The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) granted its first two stablecoin issuer licenses on Friday, awarding them to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial, a joint venture led by Standard Chartered that includes Animoca Brands and Hong Kong Telecommunications.
The regulator selected the two from a pool of 36 applicants under the Stablecoins Ordinance, which took effect in August 2025. Both licensees are authorized to issue stablecoins pegged to the Hong Kong dollar.
The decision to award the first licenses to HSBC and Standard Chartered is notable, as both are among the only three commercial banks authorized to print physical Hong Kong dollar banknotes, a system dating back to 1846.
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