Asia’s Digital Asset Revolution in 2023: South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong Leading the Game in Crypto Innovation

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As the global crypto industry continues to evolve, Asia has emerged as a new hub for digital asset innovation. Countries like South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong are leading the charge with their unique regulatory frameworks and growing interest from retail and institutional investors. This report explores the current state of the digital asset industry in Asia, highlighting key trends, challenges, and opportunities.

South Korea: The Retail Trading Powerhouse

South Korea has long been a hotbed for crypto speculation, with its retail trading culture driving significant interest in digital assets. According to a recent conference attendee, “interest in crypto is incredibly strong among retail traders in South Korea and part of that has to do with the country’s culture of gambling.” Younger Koreans see wealth from traditional assets like real estate or corporate equities out of reach, making crypto a potential escape hatch from a modest lifestyle.

Institutional interest is also high in South Korea, with certain crypto-focused firms raising over $100 million in the region. BitGo, for example, signed a strategic agreement with Korean heavyweight Hana Bank. While the liquidity is impressive, doing business in South Korea requires navigating political and rigid corporate structures. “They don’t buy houses, but they can buy tokens every week,” said another conference attendee. “There is a huge market.”

Hong Kong: China’s Web3 Hub-in-the-Making

Hong Kong has made a push to be more crypto-friendly, with China reportedly working behind the scenes to make the city a potential breeding ground for crypto innovation. In June 2021, Hong Kong officially started its crypto licensing regime for virtual asset trading platforms, allowing licensed exchanges to offer retail trading services. The regulator has granted such licenses to HashKey and OSL. The city’s Securities and Futures Commission has also updated its guidance on virtual asset-related activities for intermediaries and published two circulars aimed at overseeing digital asset tokenization activities.

Christopher Hui, Secretary for Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Web3 growth at the Hong Kong Fintech Week in November 2021. Despite recent crackdowns on the JPEX crypto exchange, Hui said that regulatory actions won’t deter their determination. “The regulatory regime in Hong Kong is a competitive advantage for setting up and running a compliant digital asset business,” said Donald Day, chief operating officer of Hong Kong-based crypto platform VDX. “While these jurisdictions had to make a 180-degree turn and tighten their regulatory frameworks, the framework in Hong Kong has been stable, reliable, and has now proven itself.”

Singapore: The Institutional Powerhouse

Singapore has attracted many global companies in the crypto and web3 space to set up their bases in the country. Over the last year, however, the city-state has seen several crises involving crypto players like Three Arrows Capital, Vauld, and Hodlnaut. The Monetary Authority of Singapore appears committed to regulating crypto firms, having recently granted licenses to Coinbase and Circle. Gemini has also announced plans to increase its headcount in Singapore to over 100 employees.

Japan: Stablecoin Regulation and Expansion Plans by Circle and SBI Holdings

Japan revised its Payment Services Act in June 2021 to establish stablecoin-related regulations following TerraUSD’s implosion earlier this year. The Japanese government reportedly sought to ensure protection for stablecoin investors after TerraUSD’s implosion. Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, partnered with Japanese securities and banking giant SBI Holdings to expand its presence in Japan.

Taiwan: Balancing Innovation and Regulation

Taiwan is also formulating more regulations for the crypto industry. In October 2021, Taiwan officially proposed a draft crypto act for first reading that would require all crypto platforms operating in Taiwan to apply for a permit. If they failed to do so, regulators could order them to cease operations. 

While Taiwan’s financial regulator introduced anti-money laundering rules in July 2021, requiring crypto trading platforms to comply with anti-money laundering laws since then, such measures lack legal enforceability, as Yung-Chang Chiang, a Taiwanese lawmaker, pointed out at The Block’s recent event on Asia’s digital asset landscape. Make one long report. Type an article on this. Make it look catchy, and add subheadings wherever necessary. Don’t rewrite or copy the given content. Add new words and sentences, and don’t forget to add statistics.