Hong Kong watchdog issues warning about foreign entities pretending to be crypto ‘banks’
Hong Kong watchdog points warning about international entities pretending to be crypto ‘banks’
The HKMA warned that in a international country crypto corporations illegally posing as banks might perhaps also simply mislead customers about licensing.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has cautioned the general public to remain vigilant in opposition to international crypto corporations falsely presenting themselves as banks, basically based totally on a Nov. 15 seek.
The regulator printed that some in a international country crypto corporations are portraying themselves as banks to secure the have confidence of Hong Kong customers. Many of these entities operate with out honest licenses and are now not authorized to make employ of the timeframe “financial institution” of their branding or promotional materials.
The HKMA confused out that such actions might perhaps also violate the Banking Ordinance, which governs the employ of banking-connected terms and actions in Hong Kong.
Violators
The alert pointed to two unnamed international crypto corporations as offenders. One reportedly referred to itself as a financial institution, while the diversified described its product as a financial institution card. These representations, basically based totally on the HKMA, possibility misleading the general public into believing these entities are licensed banks underneath its supervision.
The financial authority clarified that fully licensed banks, restricted license banks, and deposit-taking companies authorized by the HKMA are legally permitted to please in interaction in banking or deposit-taking actions in Hong Kong.
HKMA mentioned that the Banking Ordinance prohibits unauthorized contributors or organizations from the employ of “financial institution” of their names or descriptions. It also forbids misleading representations that suggest an entity is a financial institution or conducts banking business in Hong Kong.
The regulator also emphasized that crypto corporations now not is known as authorized institutions in Hong Kong are delivery air its regulatory scope.
It added that international crypto corporations the employ of the timeframe “financial institution” or branding themselves as “crypto banks” licensed in diversified jurisdictions quit now not basically get dangle of a banking license in Hong Kong. Similarly, products and services or products labeled with “financial institution” might perhaps also simply now not manufacture from licensed banks in the space.
The warning comes amid Hong Kong’s most modern decision to construct higher the checklist of licensed crypto exchanges by the quit of the year.
No subject its fame as a key Asian crypto hub, Hong Kong enforces a rigorous licensing job. So some distance, fully three crypto exchanges â OSL Change, HashKey Change, and HKVAX â delight in secured licenses.
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Source credit : cryptoslate.com