Introduction
In a landmark decision on the legal status of digital assets in Hong Kong handed down on 31 March 2023, the Court of First Instance, in Re Gatecoin Limited[1], has ruled that cryptocurrencies satisfy the definition of “property” under Hong Kong law and are capable of being held on trust.
The case arose
The Insurance Ordinance (Amendment) Bill (the Bill) was published by the Hong Kong Government (Government) in the Gazette on 6 April 2023. The Bill seeks to amend the Insurance Ordinance (Cap.41) (the IO) and other relevant legislation to provide the legal framework for the implementation of a risk-based capital (RBC
Introduction
On 19 December 2022, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (the FSTB) published a consultation paper (the Consultation) on proposals to enhance the regulation of crowdfunding activities in Hong Kong.
The Consultation includes various recommendations on enhancing the transparency and accountability of crowdfunding activities in Hong Kong, and includes a requirement
Introduction
On 31 January 2023, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (the HKMA) issued its consultation conclusions on the proposed regulatory regime for crypto-assets and stablecoins (the Conclusions). The Conclusions confirm the HKMA’s plan to implement a regulatory regime for stablecoins and specified stablecoin-related activities (the Regime). The Conclusions follow the HKMA’s
How should we regulate virtual assets? This is a question on the mind of almost every financial services regulator in the world. Many have adopted a very cautious and in some cases a prohibitory approach. However, the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) has taken a more
Introduction
In May 2021, following a 3 month consultation, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) issued its consultation conclusions for a new licensing regime for virtual assets services providers (VASPs) in Hong Kong. Recently, further steps were taken to make the new licensing regime for VASPs a reality with
In a welcome development, on 20 December 2021 Federal Treasury released exposure draft legislation implementing exemptions from Australian financial services (AFS) licensing requirements for foreign financial service providers (FFSPs). This follows through on the Federal Government’s intention (announced in last year’s Budget) to restore previously well-established relief for FFSPs and create
The SC-STS has updated the SORA Market Compendium. With the deadlines for the cessation of use of SOR for new loans, securities and derivatives having passed, this update provides market participants with a snapshot and market insights on the SOR to SORA Transition to date as well as current and expected volumes, liquidity and
Singapore FinTech Festival concludes today after a weeklong line-up of fruitful discussions. On Day 5 of the Singapore FinTech Festival, facilitating trust in data sharing, digital identity, financial and digital inclusion as well as payments interoperability were some of the common themes that ran through the sessions.
Some of our key takeaways from the experts:
Day 4 had a strong international focus at the start of the World Fintech Festival with speakers and specialist forums dealing with market and regulatory developments across the world, including sessions on developments in Australia, Japan, China, Cambodia, India, Nigeria and various Nordic countries.
The role of FinTech in facilitating green financing and sustainability remained