معايير جديدة لحفظ الأصول الرقمية وإدارة المحافظ صادرة عن SEC Thailand

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand has just أصدرت new parameters for business operators surrounding requirements for storing digital assets and wallet keys.

ثلاثية المتطلبات

These new requirements are being implemented for one main reason – to “…ضمان سلامة أصول العملاء”.  With that in mind, the following is an excerpt from the communication shared by the SEC of Thailand, detailing its new rulebook for service providers.

(1)  السياسات والإرشادات للإشراف على إدارة المخاطر وإدارة المحافظ الرقمية والمفاتيح بالإضافة إلى التواصل لتوضيح هذه السياسة، وخطط العمل والإجراءات، والإشراف على العمل والرقابة الداخلية لضمان الامتثال للسياسة;

(2)  السياسات والإجراءات لتصميم وتطوير وإدارة المحافظ الرقمية بالإضافة إلى إنشاء وصيانة والوصول إلى المفاتيح أو أي معلومات ذات صلة بطريقة مناسبة، آمنة ومضمونة؛

(3)  خطة طوارئ في حال حدوث أي حدث قد يؤثر على نظام إدارة المحافظ الرقمية والمفاتيح. يشمل ذلك وضع واختبار إجراءات العمل، وتعيين الأشخاص المسؤولين، والإبلاغ عن الحدث. كما يُطلب تدقيق أمان النظام بالإضافة إلى تحقيقات جنائية رقمية في حال حدوث أي حدث يؤثر على أمان الأنظمة المتعلقة بحفظ الأصول الرقمية، مما قد يسبب تأثيرات كبيرة على أصول العملاء.

Essentially, what the SEC of Thailand is attempting to do is standardize the process of storing assets and keys used by service providers on behalf of clientele.  This means not only establishing safe practices for the creation and ongoing maintenance of associated wallets, but a ‘contingency plan’ in the event of a hack or loss of access to funds.

The regulator notes that while existing service providers are being given 6 months to align their practices with these new requirements, the changes are in effect immediately for new entrants to the market.

قائمة طويلة من الأسباب

Not all forms of custody are equal, and for years now there have been examples popping up of exchanges becoming victim to attacks on hot-wallets.  It isn’t just small obscure exchanges either, as industry giants like Binance have also been on the wrong end of a hack.

• Binance فقد >7,000BTC في 2019 من محفظة ساخنة
• Bithumb تعرضت محافظها الساخنة للاختراق على الأقل 3 مرات
• تم اختراق محفظة Coincheck الساخنة، مما أدى إلى فقدان 523M NEM tokens

The list goes on, and on.  What it shows is that even the largest exchanges are susceptible to theft, and must plan accordingly.  Each of the scores of hacks that have resulted in the loss of funds being stolen from hot‑wallet is just another reason why contingency plans such those now being implemented by the SEC of Thailand are needed.

ماذا يمكنك أن تفعل؟

Standardizing the practice of storing asset and keys is a good thing that will hopefully prevent future hacks.  It would be foolish to think that they will not occur again though.  With that in mind, there are steps that investors can take to minimize their risk and potential exposure to such events, even if an exchange has a contingency plan in place.

The first step is a simple and obvious one – do not store more assets than necessary on an exchange.  If you don’t have assets on an exchange, your funds are not at risk in the event of a hack.  While this may be the most effective way of protecting ones funds, it is also contingent on practicing safe storage habits yourself.  This means using hardware wallets, unique password, scam awareness, and more.  To learn more about some of the more reputable hardware wallets on the market, click هنا.

The second step you can take, is to only use reputable, licensed, exchanges with a good track-record.  Even better, try using an exchange which is both based and operated out of your jurisdiction.  Many investors however, like to trade digital assets and not just hold them as a long‑term investment.  This means leaving a portion of your funds on an exchange if you fall in to this camp.  Do not be lured in to using an obscure exchange just because it offers extreme leverage opportunities, or access to even more obscure speculative tokens.

The bottom line is that even with standardized regulations being established to ensure safe storage by service providers of digital assets and keys, risks will always exist.  Stay informed, stay diligent, and stay mindful of the safety of your holdings.