Hong Kong to issue first stablecoin licenses in early 2026

Hong Kong has positioned itself as a stablecoin hub after enforcing new regulations on cryptocurrencies and launching a licensing regime, as digital assets gain wider public adoption.

Speaking at a Financial Affairs Committee policy briefing of the Legislative Council on Friday, January 30, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui said the city would continue to promote innovation and reform while supporting national development strategies, aiming to reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an international financial center.

Sources close to the situation said stablecoin licenses will be granted in the first quarter of 2026, with the transition period set to end on January 31st. They also revealed that thirty-six firms are vying for dominance in the global financial arena. 

To further explain this statement for better understanding, recent reports highlighted that 36 firms submitted their stablecoin license applications in Hong Kong at the end of September 2025. This move sparked fierce competition to be the first regulated issuers.

Hong Kong initiates a critical transition toward comprehensive crypto oversight

During the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Paul Chan, the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), issued a speech addressing stablecoins adoption in the region. The importance of his words lay not in bold ambitions, but in their careful precision. Sources argued that neither did he make promises about restructuring global finance, nor did he suggest that stablecoins could disrupt traditional monetary systems.

Instead, Chan proposed an approach consistent with the nation’s regulatory framework: shifting from testing new concepts to establishing them, all while prioritizing financial stability and standardized operating procedures.

Regarding Hong Kong’s recent move towards stablecoin implementation and licensing, analysts admitted that the region’s decision indicates that stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value by pegging to a reserve asset, have gradually moved beyond being niche products in the crypto market to become a critical pillar of financial infrastructure.

With this transition in effect, the crypto is increasingly recognized as a tool with essential value, widely preferred for international payments, settling tokenized assets, and managing liquidity. Nonetheless, reports argued that regulatory regimes vary from region to region, with some regulators expressing their willingness to experiment with cryptocurrency first while others enforce strict limits.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that market excitement was not the sole driver of Hong Kong’s policy on stablecoins. In mid-2024, reports highlighted that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) initiated a stablecoin issuer sandbox project that granted selected participants the opportunity to explore issuance models under close regulatory supervision.

This project focused specifically on technical and operational details, including managing reserves, redemption processes, custody arrangements, governance systems, and compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations. 

Hong Kong welcomes effective licensing proposals

Reports indicated that Hong Kong is driving cryptocurrency adoption as part of a larger, sweeping effort to modernize finance through tokenization. To support this claim, reports disclosed that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority initiated a trial, Project Ensemble, in November 2025. This trial aimed to test real-value transactions using tokenized deposits and digital assets, collaborating with leading financial institutions and asset management firms.

In the meantime, officials in the region are asking for feedback on new plans to implement enhanced licensing regulations for crypto assets, along with advisory and management services.

Nonetheless, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professionals Association warned that the proposed updates to virtual asset management regulations could complicate traditional asset managers’ entry into the crypto space. Based on their argument, stricter licensing could increase compliance costs and hinder institutional adoption. 

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