At the end of December Hong Kong launched a consultation on legislative proposals related to stablecoin issuers. The consultation is jointly run by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) which will be the stablecoin regulator and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB). It runs until the end of February. Additionally, the HKMA plans to launch a regulatory sandbox for the same purpose.

Today's A17 edition of the Ta Kung Pao pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR government strongly supports the development of virtual assets, green finance and other directions, while providing strong support for family offices. Since last year, the SAR government has gradually relaxed its investment policy on cryptocurrencies, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has become the first exchange in Asia to provide cryptocurrency ETF products, with a current scale of 30 billion yuan. At the same time, the SAR government has led the establishment of the Web 3.0 Association and issued virtual asset management licenses to promote the normalization of this business and build the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Currently, some financial institutions have obtained virtual asset management licenses. The Hong Kong financial license is subdivided into 12 categories, and the improvement of financial licenses will promote the development of the financial market. The issuance of virtual asset licenses may lead to the launch of derivative No. 11 licenses in Hong Kong by 2025.

On page A17 of the Ta Kung Pao on December 28th, an article entitled "Preparing for the Introduction of the Digital Hong Kong Dollar with Three Tracks" pointed out that Hong Kong will use a "three-track" approach to prepare for the possible introduction of the digital Hong Kong dollar in the future. The first track aims to lay the technical and legal foundation for the future introduction of the "digital Hong Kong dollar". The second track runs parallel to the first track, conducting in-depth research on use cases and related execution and design issues of the "digital Hong Kong dollar". The third track is related to when the digital Hong Kong dollar will be officially launched, at which time a comprehensive deployment and timetable will be established.

According to the public consultation documents on stablecoins jointly issued by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Kelvin Guo, co-founder of OneDegree, a Hong Kong digital asset insurance company, stated that stablecoins are crucial for the development of Web3 and can help mainstream investors enter the Web3 and cryptocurrency ecosystem. Stablecoins are supported by legal tender and can be easily converted into legal tender while maintaining value stability, providing investors with flexibility and protection.

Hong Kong's financial regulators have released proposals for a licensing regime and regulatory sandbox to supervise stablecoin issuers and provide guidance on compliance. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) are seeking feedback on the proposals until Feb. 29. The regime will require issuers who meet certain conditions to obtain a license from the HKMA, and firms looking to issue a fiat-referenced stablecoin in Hong Kong or market stablecoins to the Hong Kong public will need a license to operate. The move is part of Hong Kong's efforts to position itself as a regional crypto hub and follows the implementation of a licensing regime for crypto service providers in June.

Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission issued a notice stating that public fund products with virtual assets accounting for more than 10% must meet corresponding conditions for their management companies, related investment strategies, and product custody institutions. According to current regulations, generally speaking, institutions holding the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission's License No. 9 are not allowed to have virtual assets accounting for more than 10% in their fund portfolios. The latest notice clarifies that if the proportion of virtual assets exceeds (or is expected to exceed) 10%, the management institution must apply to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission for approval before the related products can be sold to Hong Kong investors.

1.The U.S. SEC requires Bitcoin spot ETF issuers to confirm authorized participant information in the next update application

Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority have reviewed the current policies for intermediary institutions wishing to engage in virtual asset related activities. In addition to existing cryptocurrency futures ETFs, the SFC stated that it is "prepared to accept authorization applications for other funds involved in virtual assets, including virtual asset spot trading exchange traded funds (VA spot ETFs)." In another notice released today, the SFC stipulated the requirements for funds to "directly invest in the same spot VA tokens that the Hong Kong public can trade on virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) licensed by the SFC."

Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Oxford Metrica (OM), an international consulting firm, released a 2023 survey report, pointing out that Hong Kong has become one of the top ten global technology innovation centers outside of Silicon Valley in the United States, and is in a favorable position in developing regional centers for virtual assets, further consolidating Hong Kong's position as a global financial hub. The report suggests that Hong Kong, under the lack of clear regulatory frameworks in other markets, should attract digital and virtual asset companies and investors to develop in Hong Kong by using its own advantages. Looking ahead, the report expects more asset tokenization products to emerge, and the report also states that "now is the appropriate time for Hong Kong to promote the development of the virtual asset market". The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is also studying the regulatory system of stablecoins, with the goal of implementing relevant measures next year.

Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, stated that the goal of Hong Kong is clear to develop as a hub for the third generation of the internet, Web3.0. Cyberport has already gathered over 210 companies involved in Web3.0, with founders from over 20 countries and regions worldwide, covering a wide range of businesses. Hong Kong released a policy statement on the development of virtual assets in Hong Kong at the end of October last year, and it has been over a year since then. The third-generation internet market is developing rapidly, with some challenges and greater opportunities. Paul Chan also stated that security is a must and development is necessary. In the pattern of winner takes all, driven by the first-mover effect and network effect in the online world, how to seize opportunities in challenges and transform them into new blue oceans is a key question in continuously leading the global Web3.0 market.