Hong Kong Crypto Regulation

Explore Hong Kong’s crypto laws, including exchange licensing, SFC rules, taxes, AML compliance, and digital asset regulation.

Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)

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All Topics AML/CFT Banking & Financial Access CBDCs & State-Issued Tokens Commodities Consumer protection Custody DAOs DeFi Disclosure & Marketing Enforcement & Asset Recovery Government Crypto Holdings Licensing Licensing & Registration Market abuse Market Structure & Regulatory Perimeter Mining Payments Privacy & Cybersecurity Privacy coins Securities Self-custody Stablecoins Staking Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Taxation Taxation & Reporting Token issuance Tokenization

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All Asset Classes Accepted Virtual Assets Ancillary Assets Anonymity-Enhanced Cryptocurrencies Asset-backed securities tokens Asset-referenced tokens Asset-referenced virtual assets Bitcoin Bitcoin bonds Bitcoin ETFs Bitcoin futures Blockchain tokens CBDC CBDCs Central bank digital currencies Central bank digital currency Certain crypto-assets Controllable electronic records Convertible virtual currencies Convertible virtual currency Crypto Crypto assets Crypto contracts Crypto derivatives Crypto ETFs Crypto ETPs Crypto securities Crypto-asset securities Crypto-tokens Cryptoassets Cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrency Cryptographic assets Cryptographic instruments Custodied crypto-assets DeFi protocols Derivatives Digital asset derivatives Digital asset securities Digital assets Digital assets with legal tender status Digital commodities Digital currency Digital dollar Digital fiat Digital financial assets Digital payment representations Digital payment tokens Digital rights Digital securities Digital settlement assets Digital token Digital tokens Digital wallets DLT assets DLT financial instruments DLT securities DLT tokens DLT-based value E-money tokens Electronic money Electronic money tokens Electronic payment instruments Electronic precious metals Electronic securities ETFs Ether Exchange-traded funds Exchange-traded products Fiat Crypto Tokens Fiat currency Fiat-backed crypto assets Fiat-backed stablecoins Fiat-backed tokens Fiat-referenced stablecoins Fiat-referenced tokens Fiat-referenced virtual assets Financial assets Financial derivatives Forfeited digital assets Funds Fungible tokens Gold-backed digital currency Governance tokens Greenlisted coins Initial token offerings Investment fund interests Investment tokens Mining rewards Native crypto-assets Network tokens NFTs Non-fungible tokens Non-security tokens Open blockchain tokens Payment stablecoins Payment tokens Precious metals Prepaid Payment Instruments Privacy coins Privacy tokens Private keys Proprietary tokens Qualifying cryptoassets Qualifying stablecoins Real-world assets Relevant Stablecoins Restricted digital assets RWAs Securities Security tokens SFC-authorised investment products Shares Silver-backed digital currency Specified stablecoins Spot Bitcoin ETFs Spot virtual assets Stable digital assets Stablecoins Staking rewards Tokenised assets Tokenised deposits Tokenised fund interests Tokenised securities Tokenized assets Tokenized capital market instruments Tokenized capital markets products Tokenized commodities Tokenized financial instruments Tokenized fund units Tokenized funds Tokenized real-world assets Tokenized securities Tokenized traditional assets Tokens U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins Unbacked cryptoassets Unsecured digital assets Utility digital rights Utility tokens Value-referenced crypto assets Virtual asset ETFs Virtual asset futures Virtual asset-related products Virtual assets Virtual coins Virtual currencies Virtual currency Virtual Digital Assets Virtual financial assets Virtual payment instruments Virtual service tokens Virtual tokens

Law database

18 law profiles

Hong Kong SFC Circular on SFC-Authorised Funds with Exposure to Virtual Assets

SFC refNo 26EC31 Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

May 27, 2026

Custody Disclosure & Marketing Licensing & Registration +2 more

Hong Kong SFC guidance for authorised funds with more than 10% NAV exposure to virtual assets, covering eligible...

Circular on Tokenisation of SFC-authorised Investment Products

SFC Circular Ref. 26EC22 Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Apr 20, 2026

Disclosure & Marketing Licensing & Registration Market Structure & Regulatory Perimeter +2 more

Hong Kong SFC guidance on tokenising SFC-authorised investment products, covering product-provider responsibility, ownership records, controls, disclosure and approvals.

Explanatory Note on Licensing of Stablecoin Issuers

Stablecoins Ordinance (Cap. 656) licensing guidance Agency guidance Added Jun 18, 2026

Effective

Aug 1, 2025

AML/CFT Consumer protection Licensing & Registration +2 more

HKMA guidance explaining how Hong Kong’s Stablecoins Ordinance licensing regime applies to stablecoin issuers, including scope, minimum criteria,...

Hong Kong Guideline on Supervision of Licensed Stablecoin Issuers

HKMA guideline under Stablecoins Ordinance, Cap. 656, s. 171(4) Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Aug 1, 2025

Consumer protection Custody Disclosure & Marketing +2 more

HKMA guidance for licensed stablecoin issuers under Hong Kong’s Stablecoins Ordinance, covering reserves, redemption, financial resources, risk management,...

Hong Kong HKMA Stablecoin Issuer AML/CFT Guideline

Stablecoins Ordinance s.171; AMLO s.7 Agency guidance Added Jun 18, 2026

Effective

Aug 1, 2025

AML/CFT Licensing & Registration Payments +2 more

HKMA statutory AML/CFT guideline for licensed stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong, setting risk-based controls, CDD, wallet screening, Travel...

Hong Kong Stablecoins Ordinance (Cap. 656)

Cap. 656; Ordinance No. 17 of 2025 Act Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Aug 1, 2025

AML/CFT Consumer protection Disclosure & Marketing +2 more

Hong Kong statute creating the HKMA licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers, with reserve, redemption, offering, disclosure and...

Stablecoins Ordinance Professional Investor Notice (Hong Kong)

Cap. 656A; L.N. 126 of 2025 Act Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Aug 1, 2025

Licensing & Registration Market Structure & Regulatory Perimeter Payments +1 more

Hong Kong subsidiary legislation specifying professional investors as the class of persons for section 9(2)(b)(iii) of the Stablecoins...

Licensing Handbook for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators (Hong Kong)

SFC VATP Licensing Handbook (July 2025) Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Jul 15, 2025

AML/CFT Consumer protection Custody +2 more

SFC handbook explaining Hong Kong’s dual licensing process for centralized VATP operators under the SFO and AMLO, including...

Hong Kong Joint Circular on Intermediaries’ Virtual Asset-Related Activities

SFC 23EC67; HKMA 20231222-1-EN Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Dec 22, 2023

Consumer protection Custody Licensing & Registration +2 more

SFC/HKMA guidance for Hong Kong intermediaries distributing VA-related products or providing VA dealing, advisory and asset-management services.

Guidelines for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators (Hong Kong)

SFC VATP Guidelines (June 2023) Agency guidance Added Jun 17, 2026

Effective

Jun 1, 2023

Consumer protection Custody Licensing & Registration +2 more

Hong Kong SFC guidance for licensed centralized virtual asset trading platform operators, covering conduct, financial resources, custody, token...

Information is for general purposes only and not legal advice. See full disclaimer.