On 8 February 2024, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) released a consultation paper on its legislative proposal to introduce a regulatory regime governing over-the-counter (OTC) trading of virtual assets...more
Hong Kong regulators recently brought criminal enforcement actions against virtual asset trading platform JPEX and individuals associated with the platform. This case has become the first opportunity for local authorities to...more
A new guidance creates a regulatory framework for tokenisation of retail investment products and provision of services for tokenised financial instruments. By Simon Hawkins and Adrian Fong On 2 November 2023, the Securities...more
Revamped SFC and HKMA guidance applies to intermediaries that distribute products or provide dealing, advisory, and asset management services related to virtual assets. On 20 October 2023, the Hong Kong Monetary...more
In our previous alerts (Part I and Part II), we provided a brief overview of the new Dual Licensing Regime and highlighted some of the key aspects of the new regime, particularly those set out under the Guidelines for Virtual...more
In our previous alert, we provided an overview of the new Dual Licensing Regime and highlighted the consequences of relevant breaches of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), as amended...more
The Hong Kong government is trying to support the growth of virtual asset and other Web3 industries. One of the first key steps they've taken is to put virtual asset trading platforms into a regulatory licensing regime where...more
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) published its consultation conclusions on regulation of virtual asset trading platforms (Conclusions) on 23 May 2023. In the Conclusions, the SFC confirmed that virtual...more
The regulatory perimeter continues to expand as the Securities and Futures Commission introduces a comprehensive regime to regulate virtual asset service providers. This Client Alert reviews key obligations and...more
The current regulatory requirements in Hong Kong with regards to managing funds that invest in "virtual assets" ("VA") can be summarized as follows – if an asset manager has a licence from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures...more
Hong Kong’s Core Climate aims to facilitate trading of carbon credits, while the Hub plans to expedite Singapore’s ESG ecosystem growth. On 28 October 2022, the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) launched Core...more
Regulators propose new regulations for virtual asset exchanges and enhanced customer identity verification requirements, and launch an innovative commercial data interchange. This blog post summarises key regulatory...more
(i) a licensing regime for virtual asset trading platforms in Hong Kong, including anti-money laundering obligations; (ii) a two-tier registration regime for dealers in precious metals and stones; and...more
A Hong Kong court has granted an injunction freezing the assets of a French cryptocurrency trader in a dispute over what happened to bitcoins held in an insolvent trading platform. In Nico Constantijn Antonius Samara v Stive...more
Here’s about as 2019 as we can get in the financial world (with a healthy dose of 1950s-era gender discrimination for good measure): a series of tweets from tech entrepreneur David Heinemeier Hansson alleging gender...more
SFC outlines new regulatory framework for virtual asset trading platforms, HKMA highlights recent FinTech initiatives, and PBOC discusses China’s forthcoming central bank digital currency. The fourth annual Hong Kong FinTech...more
In an important development for the Hong Kong securities market, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx) announced that it has reached an agreement with the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges to permit companies with...more
The SFC has outlined its regulatory approach to the management and distribution of virtual asset funds and virtual asset exchanges. Key Points: ..Investor protection is paramount and the SFC is taking steps to tighten...more