Hong Kong’s first batch of stablecoin licenses has been delayed, and the Monetary Authority says it is working to move forward as quickly as possible

Gate News message, on April 1, the Hong Kong SAR’s first batch of stablecoin issuer license approvals were originally scheduled to be issued in March 2026, but they did not materialize as planned. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority responded that the HKMA is working full steam ahead to advance the licensing process and will make timely announcements to the public. Regarding which entities will receive the first batch of licenses, the market is generally focused on two Hong Kong dollar note-issuing banks: HSBC and Standard Chartered. HSBC has not yet publicly disclosed whether it has submitted an application, but reports earlier this year in mid-January said HSBC has a strong chance of obtaining the first batch of licenses. At present, the official has not clearly disclosed the reasons for the delay in the licenses. An individual close to the stablecoin licensing application process revealed that in recent times the HKMA has been in close contact with the first batch of potential compliant license applicants, and there are still modification suggestions being put forward regarding issuance arrangements. In addition, the second batch of Hong Kong compliant stablecoin licenses is also under application. Reliable sources said that Futu Securities and the OSL Group are strong contenders for the second batch of licenses.