On 16 July 2024, the Bank for International Settlements published a speech by Klass Knot (Chair of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and President of the Netherlands Bank). The speech is dated 11 July 2024 and is entitled The AI adventure – how artificial intelligence may shape the economy and the financial system
Fintech
MAS announces expansion industry collaboration to scale asset tokenisation for financial services

On 27 June 2024, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the expansion of two initiatives to scale asset tokenisation for financial services.
Project Guardian
One of these initiatives – Project Guardian – involves partnering with global industry associations and financial institutions to drive common asset tokenisation standards in fixed income, foreign exchange…
BDF and HKMA announce wholesale CBDC collaboration

On 27 June 2024, the Banque de France (BDF) and the HKMA announced their collaboration in relation to wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC).
This latest collaboration between the two regulators is the HKMA’s participation in Wave 2 of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Eurosystem exploratory work. The BDF and…
HKMA publishes reports on DeFi regulation and the metaverse

On 25 June 2024, the HKMA issued a press release announcing that the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR), the research arm of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF), has released two new research reports, on “Decentralised Finance: Current Landscape and Regulatory Developments” and “The Metaverse: Opportunities…
Singapore’s updated ML National Risk Assessment highlights digital payment token services providers as a higher risk sector

On 20 June 2024, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the publication by Singapore of its updated Money Laundering (ML) National Risk Assessment (NRA), as part of its continuing efforts to maintain the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering (AML) regime amidst the evolving risk landscape.
The…
SFC explains regulatory expectations of virtual asset trading platform applicants

On 12 June 2024, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) held a briefing session to explain its regulatory expectations to the virtual asset trading platform (VATP) applicants that are now deemed to be licensed after 1 June 2024.
In a press release, the SFC noted that over 60 participants –…
SFC publishes speech on building a fintech ecosystem to shape the future of finance

On 5 June 2024, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) published a speech by its Chief Executive Officer, Ms Julia Leung, on ‘Building a Fintech Ecosystem to Shape the Future of Finance’.
In the speech, Ms Leung focuses on distributed ledger technology (DLT), noting that financial professionals are debating whether it…
Basel Committee report on the digitalisation of finance

On 16 May 2024, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) published a report on the implications of the digitalisation of finance on banks and supervision.
The report builds on the Basel Committee’s 2018 paper, Sound practices: implications of fintech developments for banks and bank supervisors and takes stock of recent developments…
Latest Updates on Virtual Bank Business Licences in Thailand


After months of speculation, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has published its official Ministerial Notification on Guidance, Procedures, and Conditions for applying for a Licence for Virtual Bank (Virtual Bank Notification) on 4 March 2024. The Virtual Bank Notification sets out provisions regarding terms, conditions and material requirements necessary to obtain…
New EMEA Regulatory Insights Podcast Episode – Hong Kong
In our EMEA regulatory insights series colleagues from our EMEA offices provide an update on some of the key regulatory issues they are seeing in their local market. In this latest episode Etelka Bogardi from our Hong Kong office discusses recent regulatory developments including derivatives reporting, the e-HKD Pilot Programme and Hong Kong Green Week…