Crypto News and Headlines

Hong Kong to Grant First Stablecoin Issuer Licenses in March: Report

Hong Kong’s monetary regulator, the HKMA, announced it will grant its first stablecoin issuer licences in March, marking the first approvals under the Stablecoin Ordinance that took effect in August 2025. The regulator said only a very small number of licences will be issued initially, after reviewing 36 applications for use‑case relevance, risk controls, AML safeguards and asset backing. Applicants include major banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered’s local arm, and ICBC, though the HKMA has not confirmed any specific winners. The licensing framework follows Hong Kong’s “same activity, same risk, same regulation” stance on crypto assets.