Catenaa, Saturday, November 22, 2025-Swiss crypto bank AMINA Bank AG has received regulatory approval in Hong Kong to offer institutional crypto trading and custody services, becoming the first international bank authorized for such operations in the city.
The Securities and Futures Commission granted AMINA a Type 1 license uplift, allowing it to serve institutional clients with compliant, bank-grade crypto solutions.
AMINA’s Hong Kong unit can now provide trading and custody for 13 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, Tether, and several major DeFi tokens.
The license positions the bank to expand into private fund management, structured products, derivatives, and tokenized real-world assets, targeting the growing institutional demand for digital assets in the region.
The move coincides with a 233% increase in crypto trading volumes on Hong Kong exchanges in the first half of 2025, reflecting rapid market growth and the city’s efforts to attract international digital-asset businesses.
Local competitors include Tiger Brokers and HashKey, while major global banks such as HSBC and ICBC are exploring similar licenses under Hong Kong’s evolving regulatory framework.
Regulators in Hong Kong have signaled an openness to responsible digital-asset expansion, introducing stablecoin rules in August and approving the city’s first Solana ETF in October.
Upcoming changes will allow licensed exchanges and brokers to connect with global order books, ending Hong Kong’s isolated trading model and aligning digital asset rules with traditional financial markets.
AMINA’s approval is expected to accelerate Hong Kong’s ambitions to become a global hub for institutional crypto finance, offering new avenues for corporate, family office, and high-net-worth investors seeking regulated access to digital assets.
