Hong Kong securities official proposes stricter oversight of crypto

A senior executive for Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission, or SFC, believes more needs to be done to tackle cryptocurrency fraud, offering clues about future guidance on digital asset trading in the special administrative region.

Deputy chief executive Liang Fengyi said the SFC is obligated to expand the scope of cryptocurrency supervision in the city-state, especially as it pertains to unlicensed trading, according to an English translation of an article published in local newspaper ETNet. She explained that, since crypto assets are not recognized as securities or payment methods, they fall outside the jurisdiction of the SFC. As a result, many investors who have participated in the nascent asset class have suffered significant losses.