Asia Financial Regulatory update - March 2026

Last month, regulators in Singapore and Hong Kong have continued efforts aimed at making capital markets more robust, liquid and accessible, as well as fostering innovation. In Singapore, MAS has advanced several initiatives to strengthen the equity market ecosystem and enhance access to growth capital, alongside updates to its financial measures framework. In Hong Kong, the SFC has taken further steps to develop the regulatory infrastructure for virtual assets, whilst the HKMA has set out its vision for greater adoption of advanced fintech solutions across the banking sector.

This monthly bulletin provides a snapshot of the most important regulatory changes in Singapore and Hong Kong. To receive a more detailed list of the regulatory developments, please sign up to our monthly newsletter below.

Key developments: 

Hong Kong SAR: 

• The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has published a circular which, for the first time, will allow licensed corporations providing virtual asset (VA) dealing services under an omnibus arrangement to offer margin financing for VA trading.

• The SFC is permitting SFC‑licensed VA trading platform (VATP) operators to admit affiliated companies as market makers on their platforms.

• The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has published a blueprint encouraging banks to adopt advanced fintech solutions, including artificial intelligence.

Singapore:

• The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has published a consultation seeking views on a proposal to increase the financing threshold from 80% to 90% of the subscription price or purchase price of shares for initial public offerings, employee share option schemes and rights issues.