The Securities and Futures Fee (SFC) granted AMINA a “Kind 1 license uplift,” permitting the financial institution to serve institutional shoppers in one among Asia’s most tightly regulated monetary markets.
This milestone comes as Hong Kong crypto buying and selling volumes surged 233% within the first half of 2025 in comparison with the identical interval final yr. The dramatic progress reveals each retail and institutional traders are embracing digital property regardless of strict regulatory necessities.
Breaking Down Regulatory Boundaries
Hong Kong has lengthy been identified for its strict monetary laws, particularly round cryptocurrency companies. Skilled traders and household workplaces have struggled to search out worldwide banks keen to supply crypto companies that meet town’s excessive compliance requirements.
AMINA’s license approval addresses this hole straight. The financial institution can now supply 13 totally different cryptocurrencies to skilled traders, together with Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, and Tether. The service additionally covers main decentralized finance tokens, giving institutional shoppers entry to a broader crypto ecosystem.
Michael Benz, head of AMINA for Hong Kong, defined that the license opens doorways to expanded companies. The financial institution plans to supply non-public fund administration, structured merchandise, derivatives, and tokenized real-world property. All companies will function underneath Hong Kong’s strict regulatory framework.
Supply: @AMINABankGlobal
The Kind 1 license permits AMINA’s Hong Kong subsidiary to supply 24/7 crypto spot buying and selling, safe asset storage, and direct crypto deposits and withdrawals to accepted addresses. These companies meet the Securities and Futures Fee’s regulatory requirements whereas serving skilled traders, companies, and high-net-worth people.
World Growth Technique
AMINA Financial institution has been constructing its worldwide presence throughout a number of regulated markets. Based in Zug, Switzerland in 2018, the financial institution obtained its Swiss banking license from the Monetary Market Supervisory Authority in 2019.
The corporate expanded to the Center East in February 2022 when its Abu Dhabi World Markets department obtained Monetary Companies Permission from the Monetary Companies Regulatory Authority to advise on investments, prepare offers, and supply custody companies for skilled shoppers. AMINA first entered Hong Kong in November 2023 with Kind 1 (Dealing in Securities), Kind 4 (Advising on Securities) and Kind 9 (Asset Administration) licenses.
Simply weeks earlier than the Hong Kong announcement, AMINA secured one other main regulatory win. In October 2025, the financial institution’s Austrian subsidiary obtained a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license underneath Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Belongings framework. This makes AMINA the primary crypto banking group to obtain authorization underneath the brand new EU laws.
The Austrian license particularly permits AMINA EU to supply regulated crypto buying and selling, custody, portfolio administration companies, and crypto staking to skilled traders together with household workplaces, corporates, and monetary establishments.
The European license permits AMINA to serve skilled traders throughout all 27 EU member states. Mixed with licenses in Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi, the financial institution now has one of the crucial complete world regulatory footprints in crypto banking.
Driving Hong Kong’s Crypto Wave
Hong Kong has been working to place itself as a significant crypto hub regardless of its repute for strict laws. Town’s strategy focuses on defending traders whereas encouraging innovation in digital property.
Since 2023, all crypto exchanges serving Hong Kong traders should acquire licenses from the Securities and Futures Fee. This requirement has led to a 250% improve in blockchain-related companies since 2022, in line with trade information.
Town lately made a number of strikes to strengthen its crypto credentials. In late October, Hong Kong accepted its first Solana exchange-traded fund, beating america to market. The Securities and Futures Fee additionally eased some laws in November 2025, permitting licensed exchanges to faucet into world liquidity from abroad associates.
These modifications goal to spice up buying and selling volumes and supply higher pricing for native traders. Hong Kong is competing with Singapore, which issued 13 crypto licenses in 2024 alone. As of December 2024, Hong Kong had absolutely licensed solely seven crypto exchanges, with a further seven holding provisional permits.
Constructing Institutional Belief
AMINA’s success in Hong Kong displays rising institutional demand for regulated crypto companies. The financial institution has constructed its repute by combining conventional Swiss banking requirements with cutting-edge crypto know-how.
In July 2025, AMINA turned the first bank worldwide to supply custody and buying and selling assist for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. This partnership demonstrated the financial institution’s means to work with main crypto tasks whereas sustaining regulatory compliance.
The financial institution’s strategy appeals to institutional traders who need crypto publicity with out sacrificing safety or regulatory safety. By working underneath a number of worldwide licenses, AMINA can serve shoppers who want to satisfy strict compliance necessities.
Franz Bergmueller, CEO of AMINA Financial institution, emphasised the corporate’s dedication to regulatory requirements. He famous that the Hong Kong license, mixed with approvals in Switzerland, Austria, and Abu Dhabi, permits AMINA to supply world companies constructed for scale and safety.
The Regulatory Race Heats Up
AMINA joins a aggressive panorama that features native gamers like HashKey and Tiger Brokers. Nonetheless, as the primary worldwide financial institution to obtain the improved Kind 1 license for digital asset dealing companies, AMINA has a novel place available in the market. The license particularly allows AMINA to function by way of its Hong Kong-based subsidiary AMINA HK, offering institutional-grade crypto companies inside Hong Kong’s regulatory framework.
The financial institution’s timing seems strategic, as Hong Kong continues to develop its stablecoin regulations and develop its digital asset framework. Town launched its official stablecoin licensing system in August 2025 and plans to announce the primary licensed issuers in early 2026.
Hong Kong’s regulatory progress has attracted consideration from main monetary establishments worldwide. Town’s strategy balances investor safety with market improvement, creating alternatives for regulated gamers like AMINA.
Setting the Stage for Crypto Banking’s Future
AMINA’s Hong Kong license represents extra than simply regulatory approval—it indicators the maturation of institutional crypto companies. By efficiently navigating a number of worldwide regulatory frameworks, the financial institution has created a blueprint for different establishments trying to enter regulated crypto markets.
The mix of surging buying and selling volumes, increasing laws, and rising institutional curiosity suggests Hong Kong’s crypto market will proceed creating quickly. AMINA’s early entry positions the financial institution to capitalize on this progress whereas sustaining the regulatory compliance that institutional traders demand.
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