The year 2025 has cemented a global theme of regulatory maturity, with leading financial hubs introducing clearer frameworks to support innovation in digital assets and private markets while protecting investors.In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) gave its approval to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to operate the first Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES) platform. This marks a new type of regulated private stock market, designed to facilitate intermittent tradi ...

Hong Kong regulators are moving to legislate new licensing regimes for virtual asset (VA) dealers and custodians, cementing the city’s strategy to build a comprehensive digital asset framework. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) confirmed the plan after a public consultation period. The proposed rules will bring over-the-counter (OTC) desks, brokers, and asset custodians under the same regulatory umbrella as licensed trading platforms. De ...

South Korea faces mounting concerns that its virtual asset taxation, scheduled to begin in January 2027, could face a fourth postponement due to persistent infrastructure gaps and unclear regulatory guidelines. Despite five years since the tax law’s initial approval in 2020 and three previous delays, authorities have failed to establish critical systems for transaction monitoring, income classification, and cross-border enforcement, raising serious doubts about whether the government can deliver on its lat ...

By Selena Li and Kane Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong will ease rules and introduce a tokenisation pilot scheme to promote digital asset trading and investment, government officials said on Monday, as the city seeks to establish itself as a major fintech and digital asset hub. Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will relax rules on Monday to allow locally licensed virtual asset trading platforms (VATP) to share global order books with affiliates overseas, Julia Leung, CEO of the securit ...