The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) recently introduced a series of measures aimed at further promoting the global connectivity of the digital asset market and strengthening Hong Kong's position as a digital asset trading and investment hub. The core objective of these measures is to attract more international institutions to establish their digital asset trading businesses in Hong Kong by facilitating connections between Hong Kong and other global markets.

Wong Lok-yan, Director of Intermediaries and Head of the FinTech Unit at the Hong Kong SFC, pointed out that Hong Kong's digital asset development roadmap has clearly identified "global liquidity connectivity" as a key direction, with plans to achieve this goal through several specific measures. Specifically, the SFC will allow licensed cross-border trading platforms to share global order books with their overseas affiliates. This is the first step in the globalization of Hong Kong's digital asset market. The implementation of this policy is expected to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness in global digital asset trading while providing investors with more diverse trading options and more efficient liquidity.

Additionally, the Hong Kong SFC is advancing the improvement of the ecosystem through two important consultations. On one hand, the SFC plans to issue formal licenses to virtual asset custody institutions, which will help enhance the transparency and security of the industry, providing investors with greater protection. On the other hand, the SFC is also exploring bringing investment advisory services and specific asset classes under regulatory oversight to further strengthen market supervision and ensure healthy market development.

This series of initiatives by the Hong Kong SFC demonstrates that Hong Kong is actively exploring how to secure a significant position in the global digital asset market. As global attention on digital assets continues to grow, Hong Kong, with its advantages as a financial center and a mature regulatory framework, has become the preferred investment and trading platform for many international institutions. By promoting the connectivity of global liquidity with the Hong Kong market, it will not only enhance Hong Kong's international competitiveness but also provide global investors with more investment opportunities and convenience.

Overall, this series of measures by the Hong Kong SFC will further advance Hong Kong's important role in the global digital asset market, attract more institutions and investors to enter the Hong Kong market, and ensure the sustainable development and stable growth of the Hong Kong market through a robust regulatory system and innovative policy support. This will also have a profound impact on the layout of the digital asset industry across Asia and even the world, laying a more solid foundation for the future development of the digital economy.