Hong Kong takes the lead in launching landmark stablecoin regulatory framework

Compilation: Blockchain Knight

The Hong Kong financial authorities have launched public consultation to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework related to Crypto assets.

HKMA (Hong Kong Monetary Authority) and FSTB (Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau) jointly launched the consultation, which focuses on developing guidelines for stablecoin issuers.

The consultation aims to obtain different perspectives on the proposed legislative framework.

Stablecoin is a type of digital currency linked to stable reserves such as legal tender. The stablecoin regulatory framework launched in Hong Kong aims to supervise issuers of stablecoins.

The proposed risk-based legislative framework aims to mitigate potential threats to monetary and financial stability, including a licensing regime that sets a precedent for stablecoin regulation in the region.

The proposed regulatory framework also addresses the licensing system, and includes comprehensive measures to establish consumer protection and market integrity. The framework stipulates that FRS (Fiat Reference Stablecoin) issuers must meet specific criteria in order to obtain a license from the Monetary Authority.

This move aims to ensure that only qualified entities can provide FRS to retail investors, thus safeguarding the public interest.

In addition, the framework also introduces advertising restrictions, stipulating that only licensed companies can promote FRS as publishers, a measure to prevent misleading marketing practices.

While consulting the public, the HKMA also plans to launch a "sandbox arrangement". The initiative will serve as a platform for dialogue between regulators and FRS issuers, facilitating compliance guidance and feedback gatherings.

In addition, the sandbox arrangement can evaluate and adjust regulatory policies for digital finance in real time.

At the same time, Eddie Yue, President of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, has a clear vision for the role of stablecoins in the future financial landscape. Yue believes that stablecoins can become an important interface between traditional finance and the growing Crypto asset market.

Although the Crypto asset market is still in its infancy and inherently unstable, Eddie Yue still believes that stablecoins play a pivotal role in integrating digital payments with the real economy.

His recent remarks on stablecoins emphasized that stablecoins need to maintain their stability in order to become a widely accepted payment method.

In addition, Eddie Yue further emphasized that the Hong Kong government has recognized the dual nature of Crypto assets: strong innovation potential and market challenges brought about by volatility.

As an innovative technology, virtual assets’ obvious growth potential has mostly been obscured by their price fluctuations, whether it is rapid growth during the epidemic or rapid growth after a series of market events since the beginning of 2022. decline, which hinders market confidence.

Yue also proposed that the demand for alternative payment methods such as stablecoins ultimately depends on users, who will choose the method that best meets their needs.