On 11 October 2024, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) published a report providing an update to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on its analytical work of the 2023 banking turmoil. Specifically, the report provides an update on the analytical work on liquidity risk dynamics that were observed during the turmoil
Asia
SFC to step up supervision of asset managers after noting examples of serious misconduct
On 9 October 2024, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a circular (the Circular) stating its intention to place greater emphasis on the supervision of asset management firms and reminding personnel of their regulatory obligations, after it identified various deficiencies and substandard conduct in respect of the management of private…
IOSCO final report on investor education surrounding crypto-assets
On 9 October 2024, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) issued its final report on investor education surrounding crypto-assets.
The report follows up on an earlier report published in 2020 and provides updated information on crypto-assets that will be useful to regulators when designing investor education initiatives for retail investors. The report…
New depositary licensing regime takes effect
From 2 October 2024, trustees and custodians of collective investment schemes (CIS) operating in Hong Kong and authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for retail distribution must be licenced or registered to carry on the new Type 13 regulated activity (RA13) of “providing depository services for…
Joint conclusions paper on enhancements to the OTC derivatives reporting regime published
In a move to facilitate the international standardization and harmonization of data elements in line with the Group of 20’s over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market reform, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) (together, the Regulators) jointly published, following a two-month consultation from…
FSTB publishes consultation conclusions and legislative proposals regarding paperless corporate communication for Hong Kong companies
On 25 September 2024, following a public consultation, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) published consultation conclusions and legislative proposals aimed at promoting paperless communication for Hong Kong companies. The final proposals largely mirror those in the original consultation paper and a draft amendment bill (Amendment Bill) to the…
UK PRA’s booking proposals – A step forwards or backwards?
In summer 2024, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published a Consultation Paper, CP11/24, on International firms: Updates to Supervisory Statement (SS5/21) and branch reporting. CP11/24 is key to understanding the booking models that the PRA will accept and reflects the debates which the branches of European banks have had in…
HKMA launches Project Ensemble Sandbox to test tokenisation use cases in Hong Kong
On 28 August 2024, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) launched the Project Ensemble Sandbox (Sandbox) to explore asset tokenisation use cases and the settlement of tokenised asset transactions. The Sandbox is a crucial component of Project Ensemble, which launched in March 2024, to explore new financial market infrastructure (FMI…
Global Asset Management Review: Issue 2
In the second issue of Global Asset Management Review, our cross-border team provide market updates followed by a closer look at some of the key issues impacting the asset management sector including:
Hong Kong announces Stablecoin Consultation Conclusions and Sandbox Participants amid Web3 push
Last week, two major stablecoin announcements were made to support Hong Kong’s efforts in facilitating the responsible development of its virtual asset ecosystem.[1] On 17 July 2024, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) jointly published consultation conclusions on the proposed regulatory…