AMINA (Hong Kong) Limited won regulatory approval to offer full crypto spot trading asset custody services in Hong Kong, which it said marks a first for an international banking group in the city.
Hong Kong Approves Swiss-based AMINA for Expanded Crypto Trading, Custody Services
18 November 2025 - 09:12 CET
By Giles Broom
The subsidiary of Zug, Switzerland-based AMINA Bank AG was granted a Type 1 licence uplift by the Securities and Futures Commission, the bank said in a statement on Business Wire.
Licence upgrade
The Hong Kong unit serves professional investors including institutions, corporates and high-net-worth individuals. It said that the upgraded licence provides its clients with better access to international institutions-grade crypto “with local onboarding capabilities”.
"This milestone enables us to expand our crypto product shelf including private fund management, structured products, derivatives, and tokenized real-world assets – all delivered through the regulated framework that our professional investor community demands," Michael Benz, Head of AMINA Hong Kong and APAC, said in the statement.
Following the license uplift, AMINA HK said it can offer 24/7 crypto spot trading, asset safeguarding, and crypto deposits and withdrawals directly to and from whitelisted addresses through a framework that meets SFC regulatory standards.
Swiss origins
Founded in 2018, AMINA Bank AG reported $4.2bn assets under management in 2024. The firm received backing from the Swiss financial regulator FINMA for banking and securities dealing in the Alpine country in 2019. Besides Hong Kong, AMINA operates in Abu Dhabi, offering fiat and crypto services.
Along with other regional financial centers like Singapore and Tokyo, Hong Kong is competing to become a leading virtual assets hub. While it has welcomed the licensing of crypto exchanges and the launch of tokenized assets like bonds, the territory has also trod cautiously, moving incrementally to approve new products like stablecoins.
Hong Kong's regulatory drive
The Hong Kong securities watchdog introduced a licensing regime for centralized VATPs in June 2023 under which all platforms operating in Hong Kong or marketing to Hong Kong investors must be licensed and meet stringent requirements regarding asset custody, anti-money laundering and cybersecurity protections.
The city launched the Stablecoins Ordinance on 1 Aug 2025, which created a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Requirements include the full backing of stablecoins by reserve assets, robust risk management, and cybersecurity safeguards.
