Binance is in talks with two of Indonesia’s largest companies, PT Bank Central Asia and PT Telkom, to establish a locally operated cryptocurrency exchange in the Southeast Asian country, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
PT Bank is the third-largest bank by assets in Indonesia and is controlled by billionaire brothers Budi and Michael Hartono who are from the richest family in the country. In contrast, PT Telkom is a state-owned company and is the largest telecom operator in the country.
PT Bank is expected to form a partnership with Binance through one of its existing entities, the report detailed citing multiple anonymous sources. However, the talks are still in the early stages and the terms of the deal might change before they are finalized.
In a statement to the media, Binance refused to confirm or deny the partnership, saying it has a ‘policy of not commenting on rumors or speculation’.
“We are supportive of the sustainable growth of the blockchain industry globally, and we are constantly looking at business opportunities in every country,” Binance’s official statement added.
A Major Unbanked Barket
Binance, which is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of trading volumes, already has a presence in Indonesia as it acquired a majority stake in the local platform, Tokocrypto, which is considering going public in the coming years.
But, Binance successfully forms another entity with the two local heavyweights, and it will strengthen its presence in the fourth populous country in the world. Moreover, a major portion of the developing country does not have access to a modern banking infrastructure which is lucrative to promote crypto services.
Meanwhile, Binance is considering seeking approval from the British financial market supervisor to operate in the UK in a regulated manner.
