• The licence covers 13 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, USD,C and Tether.
• AMINA reported a 233% increase in Hong Kong trading volumes in early 2025.
• Hong Kong launched new stablecoin rules and approved a Solana ETF this year.

Hong Kong’s push to build a regulated digital asset market is drawing more interest from global financial institutions, and the latest example is Swiss crypto bank AMINA Bank AG securing approval to expand its services in the city.

The bank received a Type 1 licence uplift from the Securities and Futures Commission, which makes it the first international bank allowed to offer regulated crypto trading and custody to institutional clients in Hong Kong.

The move strengthens the city’s position as a regional digital asset hub and highlights rising demand for bank-grade crypto services among professional traders.

AMINA plans to use the approval to provide institutional users with a regulated route into cryptocurrencies at a time when clients are looking for stronger safeguards and clearer rules.

Hong Kong’s compliance standards have often limited the number of foreign institutions able to offer these services, which has left a gap in the market for firms with established banking frameworks.

AMINA’s entry aims to fill that gap while giving clients a regulated platform backed by traditional financial infrastructure.

AMINA expands in a fast growing market

The licence uplift allows AMINA’s Hong Kong subsidiary to offer trading and custody for 13 cryptocurrencies.

These include Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, Tether, and several leading decentralised finance tokens that are widely used across global exchanges.

The approval creates new opportunities for institutional clients looking for a single regulated venue with access to a curated list of major digital assets.

AMINA also reported a sharp rise in market activity.

The bank recorded a 233% increase in trading volume on Hong Kong crypto exchanges in the first half of 2025.

The increase points to stronger engagement from both institutional and retail segments, which are becoming more active as Hong Kong’s regulatory environment evolves.

The bank expects the new approval to support a wider product range.

It plans to expand into private fund management, structured crypto products, derivatives, and tokenised real-world assets.

These additions would place AMINA among the firms offering institutional clients diversified exposure across multiple types of digital assets.

Local players face new global competition

While AMINA is the first international bank to receive this specific licence upgrade, it enters a competitive market.

Hong Kong already hosts regulated local firms such as Tiger Brokers and HashKey, which serve institutional and retail clients under earlier permissions.

AMINA’s approval signals that the market is open to more foreign institutions, which could change competitive dynamics for both global and local providers.

Hong Kong officials have said on multiple occasions that attracting global firms is central to the city’s digital asset strategy.

AMINA’s arrival may encourage more banks and brokerages abroad to consider similar applications as they assess opportunities in Asia’s regulated crypto markets.

Policy changes shape Hong Kong’s crypto framework

AMINA’s approval arrives during a period of rapid policy development in the city.

Hong Kong introduced its new stablecoin rules in August, creating a formal licensing pathway for issuers.

Following this, major regional banks such as HSBC and ICBC indicated they were examining licence applications as part of their digital asset plans.

The city also approved its first Solana exchange-traded fund in late October.

The approval placed Hong Kong ahead of the US in allowing a regulated Solana ETF and added another product to its growing list of crypto-linked investment options.

Hong Kong tightened rules around self-custody of digital assets in August.

The change focused on improving cybersecurity protections and reducing risks tied to individual key management.

The decision was presented as a safety measure rather than a restriction on user access.

The combination of new rules and rising institutional interest has created an environment that is now attracting more global firms.

AMINA’s regulatory progress adds momentum to Hong Kong’s strategy of balancing strong compliance with market expansion.

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Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are set to close August 2025 with total net inflows exceeding $4 billion, significantly outpacing their Bitcoin (BTC) counterparts, which recorded more than $600 million in outflows during the same period.

Ethereum ETFs Outshine Bitcoin ETFs

According to data from SoSoValue, spot Ethereum ETFs have attracted $4.04 billion in net inflows so far this month. In contrast, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $628 million in net outflows in August.

Among Ethereum-focused funds, BlackRock’s ETHA ETF leads the market with $16.88 billion in net assets as of August 28. Grayscale’s ETHE follows with $4.80 billion, while Fidelity’s FETH holds $3.56 billion. 

The total net assets tied in spot ETH ETFs currently stands slightly above $29.5 billion. This figure represents almost 5.5% of Ethereum’s total market cap.

On the Bitcoin side, BlackRock’s IBIT remains the leader with $83.8 billion in net assets, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at $22.45 billion and Grayscale’s GBTC at $20.01 billion.

Although BTC ETFs still dominate in overall value, the latest data suggests the gap between Bitcoin and Ethereum investment products is narrowing. If the current momentum continues, August 2025 could mark the month when ETH ETFs outperformed BTC ETFs by their widest margin yet.

One of the major factors driving Ethereum ETF inflows is ETH’s growing appeal as a balance sheet asset. Corporate adoption of ETH has accelerated this year, bolstering confidence in its long-term role in institutional portfolios.

This year, several notable companies announced plans to add ETH to their balance sheets. For instance, SharpLink Gaming recently doubled down on its ETH bet, adding another 56,533 ETH to enhance its ETH reserves.

Similarly, ETHZilla – an Ethereum treasury company – recently increased its total ETH holdings to more than 102,000 ETH. Data from CoinGecko shows that, currently, BitMine is the leading publicly-listed company with the largest ETH reserves – holding over 1.7 million ETH.

Will ETH Surge Past $5,000?

Institutional sentiment toward ETH continues to strengthen. VanEck CEO Jan van Eck recently described ETH as “the Wall Street token,” highlighting its growing role in enabling stablecoin transfers across financial institutions.

Despite its recent rejection from close to $5,000, the overall demand for ETH remains vehemently strong. As a result, ETH reserves on exchange continue to dwindle at a rapid pace, which may lead to quick price appreciation for the digital asset in the near-term. At press time, ETH trades at $4,340, down 4% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash.com, charts from SoSoValue, CoinGecko and TradingView.com

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