Digital identity crackdown in Philippines and Vietnam’s asset-ID plan

The Philippines is tightening controls over digital identity documents. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) says printing digital national IDs on PVC cards is illegal and has no legal validity. It warns that anyone who manufactures or issues unauthorized IDs could face 3–6 years in prison and fines of PHP 1 million to PHP 3 million. PSA officials also note delays in issuing physical cards, citing manual identity checks, failed quality inspections, and the expiration of the prior printing contract. PSA has begun looking for a new provider, and it tells businesses to verify IDs via the National ID Check platform while relying on the digital ID through the eGov PH app. PSA reported that by October 2025, 90,290,024 Filipinos were registered and verified for PhilSys (about 80% of the population). Separately, Vietnam is consulting on a draft Law on Electronic Identification and Authentication. Its goal is to expand state-managed digital identity beyond people to physical assets, digital property, and transactions. Under the proposal, the system would create “electronic identities” that link assets, locations, events, and participating parties to unique identifiers inside Vietnam’s national identification framework. For crypto traders, this is a compliance-and-infrastructure story rather than a direct market catalyst: digital identity and verification requirements may affect future blockchain/ID pilots, but the near-term impact on major coins is likely limited.