At Hong Kong FinTech Week 2025, Julia Leung, Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), outlined Hong Kong’s next phase in building a globally competitive and trusted digital asset ecosystem.
Speaking during a fireside chat, Leung detailed how the SFC’s evolving framework aims to balance innovation, market access, and investor protection while connecting Hong Kong’s local markets with global liquidity.
Leung announced that the SFC would soon issue a circular allowing licensed virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) in Hong Kong to share a global order book with their overseas affiliates.
The move, part of the SFC’s ASPIRe Roadmap under “Pillar A: Access,” marks a major step toward integrating Hong Kong’s virtual asset markets with international liquidity pools.
This integration is expected to enhance price discovery, improve trading efficiency, and attract more institutional investors to the city’s growing digital finance sector.
While highlighting the benefits, Leung emphasized the regulatory “balancing act” required to maintain trust and stability. Excessive restrictions, she cautioned, could push talent and liquidity to less regulated jurisdictions, whereas too little oversight could erode investor confidence.
To mitigate risks, the SFC will enforce measures such as delivery-versus-payment settlements, pre-funding requirements, compensation reserves in Hong Kong, and joint surveillance programs with overseas affiliates.
Leung also previewed a second circular expanding the services and products offered by licensed VATPs.
The regulator will allow the distribution of digital asset-related products and tokenized securities and waive the 12-month track record requirement for Hong Kong Monetary Authority-approved stablecoins and professional-investor tokens.
She reaffirmed that Hong Kong’s regulatory framework, built on the principle of “same business, same risks, same rules,” provides transparency and predictability, setting global benchmarks that align with frameworks like the EU’s MiCA.
Concluding her address, Leung stressed that the SFC’s goal is to foster a sustainable, liquid, and interoperable digital asset market, anchored by robust infrastructure, cross-border harmonization, and enhanced investor education, as Hong Kong positions itself at the forefront of global digital finance.