- Hong Kong’s SFC now allows licensed platforms to offer staking under strict risk and asset protection measures.
- The government plans a broader framework, including stablecoin rules and Web3 integration, by year-end.
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has announced new rules that allow licensed virtual asset trading platforms to offer staking services. But don’t think of this as some kind of “casual savings” for digital coins.
The SFC has given the green light, but with some strict guardrails. Platforms must ensure that they have full control over their customers’ assets, cannot simply hand them over to third parties, and must be transparent about any potential risks.
If you were to leave your car with a valet, the SFC wants to make sure the valet doesn’t lend your car to an online taxi. Staking is allowed, but only if the licensed platform can keep customers’ assets safe in their own “garage.” Any potential risks must be disclosed up front, transparency is a key principle.
Hong Kong Doubles Down on Web3 and Stablecoin Regulation
At the same time, Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan confirmed that the government will release an expanded virtual asset policy framework later this year.
The government aims to deepen Web3 integration and introduce stablecoin legislation, potentially launching a licensing scheme this year. So, if staking is only regulated now, in the future stablecoins will also have their own rules.
Furthermore, a report from CNF reminds us that all of this has been planned since last February. The Hong Kong government released a roadmap to make the city a global virtual asset center.
The plan includes not only staking, but also the development of derivatives trading, OTC services, custodians, and digital asset lending. All of this is done to attract global liquidity and institutional investors.
Tokenized ETFs to Launch in This April
Signs that Hong Kong is serious are also seen in the traditional financial sector, which is starting to directly interact with the crypto space. On March 28, HashKey Group and Bosera International announced plans to launch a tokenized money market ETF in this April.
This product will be the first in the world. It’s like a money market fund, but in the form of a blockchain token. So, investors can buy a “piece” of a money market fund as efficiently as buying a token through a digital wallet.
Just imagine you used to buy a mutual fund through an app, now you can buy the token version with a click in your digital wallet. This opens up new doors for the merging of traditional and digital assets that used to seem like two different worlds.
HK-Backed Stablecoin Aims to Redefine Cross-Border Payments
Still hot from the Asian blockchain kitchen, there’s more news about stablecoins. Standard Chartered, Animoca Brands, and HKT have teamed up to apply for a stablecoin issuance license backed by the Hong Kong dollar.
This collaboration is carried out under a new framework from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). The goal is quite ambitious: simplify cross-border transactions and encourage wider blockchain adoption in the region.
So, where sending money across borders used to take days and cost a mountain of admin fees, now the idea is to send stablecoins that have a fixed value, are safe, and fast.
It may be like sending an instant message, but it is worth one-to-one with the local currency. The stablecoin is also expected to be able to bridge Hong Kong’s digital ecosystem with the international market, which has often hit regulatory boundaries.
