Bank Indonesia, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the People's Bank of China signed a memorandum of cooperation on June 11 to establish a framework facilitating direct conversion and settlement in Indonesian rupiah and offshore renminbi for bilateral transactions between Indonesia and Hong Kong. The two sides will draw up operating guidelines and appoint several banks as authorised cross-currency market makers, with procedures, timetable and details of participating banks expected to be announced later this year.
Why read this: The memorandum sets out the establishment of a framework for direct currency conversion and settlement between the two sides, and lists market-maker arrangements, with operating procedures and a timetable expected to be announced later this year.
May 15Fri
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Translation is not available yet. Showing the Traditional Chinese version.
The Insurance Authority has published consultation conclusions on proposed amendments to the risk-based capital regime under the Insurance (Valuation and Capital) Rules (Cap. 41R). Respondents were broadly supportive of the amendments, with comments mainly concerning the scope of eligible infrastructure investments and deduction factors. The finalised amendments will be submitted to the Legislative Council for negative vetting, with a target effective date of 31 December 2026, and will include consequential amendments to Cap. 41T.
Why read this: The consultation conclusions state that the finalised rules must be subject to the Legislative Council's negative vetting procedure, with a target effective date of 31 December 2026, allowing the industry to estimate the transition period accordingly.
Apr 29Wed
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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced that the Monetary Authority has granted stablecoin issuer licences to Anchorpoint Financial Technology Limited and HSBC under the Stablecoins Ordinance. A total of 36 institutions applied in the first phase, and the two licensees plan to issue Hong Kong dollar stablecoins first, with business covering cross-border payments, local payments, trading in tokenised assets and innovative applications. Regulated stablecoins in Hong Kong are expected to be launched progressively from mid-year to the second half of this year.
Why read this: The article lists the approval outcome of 36 applications with only 2 granted, and the use cases of the two licensees, allowing verification of how high the licensing threshold is.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced that the Monetary Authority has granted stablecoin issuer licences to Anchorpoint Financial Technology Limited and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited under the Stablecoins Ordinance, with the licences taking effect on 10 April. The licensees plan to commence business within the coming months once relevant preparatory work is completed. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority reminded the public to consult the register of licensed stablecoin issuers on its website to verify licensees' identities and to use regulated channels.
Why read this: The announcement specifies the names of the two licensed stablecoin issuers and the effective date of their licences, and reminds the public to verify licensees' identities against the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's register to avoid being defrauded.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Securities and Futures Commission, Insurance Authority and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, together with Cyberport, announced the launch of GenA.I. Sandbox++, covering banking, securities and capital markets, asset and wealth management, insurance, the Mandatory Provident Fund and stored value payment instruments. The initiative focuses on risk management, anti-fraud and customer experience, with participating institutions receiving regulatory guidance, technical support, and free access to GPU computing resources at the Cyberport Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre.
Why read this: The announcement sets out the financial sectors covered by the sandbox and the supercomputing centre GPU resources available for free use, allowing readers to check whether their own business falls within scope.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Securities and Futures Commission, Insurance Authority and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, together with Cyberport, announced the launch of GenA.I. Sandbox++, extending the 2024 GenA.I. Sandbox to banking, securities, insurance, MPF and stored value payment facilities. The initiative focuses on risk management, anti-fraud and customer experience, with participating institutions able to obtain regulatory guidance and free GPU computing resources.
Why read this: The plan expands the sandbox to multiple financial sectors, with participating institutions able to obtain regulatory guidance and Cyberport's free GPU computing resources, allowing readers to understand the support available when applying.
Mar 4Wed
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Translation is not available yet. Showing the Traditional Chinese version.