Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po (폴 찬 모포) said in the 2026 budget speech that the government will submit a bill this year to introduce a licensing regime for digital asset trading and custody service providers.
Hong Kong is currently operating a licensing system for issuers of fiat-referenced stablecoins. The first licence is expected to be issued in March.
The Hong Kong government and financial authorities plan to continue supporting authorised issuers so they can explore more use cases within the scope of compliance and risk management.
Chan added that the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will strengthen investor protection while boosting liquidity in Hong Kong's digital asset market and providing professional investors with a wider range of products and services. The SFC also plans to set up an accelerator to speed up market innovation.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr