Cryptocurrency change OKX intends to use for a Digital Property Service Supplier (VASP) license to function within the city-state, in response to a March 28 press launch.
OKX is the newest crypto agency to look to arrange store in Hong Kong after the nation’s pivot to a extra crypto-friendly stance. The change’s Basic Counsel Bing Zhao stated:
“OKX has an formidable imaginative and prescient in terms of pursuing licenses in related and applicable jurisdictions, and we’re dedicated to working with the SFC all through the applying course of.”
OKX’s plans
The change’s managing director of worldwide institutional Lennix Lai stated Hong Kong has “immense potential” for crypto companies and OKX intends to work with regulators on “constructing the native ecosystem” over the following 5 years.
The change has been engaged on its plans for greater than a yr now and is absolutely ready to fulfill all regulatory necessities for its VASP utility.
In keeping with a South China Morning Put up report, OKX will arrange two entities within the city-state referred to as Hong Kong Fintech Firm Restricted and Hong Kong Custody Restricted to deal with its varied operations. The previous will apply for brokerage and change licenses, whereas the latter will apply for licenses that permit it to carry and custody property.
Hong Kong’s crypto regulatory regime
Hong Kong intends to legalize crypto buying and selling for retail traders on June 1 and has been engaged on organising a regulatory regime for the trade over the previous few months.
The regime contains the VASP license to permit crypto exchanges to function within the nation with full authorization. With out the license, companies won’t be allowed to supply companies to retail traders.
Quite a few exchanges want to transfer to Hong Kong in some capability as soon as the regulatory framework comes into impact and a few are already within the strategy of securing the mandatory approvals.
In the meantime, regulators are engaged on establishing banking relationships for crypto companies that adhere to its stringent KYC and AML necessities, in response to a Bloomberg Information report.
The occasion will happen on April 28 and will probably be led by the Hong Kong Financial Authority and the Securities and Futures Fee.
The 2 regulators are answerable for supervising stablecoins and cryptocurrency exchanges.