PANews reported on April 10 that according to official news, virtual asset exchange HashKey Exchange announced that it had received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission on April 10, becoming one of the first exchanges in Hong Kong to be approved to provide pledge services. Previously, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) had officially issued an announcement on April 7, issuing regulatory guidelines on the provision of pledge services to licensed virtual asset trading platforms, and providing guidance on their participation in pledge activities to SFC-approved funds (virtual asset funds) that invest in virtual assets.
The SFC stated in the announcement that “the CSRC is aware of the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn returns from virtual assets in a regulated market environment.” In February of this year, the SFC released the Virtual Asset Development Roadmap (“ASPI-Re” Framework) and proposed to consider expanding the scope of virtual asset products under the regulatory framework, including providing staking, leverage, and lending services under clear guidelines. Less than two months after the roadmap was proposed, the SFC has promoted the implementation of the policy, fully demonstrating the SFC’s support for the virtual asset industry.
Terence Pu, Managing Director of HashKey Exchange, said: "This approval is a milestone practice in Hong Kong's virtual asset regulatory innovation. HashKey Exchange has built a staking service system that meets regulatory requirements, taking the lead in providing ETH staking services for spot ETFs, and is actively promoting the provision of staking services to all customers. This service relies on HashKey Cloud's excellent node operation capabilities to provide users with safe and compliant staking services. In the near future, investors will not only be able to hold Ethereum ETFs to obtain staking income, but also directly hold ETH and obtain additional income through our staking services. In the future, we will continue to rely on Hong Kong's unique policy advantages to expand this service to more types of digital assets and provide the market with more compliant and diversified investment products."
