Hong Kong legislator expresses concerns about the transparency of the HKMA stablecoin sandbox program, questioning the procedure and timing for official licensing.
Hong Kong’s ambitious effort to become a global hub for virtual assets and Web3 technologies has encountered a stumbling block, with concerns raised over the transparency of its regulatory sandbox for stablecoin issuers.
A prominent legislator has expressed concerns regarding the opacity of the HKMA’s recent sandbox initiative as the city’s financial authorities endeavor to establish a comprehensive framework for cryptocurrency regulation.
Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Sandbox Transparency Concerns
Darwin Chiu, a member of the Legislative Council, has expressed concerns regarding the transparency of the HKMA stablecoin issuer sandbox program.
The HKMA initiated the sandbox in March and has recently disclosed that three groups of institutions have been selected for the first round of testing.
Meanwhile, Chiu highlighted a perceived lack of transparency in the application process, particularly regarding the sandbox’s launch timing and the expected duration before official licensing.
As Hong Kong endeavors to establish itself as an international virtual asset hub, these concerns arise in the wake of the introduction of its virtual asset trading platform supervision system.
The Treasury Bureau has announced that regulatory plans for stablecoin issuers are being developed in response to earlier public consultations.
However, the government intends to submit proposed regulations to the Legislative Council by the end of the year to speed up the implementation of the regulatory system.
Chen Haolian, the Deputy Director of the Treasury Bureau, underscored the fact that the licensing system for fiat currency stablecoin issuers will be consistent with the international standards of their virtual asset regulatory framework.
For existing issuers with substantial business operations, the system will also include a six-month transitional “non-violation period.”
Legislator Wu Jiezhuang urged the government to release a Web3 development roadmap within the year to enhance investor confidence and provide guidance to the industry.
Moreover, lawmakers are advocating for a greater degree of transparency and clarity in the regulatory process as they continue to cultivate the Web3 and virtual asset ecosystem.
The stablecoin sandbox program is a key step in this direction; however, there are still uncertainties regarding its long-term impact and implementation.
Launch of Bitcoin Inverse Product
On Tuesday, July 23, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) is set to introduce Asia’s first Bitcoin inverse product.
This launch is concurrent with the introduction of the Spot Ethereum ETF in the United States on the same day.
Additionally, the CSOP Bitcoin Futures Daily (-1x) Inverse Product, which is overseen by CSOP Asset Management Limited, is intended to offer sophisticated investors a novel instrument for short-term trading or hedging.
The daily performance of the S&P BTC Futures Index is the target of this futures-based investment vehicle, which is inverse (-1x).
Furthermore, by investing in short positions of Bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which includes both standard and micro Bitcoin futures, it achieves this.
The trustee for this product is HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Asia) Limited.