Hong Kong regulator updates crypto policies for intermediaries
In an Oct. 20 post, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong shared updated guidelines that will supersede the January 2022 joint circular on virtual-asset-related activities. This comes after the SFC and the HKMA received an increasing number of enquiries from in termed iaries about the distribution of these assets. Following market developments In 2018, the SFC devised its regulatory framework for virtual assets, introducing a restriction that would limit various activities like the distribution of virtual asset funds to “professional investors only.” Consequently, as stated in the release, a wider array of investment products have emerged, catering to both retail and professional investors offering exposure to virtual assets. As a result, the SFC has extended permission to SFC-licensed virtual asset trading platforms to serve retail investors, alongside authorization for public offerings of virtual asset futures exchange-traded funds in Hon...