Standard Chartered, Animoca, and HKT to Develop HKD-Pegged Stablecoin

Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong (SCBHK), Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) have partnered to establish a joint venture (JV) focused on issuing a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin.

The JV intends to apply for a license under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) new regulatory framework.

HKD-Backed Stablecoin

According to the official press release, SCBHK, Animoca Brands, and HKT have engaged in HKMA’s stablecoin issuer sandbox since July 2024. The trio has been assessing how stablecoins can facilitate financial market development and payments by connecting Web3 and traditional finance.

The partnership is in line with Hong Kong’s ambition to strengthen its role as a global digital assets hub. By leveraging expertise across banking, telecommunications, and blockchain, the JV aims to create a secure and regulatory-compliant stablecoin framework.

The initiative aligns with the city-state’s broader strategy to boost digital finance adoption while ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. In an official statement, Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, said,

“Digital assets are here to stay and the development of different forms of tokenized money is integral to the advancement of this industry. That is why we are actively involved in various Central Bank Digital Currencies, tokenized deposits, and, of course, stablecoins projects. We are introducing solutions and instruments that service this market and meet the growing client demand. As public chain instruments with proven use cases, stablecoins play a critical role in the overall digital asset ecosystem.”

Hong Kong Eyes Bitcoin as a Strategic Asset

Besides the ambitious stablecoin initiative, Hong Kong is also considering adding Bitcoin (BTC) to its fiscal reserves as a hedge against inflation and a store of value.

Wu Jiexhuang, a Hong Kong legislative council member, recently proposed using foreign exchange funds to acquire Bitcoin, citing potential benefits such as attracting talent, boosting the local crypto industry, and increasing tax revenue.

He said that leveraging China’s “one country, two systems” framework, adding Bitcoin to Hong Kong’s reserves could give the region an early advantage and help mitigate economic instability from its wider adoption in traditional financial markets.