Stablecoins in HK: Chaos or Opportunity? 🧐

Hong Kong’s esteemed regulators – bless their bureaucratic hearts – have seen fit to issue a warning. Apparently, the enthusiasm surrounding this new ‘Stablecoin Ordinance’…well, it’s attracting all sorts. Not the refined, discerning investors, you understand, but…others. One suspects a bit of panic underlies the polite phrasing. A rise in fraud, they say. A rise! As if one expected anything else when promising stability in a world utterly devoid of it. 🙄

The SFC warns of increased volatility and, naturally, those pesky fraudsters, now emboldened by this new legislation.
Stocks of companies merely thinking about stablecoins have been bouncing about like caffeinated grasshoppers. A spectacle, really.

Zhitong Finance, a local publication – reliable enough, I suppose – reports this “enthusiastic” reaction. Enthusiastic, indeed. More like a feeding frenzy. A predictable one, truthfully. The SFC and the Hong Monetary Authority, in a display of joined concern, have urged the public to proceed with caution. One assumes they believe the public possesses a capacity for caution. A rather optimistic view, wouldn’t you say?

Apparently, even before this…development, there were 265 complaints about fraud and digital trickery in the first half of the year. Consistent, they claim. Consistent misery, perhaps. One imagines 2025 will bring a delightful increase. A record, even! 🥳

Mr. Ye Zhiheng, a most impressive title at the Intermediaries Department, requests “rationality.” Rationality! From people dabbling in stablecoins? Asking a lot, don’t you think? He notes the predictable surge in share prices for companies hinting at involvement. Such blatant opportunism. It’s almost…endearing.

Hong Kong SFC and the Allure of Digital Dust

The past month has witnessed a flurry of activity in crypto-related stocks, purely, one assumes, driven by the prospect of the Ordinance. Guotai Junan, a Chinese brokerage, enjoyed a 16% jump, followed by an equally dramatic dip. They haven’t even declared an interest, you see. Just the suggestion of involvement was enough. A brief moment of madness. 💸

It seems traders, easily swayed creatures that they are, flocked to the stock, fuelled by hope and, undoubtedly, a lack of better investment options. Then reality set in, and the price retreated. Understandable, really.

And then there’s OSL, the first licensed crypto exchange. They’re allocating a rather substantial $300 million to stablecoins and “global expansion.” So ambitious. The stock rose 12% in July. It’s peaked at $1.20 on the ASX, only to tumble back down to $1.12. A rollercoaster, wouldn’t you say? Their market cap stands at a respectable $14.11 million, but one wonders for how long. 🤷‍♀️

2025-08-18 09:45

Hong Kong SFC and the Allure of Digital Dust

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