Blockchain.com secured a virtual asset service provider license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority on July 22, 2026, enabling it to offer regulated crypto custody and exchange services.
Hong Kong's RMB Business Facility, a yuan financing tool for banks run by the HKMA, has been significantly expanded with a 150% quota increase to 500 billion yuan. Launched Friday, it aims to boost yuan usage in global business by offering cheaper financing for trade, capital expenditure, and working capital loans.
China is increasing its yuan loan quota to 300 billion yuan and extending the facility's tenure to 2-3 years to meet international demand. A new electronic FIC trading platform developed by CFETS and HKEX is also set to launch.
Crypto exchange Bybit and its corporate entity Bybit Fintech Limited have been added to Singapore's Monetary Authority (MAS) Investor Alert List. This list warns consumers about entities wrongly perceived as MAS-regulated. Bybit is not licensed by MAS and restricts services to Singaporean users.
The People's Bank of China, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Bank Indonesia have established a framework for direct bilateral transactions, facilitating the exchange of Indonesian rupiah and Chinese yuan to boost regional currency use and Hong Kong's role as an offshore renminbi hub.
Macau's Monetary Authority launched the mBridge system on June 2nd, enabling three local banks to complete 23 cross-border transactions totaling nearly 1.3 billion MOP. The system uses central bank digital currency and distributed ledger technology for efficient, secure, and low-cost cross-border payments.
Hong Kong's note-issuing banks are replacing fire-damaged cash for residents of Wang Fuk Court, following a devastating November fire. The initiative by the Monetary Authority and lenders aims to support those affected, with residents recovering significant amounts of burnt money.
Hong Kong has raised HK$27.6 billion (US$3.5 billion) through a green and infrastructure bond sale to finance the Northern Metropolis and low-carbon transformation projects. The offering drew investors from more than 30 markets across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, signalling global institutional investors’ confidence in Hong Kong’s development, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in a statement on Friday. Orders totalled about HK$239 billion, 8.6 times the offer size. The...
Hong Kong's Exchange Fund saw its smallest investment gain in five quarters, reporting HK$34.5 billion in Q1, a 56% decrease year-on-year, as the Middle East crisis impacted stock markets.
Hong Kong’s monetary authority held its base rate at 4% following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its target rate in the 3.5-3.75% range. Fed chairman Jerome Powell said he would remain on the Fed board after his term ends on May 15 due to President Donald Trump’s legal battle against him. Analysts said the inflationary impact of the US-Israel war with Iran had reduced chances of a rate cut this year.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has increased its SME lending support to HK$450 billion, offering flexible repayment and faster loan approvals to businesses struggling with fuel price volatility and Middle East geopolitical tensions.
HSBC and a Standard Chartered-led joint venture have secured Hong Kong's first stablecoin issuer licenses, aiming to integrate digital currency into traditional finance and boost the city's status as a digital asset hub.
