Hong Kong Opens Its Doors Wider to Digital Finance as AMINA Becomes First Foreign Bank With Crypto Trading License
AMINA becomes the first foreign bank licensed to trade crypto in Hong Kong, signaling rising institutional confidence in the city’s digital-asset market.
The decision by Hong Kong regulators to grant AMINA Bank a license to trade and safeguard digital assets marks a pivotal moment in the city’s ongoing bid to solidify its position as Asia’s most structured and open crypto hub. The Swiss institution, long associated with bank-grade digital asset services, secured an uplift to its Type 1 license from the Securities and Futures Commission, allowing its local subsidiary to serve institutional clients with a curated set of 13 cryptocurrencies. The list includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, USDT, and a selection of decentralized finance tokens, effectively positioning AMINA as the first international bank to obtain such comprehensive trading permission in Hong Kong.
The move addresses a recurring gap in the local ecosystem. Despite Hong Kong’s ambition to attract global capital, institutional access to regulated digital-asset trading has remained limited. Compliance thresholds are exceptionally high, and many international players have struggled to meet operational and security standards. AMINA’s entry offers the kind of custodial assurance and regulatory alignment that many asset managers and financial institutions have been waiting for, even as local competitors such as Tiger Brokers and HashKey continue to expand their own crypto offerings.
Data from AMINA indicates that the city’s appetite for digital assets has accelerated rapidly. Crypto trading volume across Hong Kong exchanges surged 233% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, reflecting not only retail enthusiasm but also a notable increase in institutional participation. This growth environment gives AMINA fertile ground to broaden its services. Michael Benz, who oversees the bank’s Hong Kong operations, emphasized that the new license will allow the firm to explore private fund structures, derivatives, tokenized real-world assets, and other advanced investment products tailored to institutional clients.
Hong Kong’s regulatory backdrop has been instrumental in attracting global firms. The rollout of long-anticipated stablecoin rules earlier this year prompted major lenders such as HSBC and ICBC to evaluate their own licensing strategies. In late October, the SFC approved the first Solana-based exchange-traded fund, outpacing U.S. regulators and highlighting a willingness to create well-defined pathways for digital-asset innovation. While the jurisdiction has tightened rules on self-custody to mitigate cybersecurity risks, officials maintain that these measures are designed to protect investors, not constrain market participation.
The government’s balancing act—encouraging innovation while enforcing rigorous oversight—has intensified competition with neighboring Singapore and other regional financial centers. AMINA’s licensing success underscores that the strategy is working: international banks now view Hong Kong as a predictable and transparent environment for institutional crypto expansion. As more global firms assess the market, AMINA’s early arrival could give it a meaningful advantage in shaping the next phase of regulated digital finance in the region.
