On 21 July 2026, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a targeted report on the regulatory challenges from decentralised finance (DeFi).
Background
In 2019, the FATF updated Recommendation15 and extended the application of the FATF Standards to virtual assets (VAs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).
On 6 May 2026, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) issued a report on vulnerabilities in private credit.
The report forms part of the FSB’s work programme to enhance resilience in non-bank financial intermediation.
Private credit activity has grown rapidly, to an estimated $1.5 to 2.0 trillion in assets at end-2024 and is heavily
On 6 May 2026, the Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published a consultation on proposed amendments to (i) the Resilience of central counterparties (CCPs): Further guidance on the Principles for financial market infrastructures (PFMI) (CCP resilience
3 February – 3 March 2026
ESG is changing the landscape for financial institutions as stakeholders, including investors, increasingly expect them to make their operations more sustainable.
Financial services regulators also view ESG as a priority, embedding the principles of climate-related financial risks into their supervisory frameworks and dealing with greenwashing issues.
There is
On 12 November 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced a strategic partnership on artificial intelligence with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. For the first time, the FCA will also establish a presence in Singapore with the appointment of an FCA Financial Services Attaché based at the British High Commission. This forms part
On 12 November 2025, the Investment Association and the Investment Management Association of Singapore issued a joint report examining the challenges and opportunities in tokenised asset markets across both jurisdictions. It also provides an operational readiness checklist for market participants looking to design and launch tokenised financial products. The report was developed in collaboration with
On 27 June 2025, Hong Kong’s Financial Services and Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) jointly published public consultation papers to expand Hong Kong’s regulatory regime for virtual assets (VAs) to include (i) dealing in VAs and (ii) VA custodian services.
Background
The two consultations
On 21 May 2025, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council passed the Stablecoins Bill (Bill) to establish a new regulatory regime for activities involving fiat-referenced stablecoins, which is set to take effect by year-end. First gazetted on 6 December 2024, the Bill has since undergone a series of technical and textual amendments, which we discuss
The Securities and Futures Commission’s (SFC) has on 19 February 2025 rolled out a new regulatory roadmap setting out its core guiding principles to continue Hong Kong’s development as a virtual assets (VA) hub. The roadmap adopts the “ASPIRe” slogan representing its 5 pillars – Access, Safeguards, Products
Introduction
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) announced on 16 January 2025 that new applicants for a virtual asset trading platform (VATP) licence will be subject to a revamped and expedited external assessment process.
Previous external assessment process
VATP licence applicants who had submitted their application on or before