Hong Kong breaks the ice! HSBC and Standard Chartered win first batch of stablecoin licenses
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) officially issued the first batch of stablecoin issuer licenses, which were successfully obtained by a consortium led by financial giants such as HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank. This is the first licensing since the Stablecoin Ordinance came into effect in August 2025, marking a key step in Hong Kong’s inclusion of stablecoins in the formal regulatory framework.
The reason why this matter is significant is that it represents a substantial entry of traditional financial giants into the field of encryption compliance. Hong Kong’s move aims to establish a safe and regulated stablecoin ecosystem and enhance its competitiveness as an international financial technology center. The first batch of licenses were issued to top banks, which also sent a strong signal of compliance and trust to the market.
For retail investors, this means that the reserve transparency and legal protection of stablecoins issued by these giants that are exposed to Hong Kong’s compliant exchanges in the future will be greatly improved and potential risks will be reduced. However, the new regulations may also prompt some unlicensed projects to adjust their strategies or withdraw from the market. **When trading, don’t forget to compare prices on CoinRebate. The rates of major exchanges are clear at a glance, so you can save a little. **
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This article was edited by CoinRebate AI, data source: CoinDesk