ChainCatcher message, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission officially announced that it has noticed a rising trend in phishing scams involving impersonation of licensed corporations. Scammers deceive clients into clicking on hyperlinks contained in mobile text messages, redirecting them to websites that resemble the official sites of licensed corporations, thereby capturing clients' usernames, login passwords, and authentication information, allowing them to access clients' accounts with the licensed corporation for unauthorized transactions. Therefore, guidance has been issued to licensed corporations to prevent unauthorized transactions in client accounts. If account login information has been disclosed to an unverified website or if unauthorized transactions are discovered in the account, clients should contact their licensed corporation and report to the police as soon as possible.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 data reports, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is working with regulatory agencies around the world to curb the activities of illegal financial influencers. These financial influencers illegally promote financial products or services, putting millions of social media users at risk.The CEO of the Securities and Futures Commission and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, Ashley Alder, stated: "As part of our educational efforts, we must emphasize the importance of personal responsibility. Investors should be their own first line of defense, verifying the regulatory status and credibility of financial influencers before making any investment, carefully assessing the investment views they share, and thoroughly verifying the authenticity of the information."

ChainCatcher news, according to the Securities Times, today the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Xu Zhengyu, stated that the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is considering introducing virtual asset derivatives trading for professional investors and will formulate robust risk management measures.The measures will further enrich the product options in the Hong Kong market while ensuring that trading is conducted in an orderly, transparent, and secure manner.

ChainCatcher news, Guotai Junan International stated that, according to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission's "Circular on Intermediaries Engaging in Activities Related to Tokenized Securities," relevant business plans for "Tokenized Securities Distribution Business" and "Digital Bond Issuance Business" have been submitted and confirmed by the regulatory authority with no further issues.It pointed out that Guotai Junan International submitted a wealth management-related business plan to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission on January 21, 2025, intending to distribute tokenized securities to clients or provide advice on tokenized securities based on its existing securities trading. The types of tokenized securities covered in the plan include: structured products linked to multiple underlying assets (such as structured notes, over-the-counter derivatives), funds recognized by the Securities and Futures Commission and non-recognized funds, as well as bonds. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission issued a confirmation email on May 7, 2025, stating that there are no further issues with the plan.At the same time, Guotai Junan International submitted a digital bond issuance business plan to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission based on its existing bond issuance business, indicating that it will be capable of serving as an overall coordinator, syndicate capital market intermediary, or "delivery agent" in future digital bond issuance projects. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission confirmed on April 2, 2025, that there are no further issues with this plan.

ChainCatcher news, according to reports from Huigang Communications, Victory Securities announced today that it has obtained two approvals for virtual asset business from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.The company is authorized to provide Discretionary Account Management Services (DAMS) for virtual assets to retail and professional investors, allowing investments in spot virtual assets, virtual asset futures, and options in accordance with the SFC's suitability regulations. Additionally, the company is also authorized to distribute structured products of virtual assets that are settled and subscribed in physical form to professional investors.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, after the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) passed the new regulation "allowing licensed institutions to provide staking services," the Ethereum staking ETF launched by Huaxia Fund (Hong Kong) in collaboration with OSL Digital Securities has been approved and is set to be listed by May 15 at the latest. This Ethereum staking ETF operates through the custody of the licensed platform OSL and the node verification by the French staking service provider Kiln, allowing investors to indirectly earn staking rewards from Ethereum.Last month, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) released the "ASPIRe" roadmap, which clearly outlines five pillars—Access, Safeguards, Products, Infrastructure, and Relationships—aiming to build a complete virtual asset ecosystem. Hong Kong's first Ethereum staking ETF is scheduled to launch on April 25, with the Hong Kong government approving two staking-type crypto ETFs within three months, indicating that the regulatory framework is gradually becoming internationally competitive.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) officially announced on April 7 that it has issued regulatory guidelines regarding the provision of staking services to licensed virtual asset trading platforms, as well as guidelines for SFC-recognized funds investing in virtual assets (virtual asset funds) concerning their participation in staking activities. The virtual asset exchange HashKey Exchange received approval from the Hong Kong SFC on April 10 to become one of the first exchanges in Hong Kong authorized to provide staking services.The SFC stated in the announcement, "The SFC recognizes the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn returns from virtual assets in a regulated market environment."In February this year, the SFC released the "Virtual Asset Development Roadmap" ("A-S-P-I-Re" framework) and proposed to consider expanding the range of virtual asset products under a regulatory framework, including providing staking, leverage, and lending services under clear guidelines.Terence Pu, Managing Director of HashKey Exchange, stated, "HashKey Exchange has built a staking service system that meets regulatory requirements, taking the lead in providing ETH staking services for spot ETFs, and is actively promoting staking services for all customers.This service relies on HashKey Cloud's excellent node operation capabilities to provide users with secure and compliant staking services. In the near future, investors will not only be able to hold Ethereum ETFs to earn staking returns but also hold ETH directly and earn additional returns through our staking services."

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Executive Director of the Investment Products Division, Ms. Cyd Ho, stated today at the Hong Kong Web 3 Carnival that the SFC will issue a circular today allowing licensed virtual asset trading platforms to provide staking services, including staking for virtual asset spot ETFs.Staking allows investors to lock up their virtual assets to support blockchain networks and earn returns, but due to associated risks, the SFC will implement additional safeguards, including requiring licensed platforms to custody the staked virtual assets and setting a cap on the proportion of virtual assets that can be staked for spot ETFs to manage liquidity risks.Ms. Ho also mentioned that the SFC is expanding the range of eligible virtual asset underlying assets. Initially, virtual asset spot ETFs focused mainly on Bitcoin and Ethereum, but now more virtual assets meet the criteria for retail trading on licensed platforms, paving the way for diversification of ETF products, such as a single ETF tracking a basket of virtual assets.

ChainCatcher news, HashKey Capital today announced that its actively managed funds and separate account services under HashKey Capital Limited have officially been approved to access global leading virtual asset trading platforms including Binance FZE, Gemini, and Coinbase.As a licensed institution by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) (Type 1, 4, and 9 licenses), HashKey Capital was granted the qualification for full discretionary account management of virtual assets in December 2024. Following this approval, the investment scope of HashKey Capital's flagship actively managed fund, HashKey Digital Investment Fund SP, has officially expanded from "TOP 50 digital assets" to "TOP 100 digital assets," and a new cash management strategy module has been added to optimize liquidity management capabilities.Effective immediately, HashKey Digital Investment Fund SP can achieve flexible allocation of virtual assets and full discretionary account services through Binance FZE, Gemini, Coinbase, and HashKey Exchange.

According to ChainCatcher news, as reported by China Fund News, HashKey Capital has officially obtained a Type 1 license issued by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), further expanding its business scope and capabilities under the regulation of the Hong Kong SFC.Previously, HashKey Capital held Type 9 and Type 4 licenses, allowing it to provide asset management products and investment advisory services. With the acquisition of the Type 1 license, HashKey Capital will be able to offer brokerage services to retail and professional investors, as well as sell various funds and structured products, including funds and products related to virtual assets.The new services are mainly divided into three categories: market access, investment funds, and structured products. HashKey Capital partner Vivien Wong stated that this will enable the company to provide a wider range of investment options for investors with different risk preferences and further promote the popularity of virtual assets in Hong Kong.

ChainCatcher message, there have been multiple cases of fake Binance SMS scams appearing in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) responded by stating that under the Securities and Futures Ordinance and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, conducting regulated activities and providing virtual asset services in Hong Kong without a license, and/or actively promoting such services to Hong Kong investors from outside Hong Kong, constitutes a crime. The SFC will not hesitate to take appropriate action against any violations, but will not comment on individual cases. Investors are reminded to only trade virtual assets on virtual asset trading platforms licensed by the SFC.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has released the "A-S-P-I-Re" roadmap for the Hong Kong virtual asset market. The Hong Kong SFC stated that in order to stay ahead in this ever-changing environment, the regulatory roadmap is based on five pillars, namely "A-S-P-I-Re" (Access, Safeguards, Products, Infrastructure, and Relationships), aimed at guiding the Hong Kong virtual asset ecosystem into the future.The 12 specific measures in this roadmap include promoting market participation, implementing adaptive compliance and product frameworks, and upgrading infrastructure by combining the reliability of traditional finance with the efficiency of blockchain technology. This series of measures reflects our pragmatic approach to solidifying Hong Kong's role as a reliable virtual asset liquidity hub.

ChainCatcher message, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission warns the public to be cautious of an entity operating under the name "Linkbex" that is suspected of engaging in fraud related to virtual assets. Linkbex falsely claims to have connections with seven companies licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong.Investors have also reported that their accounts at Linkbex were locked due to a so-called "SFC anti-money laundering investigation." The Hong Kong Police Force has taken action to block the relevant websites of Linkbex at the request of the Securities and Futures Commission.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has previously released a new roadmap, planning to launch 12 new initiatives including crypto ETF staking. Ru Haiyang, Chief Risk Officer of the licensed cryptocurrency exchange HashKey in Hong Kong, revealed that the company is actively negotiating with the Hong Kong SFC on ETF staking, tokenized money market funds, and "Earn" features.According to Hex Trust CEO Alessio Quaglini, institutional staking business will become a key focus area in 2025. Gary Tiu, Executive Director of another licensed exchange OSL, also stated that there is a growing demand from clients for yield products and derivatives.

ChainCatcher news, according to reports, as part of the virtual asset development roadmap, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is considering establishing a comprehensive framework covering financial influencers (Finfluencers), advocating for responsible communication and best practices in investor engagement, and plans to strengthen direct interaction with investors through proactive and ongoing educational initiatives.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by the Hong Kong Economic Journal, the CEO of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, Ashley Alder, stated at the Consensus forum that virtual assets can currently enter the second phase. In this pro-growth strategy, first, the local legislation on virtual asset activities will be completed; second, products and services will be expanded; third, operational processes will be optimized, including regulations on hot wallets and cold wallets, as well as adjustments to custody and insurance requirements. The content to be reviewed in terms of compliance and how to optimize it will truly maximize operational processes.

According to ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has released a new ASPIRe roadmap, proposing five pillars: Access, Safeguards, Products, Infrastructure, and Relationships, covering 12 key measures aimed at making Hong Kong a global virtual asset hub.The roadmap will establish a new regulatory framework for over-the-counter trading and custody services for virtual assets, optimize operational requirements for trading platforms, and promote the expansion of virtual asset products and services. The Executive Director of the Intermediaries Division of the Securities and Futures Commission, Yip Chi-hang, stated that the roadmap will facilitate global liquidity access while ensuring investor protection, achieve a security-oriented compliance framework, and encourage traditional financial institutions to upgrade their infrastructure using blockchain technology.

ChainCatcher news, according to NOW Finance, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission will announce a roadmap for the development of virtual assets this afternoon. Ye Zhiheng, Executive Director of the Intermediaries Division of the SFC, stated at the Consensus forum that formulating the roadmap is not difficult; the focus is on how to implement it. He revealed that there is not just one path, but rather includes 12 initiatives.Ye Zhiheng pointed out that the roadmap intentionally does not set a timetable, as it is necessary for the industry and stakeholders to rethink how quickly these 12 initiatives can be achieved. However, he mentioned that it will not take a long time, as the market changes rapidly, and as a regulatory body, they need to keep up with the changes and find readily available fruits to show results to the market.The virtual asset advisory group held a meeting earlier, and Ye Zhiheng, who serves as the group chairman, stated that the group includes the management of all licensed virtual asset trading platforms in Hong Kong, who provide advice to the SFC, especially regarding whether these initiatives represent the correct path. The next focus is on how quickly these visions can be achieved.

ChainCatcher news, at the Consensus Hong Kong 2025 conference, the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong, Ashley Alder, stated: "This afternoon, Hong Kong will release a virtual asset roadmap. The SFC is focusing on custody, OTC, and stablecoin trading. We have made significant progress in crypto custody, trading, and issuance, and are facilitating more institutions to enter this field. Blockchain can enhance settlement efficiency, and Hong Kong has different regulatory measures for the crypto sector, which need to be integrated through more flexible forms to promote a sound regulatory framework while achieving responsible innovation."