Hong Kong schetst plannen om cryptohandel in de detailhandel toe te staan

• Tet nieuwe cryptoregime in Hong Kong gaat in op 1 juni 2023.
• De SFC wil dat exploitanten in Hongkong een compensatiepakket bieden om hun risico's te compenseren.
• Partijen die feedback willen geven hebben tot 31 maart 2023 de tijd.

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De Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) van Hongkong uitgegeven zijn ontwerpregels voor virtuele handelsplatforms op maandag en accepteert nu openbare feedback. De regelaar is van plan een licentieregime voor aanbieders van cryptodiensten in het leven te roepen. 

The SFC requires all crypto service providers to “review and revise their systems and controls to prepare for the new regime.” It added that “those who do not plan to apply for a license should start preparing for an orderly closure of their business in Hong Kong.”

The SFC also proposed to allow “all types of investors, including retail investors, to access trading services provided by licensed VA [virtual asset] trading platform operators.” The proposal also suggests that a number of requirements must be satisfied before cryptocurrency trading for individual investors is resumed. These requirements include knowledge and risk evaluations, as well as possibly imposing restrictions on the amount of exposure traders are permitted to take.

Operators will be responsible for doing due diligence on tokens and keeping track of them under the proposed regulations. This includes evaluating the asset’s regulatory standing in each country where the operator offers trading services. Additionally, the proposal suggests examining the operator’s liquidity and whether or not a small number of people or groups control or have a disproportionate amount of the operator’s holdings.

Operators are only permitted to provide tokens that are listed on two “acceptable indices” and meet the SFC’s definition of an “eligible large-cap virtual asset.” The SFC requires service providers to perform smart contract audits on tokens to check for security risks. The new policy also notes that operators must avoid providing virtual assets that meet the definition of “securities” if it violates Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Ordinance.

De voorgestelde maatregel vereist ook dat exploitanten een compensatiepakket bieden om de risico's te compenseren. Bovendien moeten operators routinematig het aantal activa van klanten controleren en de regeling indien nodig aanpassen.

Er zijn discussies gaande over deze en andere aspecten van het voorgestelde cryptoregime in Hong Kong. De deadline voor geïnteresseerde partijen die willen deelnemen aan het proces is 31 maart 2023, aangezien de regeling naar verwachting op 1 juni 2023 in werking zal treden.

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