Hong Kong is in a fairly difficult scenario, making an attempt to be one of the vital outstanding crypto hubs. Even with the town’s efforts to create a positive regulatory setting, greater than a dozen exchanges battle to get full licenses from the Securities and Futures Fee.

This example, based on a Bloomberg report, exhibits the challenges mendacity forward for Hong Kong’s crypto ambitions.

Crypto: Nearer Regulatory Scrutiny

The SFC is wanting arduous at crypto exchanges, and preliminary outcomes from these aforementioned inspections are sounding the alarm on poor practices.

Reviews on this respect have come out, indicating that 11 exchanges maintained unsatisfactory practices, which the powers that be thought to be proximal to the purpose at which they might be licensed.

They vary from poor cybercrime safety to over-reliance on a couple of high executives managing consumer sources. Crypto.com and Bullish are below investigation. Due to this, their Hong Kong actions lag.

Solely OSL and HashKey have full metropolis licences. Although compliance has been troublesome, the SFC hopes to situation extra licenses by 2024.

Attorneys mentioned 12 have withdrew their petitions, together with Bybit and Huobi HK, that are well-known. These enterprises more and more worry that the SFC’s strict guidelines might battle with their enterprise practices.

Listing of Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchanges that withdrew their license functions. Supply: Hong Kong SFC

The Influence Of JPEX Scandal

Heightened regulatory scrutiny over the business follows the JPEX scandal, the place hundreds of traders misplaced a mixed complete of greater than $200 million when an unlicensed platform was accused of defrauding 2,600 victims.

The incident has additional accelerated the SFC’s push for strict compliance measures throughout the board. The regulator is zeroing in on client-asset safety and assurance of sturdy know-your-customer preparations.

The JPEX case clearly depicts that the SFC is just not going to do something which might endanger the integrity of the crypto market in Hong Kong.

It’s placing exchanges that hope for a share of the profitable Hong Kong market in a dilemma. Most of those firms had ambitions to serve prospects within the mainland, the place buying and selling in cryptocurrency is banned.

Problems come up below the framework of One Nation, Two Programs, the place exchanges are actually realizing that they will’t service the a lot bigger mainland market from Hong Kong. This might thrust back potential traders and corporations from establishing store within the metropolis.

Competing With Different Jurisdictions

This places Hong Kong’s ambitions at odds with its aspirations to be a crypto hub and the rising competitors from Singapore. Though Hong Kong has made some constructive steps towards having a regulatory framework that’s open and secure, the gradual tempo of licensing has attracted criticism.

Some observers now marvel if Hong Kong would be capable of present a pleasant setting to crypto corporations in comparison with different areas with extra clarified and inspiring rules.

Prospects aren’t that bleak but, and business insiders are nonetheless hopeful. If correctly regulated, Hong Kong can regain its former glory as one of many outstanding crypto hubs on the earth.

Featured picture from Getty Photographs, chart from TradingView