Hong Kong authorities are moving toward issuing the city’s first stablecoin licenses, with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority targeting March for an initial round. Market expectations, however, have been carefully managed. Based on regulatory signals and industry briefings, the first batch is widely expected to be limited, likely to no more than three to five…
HSBC, Hong Kong’s largest bank with a 6.2 million-strong customer base, suffered a widespread system breakdown on Friday afternoon. According to some customers, the bank’s mobile app and online services were inactive as early as 1pm, with login attempts diverted to a screen stating the system was under maintenance and would be accessible at a…
Hong Kong’s de facto central bank left its base rate unchanged after a similar move overnight by the US Federal Reserve, leaving borrowers in the city with a longer wait for funding costs to fall. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced its decision on Thursday morning to keep the city’s base rate at 4…
China’s central bank will support Hong Kong’s monetary authority to double the amount of yuan liquidity available to local banks, helping them increase yuan lending and enhancing the city’s role as an international offshore centre for the mainland currency. People’s Bank of China (PBOC) deputy governor Zou Lan said at the Asian Financial Forum (AFF)…
The use of technology in trade finance is advancing from digitising existing paperwork to re-engineering entire processes with artificial intelligence and shared data, according to bank executives at the Development & Innovation of AI for Digital Finance forum on Monday in Hong Kong. “When we are talking about digitalisation, we are actually making the current…
Hong Kong banks may not cut their prime rates this year, but local interbank rates will still follow US rates lower, benefiting a majority of borrowers, according to a senior executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Analysts widely expect the US Federal Reserve to cut its key rate by three-quarters of a point…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has published Phase 2A of the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, marking a further step in the city’s efforts to channel capital towards green and sustainable economic activities and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Released on 22 January, the updated taxonomy builds on earlier work by…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…
Hong Kong is expected to see a rise in bond issuance across multiple currencies in 2026, driven by rising demand for non-US dollar assets amid geopolitical tensions and government initiatives to strengthen the city’s capital markets, according to industry players. As part of efforts to promote the local bond market, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority…