China Merchants Bank-owned CMB International Securities Limited has officially opened its Hong Kong-based crypto currency exchange.
The announcement followed confirmation that Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission approved the company’s application for a virtual asset license.
The new platform will allow professional investors to trade Bitcoin, Ether, and Tether’s USDt with uninterrupted 24-hour daily availability.
Bank documents confirmed that retail investors remain excluded, with services restricted to verified professional clients meeting specific investment eligibility standards.
China Merchants Bank now has over 1.7 trillion dollars in assets, and it is therefore one of the leading financial institutions today.
CMB International Gains Hong Kong Crypto Licenses
As per March data, the class A shares of the bank hold a collective market capitalization of more than 153.16 billion dollars.
CMB International, the first Chinese bank–related brokerage, successfully obtained licenses for cryptocurrency services within the financial market of Hong Kong.
Executives confirmed plans to connect traditional stock market access with digital assets, creating integrated services combining fintech applications and investment solutions.
Meanwhile, the bank’s headquarters in Shenzhen cannot host such offerings because Chinese regulators continue treating crypto trading as strictly illegal.
The central government banned crypto trading in 2017 and has since maintained strict enforcement, preventing domestic investors from accessing exchanges.
On the other hand, Hong Kong functions based on the idea of “one country, two systems,” enabling an independent financial and regulatory system.
Hong Kong Emerges As Crypto Innovation Hub
This freedom has motivated authorities to craft specialized cryptocurrency policies, to turn the city into a competitive international hub of cryptocurrency.
Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority completed its regulations covering issuers of stablecoins and relevant financial services.
The new rules evoked sharp losses among stablecoin firms right away, since stringent regulations overtook earlier expectations among firms.
A six-month compliance period now gives firms time to adjust, while non-licensed fiat-pegged stablecoins are subject to complete exclusion from retail markets.
Regulators also created a licensing register and introduced new custody obligations that are intended to reduce investor risks on all crypto exchanges.
Despite the mainland Chinese prohibition, Hong Kong more and more becoming an experimental haven for crypto innovation supported with greater institutional engagement.
