Hong Kong Securities Regulator Tightens Crypto Custody Standards

Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued strengthened custody requirements for licensed virtual asset trading platforms, responding to a wave of global cybersecurity incidents that have cost investors billions in digital assets.

The new circular , published Friday, establishes minimum standards covering senior management oversight, cold wallet infrastructure, third-party wallet solutions, and real-time threat monitoring. The guidelines come as part of the SFC's broader ASPIRe regulatory roadmap aimed at building Hong Kong's position as a trusted digital asset hub.

The move follows the regulator's own cybersecurity review earlier this year that revealed "inadequacies in some operators' controls" among Hong Kong's licensed platforms. The SFC cited multiple overseas incidents involving "significant client asset losses" as evidence of persistent global custody risks.

Key vulnerabilities identified include compromised third-party wallet solutions, insufficient transaction verification processes, and inadequate access controls over approval devices—weaknesses that have enabled hackers to drain customer funds from exchanges worldwide.

"Client asset protection must always remain a top priority for all licensed VATPs," said Eric Yip, the SFC's executive director of intermediaries. "In order for Hong Kong to foster a competitive, sustainable and trusted digital asset ecosystem," platforms must strengthen their custody practices "amid heightened risks globally," Yip added.

The enhanced standards will also apply to virtual asset custodians under Hong Kong's proposed regulatory framework for custody services, currently under public consultation. This represents part of the city's effort to build comprehensive oversight of the digital asset sector as it competes with other financial centers for crypto business.

The timing reflects growing regulatory focus on operational security as institutional adoption increases. Major crypto platforms including FTX, Celsius, and others have collapsed in recent years, often due to inadequate custody controls that allowed customer funds to be misappropriated or stolen.

Hong Kong's approach emphasizes practical implementation guidelines rather than broad principles, providing specific examples of expected practices that platforms must adopt to maintain their licenses.