Hong Kong SFC Greenlights ETH ETF Staking, HashKey Exchange Among First to Offer Staking Services

Hong Kong, April 10, 2024 — The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) today provided regulatory guidance respectively to licensed virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) on their provision of staking services, and to SFC-authorised funds with exposure to virtual assets (VA Funds) on their engagement in staking. As one of Asia's leading virtual asset exchanges, HashKey Exchange received approval from the Hong Kong SFC on April 10, becoming one of the first exchanges in Hong Kong authorized to provide staking services.

As the SFC stated in the announcement: "In setting out its regulatory approach, the SFC recognises the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn yields on virtual assets within a regulated market environment." In February this year, the SFC released its "Virtual Asset Development Roadmap" (the "A-S-P-I-Re" framework), proposing the expansion of virtual asset products under a clear regulatory framework, including staking, leverage, and lending services. Less than two months after the roadmap's introduction, the SFC has already implemented the policy, demonstrating its strong support for the virtual asset industry.

Terence Pu, Managing Director of HashKey Exchange, stated: "This approval marks a milestone in Hong Kong's regulatory innovation for virtual assets. HashKey Exchange has established a staking service system that complies with regulatory requirements and is advancing ETH staking services for all customers, this service leverages HashKey Cloud to provide users with staking services. Soon, investors will not only be able to hold Ethereum ETFs to earn staking rewards but also directly hold ETH and automatically earn additional rewards through our staking services. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage Hong Kong's unique policy advantages to expand this service to more types of digital assets, providing the market with a broader range of compliant and diversified investment products."

About HashKey Exchange

On a mission to set the bar for virtual asset exchanges in compliance, safety, and security, HashKey Exchange (HBL) was granted as a licensed virtual asset exchange to provide retail services in Hong Kong. HashKey Exchange has received approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong to operate a virtual asset trading platform under Type 1 (Dealing in securities) licence, Type 7 (Providing automated trading services) licence and Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO) licence. As HashKey Group's flagship exchange business, HashKey Exchange provides trading services for both professional investors (PI) and retail investors. HashKey Exchange has obtained ISO 27001 (Information Security) and ISO 27701 (Data Privacy) management system certifications. HashKey Exchange does not service users from Mainland China, United States and certain other jurisdictions in compliance with laws and regulations. This material has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong or any other regulator. Stay tuned for more details about HashKey Exchange. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

For media enquiries and more information, please contact: HashKey Exchange Jade PR Manager  jade.shi@hashkey.com

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