Swiss Bank Amina Wins Hong Kong Approval For Institutional Crypto Services

What Happened

The approval aligns with a broader regulatory shift. In August, Hong Kong introduced long-awaited stablecoin rules, prompting major banks such as HSBC and ICBC to consider licensing.

The SFC also approved its first Solana ETF in October, ahead of the United States, as part of its effort to expand the city’s crypto investment offerings.

The change, announced by SFC Chief Executive Julia Leung during Hong Kong Fintech Week, will end the city’s isolated trading model and align digital asset rules with those used across traditional financial markets.

Since 2022, the city has introduced exchange licensing, approved Bitcoin and Ether-linked investment products and begun shaping a digital-asset fund ecosystem.

Despite these efforts, Hong Kong’s trading volumes still trail markets like the United States, prompting regulators to refine their approach while maintaining strict investor protections.

Market Context

Swiss crypto bank AMINA Bank AG has secured regulatory approval in Hong Kong to offer crypto trading and custody services to institutional clients, becoming the first international bank to receive such authorization in the city.

AMINA became the first international bank approved in Hong Kong to offer institutional crypto trading and custody.

The license follows a 233% surge in Hong Kong crypto trading volumes.

In a Monday press release, the bank said the Securities and Futures Commission granted a “Type 1 license uplift,” allowing AMINA to serve a segment of the market that has struggled to access compliant, bank-grade crypto services under Hong Kong’s strict regulatory regime.

With the approval, AMINA’s Hong Kong unit can now offer trading and custody for 13 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, Tether and several major DeFi tokens.

AMINA Eyes Expansion as Hong Kong Crypto Trading Surges 233%

The move comes amid rapid market growth in the region: AMINA reported a 233% increase in trading volume on Hong Kong crypto exchanges during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

Hong Kong has been actively courting international crypto firms, pitching itself as a regulated alternative to markets with less clarity.

Hong Kong to Open Crypto Trading to Global Liquidity

As reported, Hong Kong is preparing a major overhaul of its crypto trading rules, allowing licensed exchanges to connect with global order books for the first time.

Alongside the new liquidity rules, Hong Kong is finalizing licensing frameworks for crypto dealers, custodians and stablecoin issuers.

Why It Matters

These areas are expected to form the next wave of institutional demand in Hong Kong as the city accelerates its push to attract global digital-asset businesses.

Despite tightening certain self-custody rules to curb cybersecurity risks, regulators have continued signaling an openness to responsible digital-asset growth.

Details

Key Takeaways:

It also positions AMINA to expand into funds, derivatives and tokenized assets.

Michael Benz, AMINA’s Hong Kong head, said the license positions the firm to expand into private fund management, structured products, derivatives and tokenized real-world assets.

While AMINA is the first foreign bank to obtain the enhanced Type 1 permission, it joins an ecosystem already served by local players such as Tiger Brokers and HashKey.

AMINA’s entry adds fresh momentum to Hong Kong’s effort to cement its status as a global hub for institutional crypto finance.

The move is part of a broader push to strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a regional crypto hub.