Group 1 - The Hong Kong government is set to implement the "Stablecoin Ordinance" in August, which will establish a licensing system for fiat-backed stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong [1][2] - The Financial Secretary, Xu Zhengyu, indicated that the number of licenses issued will be in the "single digits," with expectations to receive applications after the ordinance takes effect [2] - There are currently at least nine institutions interested in applying for stablecoin licenses, including three that are part of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's stablecoin issuer sandbox [2] Group 2 - Following the announcement, Hong Kong's stablecoin concept stocks saw significant gains, with notable increases in share prices for companies such as Guotai Junan International (+10.77%) and Yika (+9.87%) [3] - Stablecoins are expected to facilitate cross-border payments and reduce transaction costs, serving as a local currency alternative in specific regions [4] - Analysts from various securities firms suggest that the stablecoin market is expanding beyond cryptocurrency trading into broader payment applications, indicating a rapid increase in market size and trading activity [4]