Hong Kong’s ZA Bank becomes first virtual bank to get SFC license

ZA Bank becomes the first Hong Kong digital-only bank to gain a license from the Securities and Futures Commission for Type 1 regulated activity.

According to Hong Kong news outlet HKEJ, on Sept. 30 a ZA Bank spokesperson said that ZA Bank has received approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission to allow the company to add new conditions for virtual asset transactions to its Type 1 license.

This news follows a year-long process the bank has undertaken since Hong Kong financial regulators tightened restrictions on unlicensed exchanges and the development of a regulated crypto ecosystem.

The bank plans to implement an investment fund service and operate under crypto regulations set by the country’s financial regulators.

CEO of ZA Bank, Rockson Hsu, stated in a press release that the firm remains committed to becoming a “game changer” for the banking sector two years after its official launch. He also highlighted the bank’s plan to launch an investment fund service.

“We look forward to further enhancing users’ experience with our game-changing investment fund services!” said Hsu.

Hong Kong introduced new regulations in 2022, requiring all crypto exchanges operating in the city to submit license applications by February 2024. Since then, over 24 companies struggled to get licenses. By Aug. 2024, around 12 applications have been withdrawn, including those from Bybit, Huobi HK, and OKX.

In May, 2024, the SFC warned investors to only use licensed platforms. The country’s cryptocurrency regulations came into effect in June 2023.

On July 18, 2024, ZA Bank began offering banking services to stablecoin issuers after the Hong Kong Monetary Authority unveils a list of approved companies for its stablecoin sandbox initiative.

In a press release on July 18, ZA Bank partnered with RD InnoTech, one of the first companies listed by the HKMA for sandbox trials. At that time, ZA Bank managed to onboard around ten additional stablecoin clients.