sfc

ChainCatcher сообщает, что по данным The Block, Комиссия по ценным бумагам и фьючерсам Гонконга (SFC) выпустила циркуляр, требующий от лицензированных платформ виртуальных активов и интернет-брокеров в течение 12 месяцев прекратить использование одноразовых паролей (OTP) для входа пользователей и привязки устройств, заменив их на более надежные методы аутентификации, такие как ключи доступа (Passkey) и привязка устройств.Этот шаг вызван тем, что в 2025 году доля мошеннических атак в кибербезопасности Гонконга составила 57%. SFC также требует от учреждений создания систем мониторинга подозрительных входов, сделок и выводов средств, а также своевременного уведомления клиентов о необычной активности на счетах; крупные брокеры должны немедленно внедрить новые меры аутентификации. SFC подчеркивает, что если внутренний контроль учреждения имеет недостатки, что приводит к потерям клиентов, будет привлечена соответствующая ответственность.

Cryptocurrency payment company Alchemy Pay announced that its strategic investment target in Hong Kong, HTF Securities Limited, has received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to upgrade its Type 1 (Securities Trading) license to virtual asset trading services, covering both professional and retail investors.Previously, both parties had jointly completed the upgrade of the Type 4 license to VA and are advancing the application for the upgrade of the Type 9 license. In addition, the stablecoin payment public chain Alchemy Chain launched by Alchemy Pay has gone live on the testnet this year, with over 150,000 test addresses since its launch.

Cryptocurrency payment company Alchemy Pay announced that its strategic investment target in Hong Kong, HTF Securities Limited, has received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to upgrade its Type 1 (Securities Trading) license to virtual asset trading services, covering both professional and retail investors. Previously, both parties had jointly completed the upgrade of the Type 4 license to VA and are advancing the application for the upgrade of the Type 9 license, gradually building a virtual asset licensing system in Hong Kong.In addition, the stablecoin payment public chain Alchemy Chain launched by Alchemy Pay has gone live on the testnet this March. Since its launch, the number of test addresses has exceeded 150,000, providing underlying support for the implementation of its stablecoin payment ecosystem.

According to Business Wire, AMINA (Hong Kong) Limited has received an upgrade to its Type 1 license from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), becoming the first international banking group to offer cryptocurrency spot trading and asset custody to professional investors in Hong Kong.The services cover 24/7 trading, custody, and cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals to whitelisted addresses, initially supporting 13 types of cryptocurrencies (including BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT, and major DeFi tokens), and utilizing SOC 1/2 Type 2 level infrastructure. AMINA stated that it will subsequently expand to private fund management, structured products, derivatives, and RWA tokenization, targeting institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth clients.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, Kaiying Network's wholly-owned subsidiary Spruce Technology HK Limited has obtained the No. 4 (Securities Advisory) and No. 9 (Asset Management) licenses issued by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), marking an important breakthrough in its globalization strategy. In the future, Kaiying Network will leverage its strong international compliance capabilities to accelerate the expansion into global markets.At the same time, the AI full-process game development platform Kingnet AI, developed by SmileCobra Studio and supported by Kaiying Network's technology, will assist in the innovative development of game content creation, gameplay generation, and economic system design.SmileCobra Studio will also actively layout in the fields of virtual asset management, AI collaboration tools, and Web3 game innovation. This licensing achievement demonstrates Kaiying Network's compliance strength, laying a solid foundation for building a trustworthy global gaming ecosystem and promoting the global commercialization process.

ChainCatcher news, focusing on digital assets, institutional prime broker LTP announced that its Hong Kong subsidiary LiquidityTech Limited (LTP HK) has obtained licenses 1, 2, 4, 5, and 9 issued by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong. With these licenses, LTP HK can provide regulated financial services covering trading, consulting, and asset management to institutional clients, including proprietary trading firms, hedge funds, asset management institutions, and corporate investors.The SFC licenses obtained by LTP HK are for Type 1 securities trading, Type 2 futures contract trading, Type 4 advising on securities, Type 5 advising on futures contracts, and Type 9 asset management.

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong is currently exploring whether to involve the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) in regulating over-the-counter (OTC) services for virtual assets.According to informed sources, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has sought industry opinions on possibly implementing a new licensing system for cryptocurrency OTC services, which would allow the securities regulator to collaborate with C&ED to oversee these companies, as the discussions are private. According to a proposal made public in February, the planned OTC regulations and licenses were previously the sole domain of C&ED. OTC services facilitate direct and private large-scale cryptocurrency transactions between parties.Informed sources also indicated that in recent months, the Hong Kong SFC has consulted companies about introducing a new licensing system for cryptocurrency custody services. They stated that discussions regarding these two licenses are still in the early stages and may change.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission held a briefing for applicants of virtual asset trading platforms on June 12, 2024. More than 60 participants attended, including representatives and advisors of applicants considered for licensing.Dr. Yip Chi-hang, Executive Director of the Intermediaries Division of the Securities and Futures Commission, and Ms. Wong Lok-yan, Director of the Licensing Division and Head of the Fintech Group, outlined the competencies that these applicants should possess and explained the licensing application process as well as introduced their on-site inspection procedures.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) recently announced that it will conduct on-site office inspections of cryptocurrency platforms applying for licenses.The regulator emphasized that the 18 applicants "deemed to have obtained a license" will be required to undergo inspections to obtain approval for their applications. These inspections will take place in the coming months, during which the deemed licensed VATP applicants will submit their applications. The on-site inspections will focus on the cryptocurrency platforms' protection of customer assets and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes to determine whether the companies meet the SFC's regulatory requirements.The regulator also reminded applicants that during the application process, they must comply with all regulatory requirements and licensing conditions set by the SFC. These conditions include prohibiting residents of mainland China from accessing the platform's virtual asset-related services, marketing their services, or attracting retail users.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Hong Kong asset management company VSFG and Value Partners have applied to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for a Bitcoin spot ETF.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued a circular titled "On the SFC's Recognition of Tokenization of Investment Products." The SFC believes that it is appropriate to allow primary trading of tokenized investment products authorized by the SFC, provided that these products can meet all applicable product authorization requirements and additional safeguards to address issues, through a transparent approach.The circular points out that secondary trading of tokenized investment products authorized by the SFC will be considered more cautiously and carefully, in order to provide a level of investor protection that is fundamentally similar to that for investors in non-tokenized products. These considerations include maintaining appropriate and timely records of token ownership, the readiness of trading infrastructure and market participants to support liquidity, and fair pricing of tokenized products. Additionally, product providers of tokenized investment products recognized by the SFC must ensure that the underlying products comply with the applicable requirements of relevant rules, regulations, and product codes (including the qualifications of product providers, product structure, investment and operational requirements, disclosure, and ongoing compliance obligations).Furthermore, new investment products with tokenization features that plan to seek SFC approval must consult the SFC in advance. Tokenization of existing investment products authorized by the SFC also requires prior consultation.

ChainCatcher news, Slow Mist announced the launch of HKSFC compliance security audit services. Currently, the Slow Mist security team has provided services for several cryptocurrency trading platforms in Hong Kong applying for licenses, including: HashKey Pro, which has completed its licensing, HKBGE, which is in the process of applying, and MEEX, which plans to apply.The Slow Mist security team has developed compliance security audit items for HKSFC based on the latest requirements from HKSFC and OWASP international standards. Additionally, security audit items for Web, iOS, and Android have been organized according to OWASP international standards and Slow Mist's exclusive security capabilities, ensuring that the project parties meet HKSFC requirements while also aligning with OWASP international standards.