Crypto license in Hong Kong
Paid-up capital
Уставный капитал
HK$5,000,000
5 000 000 HKD
Filing fee
Пошлина за заявку
HK$4,740 per activity
4 740 HKD за вид
Cold storage
Холодное хранение
98% of client assets
98% активов клиентов
Liquid capital
Ликвидный капитал
HK$3,000,000 floor
порог 3 000 000 HKD
When you need a cryptocurrency license in Hong Kong
You serve Hong Kong investors
Part 5B of the AMLO reaches a platform that carries on virtual asset business in Hong Kong or actively markets to Hong Kong investors, wherever the servers sit.
Client coins sit on your books
Holding client assets pulls in a separate custody company, cold storage rules and a compensation arrangement that the SFC has to approve before you open.
You plan to issue a stablecoin
A stablecoin pegged to currency is a different regulated business under the Monetary Authority, with its own capital floor and its own licence.
Your team performs regulated functions
Individuals who run the business are licensed alongside the company: at least two responsible officers, one of them ordinarily resident in Hong Kong.
You already trade with Hong Kong users
Carrying on a virtual asset service without the licence is a serious offence, so a platform with Hong Kong clients is choosing between applying and geo-blocking.
What you get
- An SFC licence under both statutes
- Approved responsible officers
- Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessment reports
- An approved compensation arrangement
- A control framework the SFC has signed off
Hong Kong crypto license requirements
Who the applicant has to be
- A company incorporated in Hong Kong, or an overseas company registered with the Companies Registry.
- Licensed under the Securities and Futures Ordinance for Type 1 and Type 7 activity and under the AMLO for providing a virtual asset service.
- Not less than two responsible officers, at least one ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and at least one an executive director.
- Managers-In-Charge for overall management oversight and for the key business line, as the SFC expects them to be.
Money the regulator wants to see
- Paid-up share capital of at least HK$5,000,000, held at all times.
- Liquid capital of at least the higher of HK$3,000,000 and the basic amount set by the Financial Resources Rules.
- Liquid assets held in Hong Kong equal to twelve months of your actual operating expenses, on a rolling basis.
- A projection of the operating expenses for your first twelve months as a licensee.
How client assets have to be held
- Client assets are held by an associated entity: a wholly owned Hong Kong subsidiary that holds a trust or company service provider licence.
- 98% of client virtual assets stay in cold storage, and transactions out of it are kept to a minimum.
- A compensation arrangement approved by the SFC covers 50% of the client assets in cold storage and 100% of those in hot and other storage.
- Insurance, segregated funds on trust or a bank guarantee from a Hong Kong authorised institution, or a mix of the three.
Published fees and thresholds
| Item | Amount or threshold |
|---|---|
| Application fee, platform operator | HK$4,740 per regulated activity |
| Application fee, licensed representative | HK$1,790 |
| Approval as responsible officer | HK$2,950 |
| Annual fee, platform operator | HK$4,740 per regulated activity |
| Paid-up share capital | HK$5,000,000 |
| Liquid capital | HK$3,000,000 floor |
| Client assets in cold storage | 98% |
| Stablecoin issuer capital, Monetary Authority | HK$25,000,000 |
Three licences, three regulators
Trading platform, SFC
A centralised platform is licensed by the SFC under the Securities and Futures Ordinance and the AMLO at the same time, for Types 1 and 7 and for providing a virtual asset service.
Dealing and advising, SFC
A firm that deals in or advises on virtual assets without running a platform is licensed for Type 1 or Type 4 activity; a virtual asset fund manager needs Type 9.
Currency-pegged stablecoins, Monetary Authority
Issuing a stablecoin referenced to fiat currency has been a licensed activity since 1 August 2025 under the Stablecoins Ordinance, supervised by the Monetary Authority.
Sources: SFC VATP Licensing Handbook and Guidelines for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators (sfc.hk); AMLO Cap. 615 Part 5B; Stablecoins Ordinance Cap. 656, Schedule 2; HKMA Explanatory Note on Licensing of Stablecoin Issuers, July 2025.
Stages of work
Perimeter and structure
We settle which activities you carry on, which statute catches each of them, and whether you need a custody subsidiary and a stablecoin licence alongside the platform.
Applicant and people
The Hong Kong company is set up or registered, responsible officers and Managers-In-Charge are chosen, and the residency and executive director conditions are met.
Controls and external assessor
Policies, systems and controls are built to the Guidelines, and an external assessor is engaged to produce the Phase 1 report that travels with the application.
Capital in place
Share capital is paid up, liquid capital is computed under the Financial Resources Rules, and twelve months of operating expenses are funded and projected.
Submission and fees
The application goes in through the SFC online system, and the fee is paid once the submission is accepted for review.
Queries and approval in principle
We answer the SFC's questions, take the interviews with your responsible officers, and work towards approval in principle.
Phase 2 report and licence
After approval in principle the assessor produces the Phase 2 report on the systems as actually deployed, and the licence follows with its conditions.
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