ChainCatcher news, the President of the Monetary Authority of Macao, Chan Sau San, revealed the preliminary plan to launch a "Digital Macanese Pataca" in both soft and hard wallet forms. The "hard wallet" can take the form of a "card" and may even be integrated with smart devices, making it convenient for the elderly and children to use; the "soft wallet" will be launched as a mobile application.Chan Sau San stated that the "Digital Macanese Pataca" will have the same legal status as cash, and scenarios where cash is used can be applicable for payment with the "Digital Macanese Pataca." The wholesale level of the "Digital Macanese Pataca" is primarily intended for regulated financial institutions, involving applications for transfers and financial transaction settlements.

ChainCatcher news, according to Hong Kong media Xinbao, Standard Chartered Hong Kong, BlackRock, and Mastercard will join hands to participate in the second phase pilot program of the "Digital Hong Kong Dollar" launched by the Monetary Authority. The newly formed tripartite alliance will explore tokenized investment use cases in an end-to-end manner. This potential solution will allow investors to purchase tokenized assets and conduct transaction settlements directly through the digital Hong Kong dollar or tokenized deposits with relevant asset managers.Libeara, nurtured by SC Ventures under Standard Chartered Group, will collaborate with Standard Chartered Hong Kong and BlackRock to provide a platform, jointly promoting the potential issuance of tokenized assets through Mastercard's multi-token network.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) official website, the HKMA today launched the second phase of the "e-HKD" pilot scheme, further exploring new types of digital currencies that individuals and businesses can use, including "e-HKD" and tokenized deposits. The project name has been changed to "e-HKD+" to reflect a broader exploration of the digital currency ecosystem. 11 selected institutions will conduct innovative use case studies in three major areas: tokenized asset settlement, programmability, and offline payments. This phase of research will help the HKMA understand the design and operational issues that may arise in a digital currency ecosystem where public and private coexist.

ChainCatcher news, according to Sina Technology, Ant Group has posted multiple RWA architect positions on overseas social media platforms, all located in Hong Kong. Sources reveal that these new hires will participate in the sandbox work of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's (HKMA) wholesale central bank digital currency Ensemble project.

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Vice President Li Dazhi commented on the 19th that the Federal Reserve's current interest rate hike cycle began in March 2022 and lasted until July 2023, during which a cumulative increase of 525 basis points occurred. After a period of fluctuations, U.S. inflation has largely confirmed a decline, and there are also signs of a slowdown in the labor market recently. Therefore, the Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates by 50 basis points, which roughly aligns with market expectations. (Jin Shi)

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has lowered the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 5.25%.Previous news, the Federal Reserve announced a rate cut of 50 basis points in the early morning.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has launched the Ensemble project sandbox to promote tokenization applications. According to disclosed information, a total of 25 institutions are participating in the first phase, including the four major banks: HSBC, Bank of China Hong Kong, Hang Seng Bank, and Standard Chartered, as well as Ant Group and HashKey Group.The first phase of the sandbox will focus on four major tokenized asset use case themes: fixed income and investment funds, liquidity management, green and sustainable finance, and trade and supply chain financing.Hang Seng Bank's Executive Director and CEO, Angela Wong, stated that this testing provides valuable experience for tokenized deposits and asset trading, helping to improve the efficiency of existing settlement processes and reduce settlement risks, laying the foundation for the future development of new financial market infrastructure. Following this sandbox test, Hang Seng will continue to actively participate in the testing and research of Ensemble project use cases.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority held the launch ceremony for the Ensemble project sandbox today, announcing that the first phase of the experiment will cover four major tokenized asset use case themes, marking an important step forward in the practical application of tokenization technology in the financial industry.

ChainCatcher news, digital asset solution infrastructure provider BitGo announced on X that it has obtained a major payment institution license issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.BitGo can now offer regulated digital payment token services in Singapore. Customers will be able to buy and sell digital assets under the security of the insured cold storage custody solution established in BitGo's Tier III vault.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Hong Kong 01, the President of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Yu Weiwen, stated that looking ahead, with the diversified development of virtual banks and traditional banks, the Monetary Authority believes that the current number of virtual bank licenses is appropriate, and there is no need to introduce more new virtual bank participants into the market at this stage.In terms of business and financial performance, virtual banks faced challenges in their early stages of operation, primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and none of the eight virtual banks had achieved profitability by the end of 2023.However, over the past three years, virtual banks have recorded moderate business growth, and operational performance has continued to improve. From the fiscal year 2021 to 2023, their overall operating income increased sevenfold, and net losses narrowed by 15%.

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority today published a review report on virtual banks. According to the review results, the development of virtual banks has now achieved the three policy objectives set for the introduction of virtual banks in Hong Kong. In addition, the technology-driven innovative banking business model of virtual banks has been widely accepted in the Hong Kong market. As of the end of 2023, the number of virtual bank account holders has reached 2.2 million. The market response to the products and services offered by the eight virtual banks has been positive. Meanwhile, the Monetary Authority also launched a one-month public consultation today on the proposal to rename "virtual banks" to "digital banks." It is expected that the proposed new name will more effectively reflect the current banking business model of virtual banks.

ChainCatcher news, HashKey Group's over-the-counter trading department HashKey OTC has announced that it has obtained a major payment institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019. HashKey OTC has now begun offering compliant digital payment token (DPT) services, further consolidating its leading position in the Singapore market.Li Liang, CEO of HashKey OTC, stated: "With the approval of the major payment institution license from MAS, HashKey OTC will provide comprehensive, regulated over-the-counter trading solutions for digital payment tokens in the future."

ChainCatcher news, Fang Hongjin, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Blockchain Association, recently stated that the Hong Kong government's foreign exchange fund should continuously purchase and hold Bitcoin for the long term to enhance the diversification and anti-inflation properties of the foreign exchange fund's assets, breaking free from reliance on a single dollar asset and increasing the autonomy of financial policy.At the same time, early acquisition of Bitcoin can establish international market discourse power and utilize Bitcoin's staking financing characteristics to respond to international speculative attacks on Hong Kong's linked exchange rate.Moreover, this initiative will provide financial credit assurance for Hong Kong's ambition to become the international Web 3.0 capital. Fang Hongjin pointed out that Bitcoin's characteristics as digital gold have gradually been accepted by the international traditional financial industry, and many central banks around the world may follow the trend of adopting Bitcoin as a reserve asset. For example, in 2021, El Salvador announced that it would adopt Bitcoin as an official currency anchor asset, while Switzerland has also passed legislation to include Bitcoin in its national bank reserve assets. The United States may also classify Bitcoin as a national strategic asset reserve, which will further drive demand for Bitcoin from central banks and traditional financial institutions.Fang Hongjin believes that Bitcoin is expected to become an international financial mainstream asset on par with or even surpassing gold. Currently, Bitcoin's market capitalization is approximately $1.4 trillion; if its market capitalization reaches the level of gold, the price of one Bitcoin could soar from the current $68,000 to nearly $600,000. Therefore, allocating a certain proportion of Bitcoin in Hong Kong's foreign exchange fund and holding it for the long term can increase the stability and autonomy of Hong Kong's finance.

ChainCatcher news, the yield-generating stablecoin issuer Mountain Protocol announced on X that its license has been upgraded by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (Class F) to a full license. This is the highest license available for digital asset businesses in Bermuda, and currently only a few companies have obtained it, including Coinbase, Circle, Hashkey, and Zero Hash.

ChainCatcher message, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority stated on platform X that due to its initiatives such as the stablecoin issuer sandbox to promote the development of digital assets, individuals should be wary of scammers. Explore digital assets safely, understand their nature and risks, carefully assess personal risk tolerance, and make informed decisions.

ChainCatcher news, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has committed to invest SGD 100 million (USD 74.36 million) to enhance its financial sector's quantum computing and artificial intelligence capabilities, aiming to help local financial institutions build quantum computing infrastructure and accelerate the development and adoption of artificial intelligence.

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Vice President Chen Weimin pointed out in an article for "Hui Si" that the main application scenarios proposed by the first batch of institutions participating in the "sandbox" include payment, supply chain management, and capital market use cases. The participating institutions in the "sandbox" also proposed other use cases, including Web3, gaming, and virtual asset trading. Entering the "sandbox" is not a prerequisite for future license applications; if the participating institutions in the "sandbox" intend to obtain a license, they must submit a formal application separately after the regulatory framework is implemented.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (SCBHK), Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited (HKT) announced their participation in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) stablecoin issuer sandbox program. This collaboration will leverage Zodia Custody's digital asset custody capabilities to explore the role of stablecoins in the financial and payment markets, supporting Hong Kong's goal to become a global digital asset hub.Previous news, the HKMA announced the list of participants in the stablecoin issuer sandbox.