Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong: Digital asset custody insurance has been approved by the Central Bank of the UAE, and mBridge will expand participation from both public and private sectors

ChainCatcher news, during the opening speech at the Invest in UAE Forum, Hong Kong's Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Chen Haolian, stated that over the past year, Hong Kong and Dubai have continuously strengthened their partnership in the financial sector. Last year, a Hong Kong licensed insurtech company began a strategic collaboration with the oldest insurance company in the UAE, and their digital asset custody insurance has been approved by the Central Bank of the UAE to operate locally.

In terms of cross-border payments, Chen Haolian pointed out that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Central Bank of the UAE, along with three other central banks and the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub, are collaborating on a project called Multiple Central Bank Digital Currencies (mBridge) to explore the application of wholesale central bank digital currencies. The project completed its pilot phase in 2022, with 20 banks from four jurisdictions participating. This year, the project has reached the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage and will further expand participation from the public and private sectors.