The Hong Kong Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers has welcomed three new members, including two tech bosses from Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” and a mainland Chinese economist who was a senior official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government on Friday announced the appointment of 34 members to the second term of city leader…
US President Donald Trump has upset the world’s markets and shaken confidence in the US dollar with his latest criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and indication that he would appoint a successor earlier than usual. The dollar has fallen to its lowest in three years. read more With his latest salvos at Federal…
Representative image (Picture credit: AP) Asian equities were largely flat on Thursday while oil prices stabilised, as markets took stock of easing geopolitical tensions and awaited fresh cues on US fiscal and trade policy, especially US President Donald Trump’s looming tariff deadline. According to news agency Reuters, investors remained cautious amid uncertainties surrounding Federal Reserve…
In a call to action for greater investment to accelerate the development of blockchain infrastructure, industry group Web3 Harbour and accounting firm PwC Hong Kong released the “Hong Kong Web3 Blueprint” on Monday, capitalising on recent momentum in the city. Highlighting the “transparency, security, and user empowerment” of decentralisation, the blueprint seeks to leverage what…
In financial markets, the Hong Kong dollar is known as a “widow-maker”, a ruinous trade that inflicts painful losses on successive generations of investors. While betting against Japanese government bonds has been the most notorious widow-maker trade, challenges to Hong Kong’s currency peg to the US dollar date back to the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis…
In just the past month, stablecoin has moved from the fringes of cryptocurrency into the heart of mainstream finance. Hong Kong enacted its stablecoin ordinance, creating a regulatory framework to legitimise and support the issuance of stablecoins, while US lawmakers discuss similar legislation aimed at fostering large-scale stablecoin adoption. Meanwhile, stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group…
The expected increase in market demand for stablecoins will encourage licensed institutions overseas to issue such cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong, boosting competitiveness, the finance minister has said as the city prepares for a regulatory regime to take effect in August. In his weekly blog on Sunday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said that the market…
The expected increase in market demand for stablecoins will encourage licensed institutions overseas to issue such cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong, boosting competitiveness, the finance minister has said as the city prepares for a regulatory regime to take effect in August. In his weekly blog on Sunday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said that the market…
Fintech firm Ant International, the global affiliate of Chinese tech giant Ant Group, said it would apply for a stablecoin issuer licence in Hong Kong once the new ordinance governing fiat-backed cryptocurrencies comes into effect in August. “We welcome the passage of the Stablecoins Bill … and hope to contribute more to the city’s vision…
Hong Kong made a forward-looking move on digital assets last month by passing a landmark law to regulate the market for stablecoins. Such a regime, which is well ahead of many jurisdictions in Asia and North America, will help bolster public confidence in this popular and fast-growing financial sector. It showcases the city’s crucial role…