Hong Kong plans to establish a licensing system for virtual asset trading, custody, and consulting, with a draft amendment to be submitted by 2026

According to the Hong Kong News Bulletin, the main forum of Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026 concluded on November 3 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Chan Ho Lam, stated: "Certainty plays a key role in innovative development. Under the direction of the 'Hong Kong Digital Asset Development Policy Declaration 2', we will establish a licensing system for virtual asset trading, custody, advisory, and management services, and submit a draft amendment to the Legislative Council in 2026 to clarify the compliance path for the market."

In addition, during the panel discussion, the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission, Ashley Alder, elaborated on the SFC's strategic vision, pointing out that artificial intelligence and tokenization will empower the development of Hong Kong's financial market, but it is essential to protect investors and maintain market integrity at the same time. Ashley Alder also noted that in the face of increasingly severe threats related to artificial intelligence, the industry must enhance cyber resilience. Regarding tokenization, she believes that achieving true scale effects hinges on integrating it into market operations, bringing substantial benefits through improved efficiency, accessibility, liquidity, and settlement speed. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Eddie Yue, stated that Hong Kong has the advantage to seize new growth opportunities brought by financial technology. With the good progress made under "FinTech 2030," banks and fintech companies will be able to utilize data, artificial intelligence, tokenization, and other emerging technologies more effectively.