AMINA Becomes First Foreign Bank to Secure Hong Kong Crypto Trading License

AMINA Bank AG, a Swiss-based bank, has obtained regulatory approval to offer crypto custody services and trading to institutional clients in Hong Kong. It is the first international bank to receive such authorization in the city. This regulatory approval is a significant step in Hong Kong’s ongoing push to position itself as a global crypto hub.

The bank announced that its Hong Kong subsidiary has been granted a “Type 1 license uplift” by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). The license will allow the bank to offer trading services for 13 top cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USDC (USDC), Tether (USDT), and other leading decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens.  

Type 1 License

According to AMINA, the Type 1 License addresses a longstanding market gap. Hong Kong’s strict regulatory standards have historically limited institutional access to “bank-grade” crypto services, which is something AMINA aims to change.

The approval comes as the bank reported a 233% surge in trading volume on Hong Kong crypto exchanges in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The spike reflects growing crypto adoption among both retail and institutional investors in the region.

Plans to Expand into Tokenized Assets and Derivatives

Michael Benz, the head of AMINA’s Hong Kong operations, said that the new license paves the way for an expanded service portfolio. The bank intends to move into private fund management, derivatives, tokenized real-world assets, and structured products. In this way, the bank can offer its institutional clients a broader range of digital-asset investment options.

The approval aligns with Hong Kong’s wider strategy to attract international crypto businesses. Although AMINA claims to be the first foreign bank to receive a Type 1 License upgrade, the bank joins a competitive market that already includes local players such as HashKey and Tiger Brokers.

Hong Kong’s regulatory landscape has improved in recent months. The city introduced stablecoin regulations in August, prompting major banks such as ICBC and HSBC to explore license applications. In late October, the SFC also approved its first Solana exchange-traded fund. While Hong Kong tightened certain rules around self-custody in August, regulators emphasized that changes were designed to strengthen cybersecurity rather than limit user autonomy.