The Monetary Authority says companies conducting activities regulated under the Securities and Futures Act need a capital markets services licence. The authority’s definition of capital markets products includes securities, units in collective investment schemes and over-the-counter derivatives, the same categories listed for the entity. The inclusion of custodial services adds an activity to the registered scope, alongside dealing in those products. The legislation cited is the Securities and Futures Act 2001, which regulates activities requiring a licence.
Capital.com plans to begin onboarding clients through its Singapore unit in early 2027, Finance Magnates reported. That means client onboarding is targeted for a date after the announced regulatory approval, while the actual launch remains tied to preparations that the company said are under way. Tony Lim said the focus over the coming months would be to lay the operational foundations, starting with onboarding clients and ensuring their protection. He added that the company would work on education and provide market insights to help clients understand the risks before making decisions. The report did not specify a more precise date than early 2027 for the start of client onboarding.
Lim has prior experience in the Singapore market, having led IG’s unit there for nine years as chief executive and managing director, according to Finance Magnates. Reuters also described him as the former chief executive of IG Asia, while the Monetary Authority’s directory lists him as chief executive of the licensed entity. The authority’s licensing requirements stipulate that a chief executive must have at least 10 years of relevant experience and be resident in Singapore. These conditions make leadership experience and residency part of the regulatory requirements for a licence applicant, while Lim’s tenure leading IG’s unit points to his executive background in the local market. The directory gave no address other than the entity’s office at 9 Battery Road.
Capital.com executive director Valentina Rzhevtskaia said the Monetary Authority’s review of licence applications examines different aspects of a company, including governance, controls and capital. The statement reflects the scope of the regulatory assessment facing the company, while the authority’s register specifies the activities approved for the Singapore entity. Capital.com had been working to establish an operation in Singapore before announcing the approval: a report published in March 2026 said it was hiring in risk and compliance. The report cited two job descriptions in which the company said it was in the process of obtaining a licence from the Monetary Authority. The approval announcement is a later development in that preparation, with client onboarding targeted to begin in early 2027.