Interactive Brokers and Victory Securities Licensed to Offer Retail Crypto Trading in Hong Kong

Interactive Brokers, a US-based automated global electronic broker, has been approved to provide crypto trading services in Hong Kong.

"Interactive Brokers Hong Kong is now licensed in Hong Kong to allow trading of virtual assets (currently Bitcoin and Ethereum) by retail clients," said David Friedland, Manager Director for Asia Pacific at Interactive Brokers, in his LinkedIn post two days ago.

In addition, Victory Securities, a long-established investment company in Hong Kong, also announced last Friday that it has joined crypto-native firms HashKey Exchange and OSL Digital Securities with a license.

Since August this year, when Hong Kong opened crypto trading to retail investors, more and more crypto exchanges or financial companies offering crypto trading services are seeking local licenses to expand their business. Crypto firms such as OKX, Hong Kong Digital Asset EX Limited (HKbitEX), and Hong Kong Virtual Asset Exchange Limited (HKVAX) have submitted their applications.

However, according to the Lists of Virtual Asset Trading Platforms published by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), only two platforms, OSL Exchange and HashKey Exchange, are currently formally licensed by the regulator.