Hong Kong Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau: International virtual asset trading platforms are eligible to apply for licenses upon meeting regulatory requirements; 13 licensed platforms currently exist.

According to TechFlow, on November 5, Wen Wei Po reported that Chan Ho Lin, Acting Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, stated that international virtual asset trading platforms may apply for licenses to operate in Hong Kong provided they comply with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements set by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). Hong Kong currently hosts 13 SFC-licensed virtual asset trading platforms, and the SFC and the Investment Promotion Department are engaging with international platforms to introduce the territory’s regulatory requirements and market opportunities.

Chan noted that the HKSAR government and the SFC will soon submit a bill to the Legislative Council to extend the regulatory regime to cover additional categories of virtual asset services, thereby facilitating the operations of international service providers in Hong Kong. The portfolio of products and services available through licensed local platforms is also steadily broadening, including connectivity to global liquidity and the development of digital assets and tokenized products under adequate safeguards.