ChainCatcher message, at the "HashKey Exchange 2024 Anniversary Celebration," HashKey Exchange CEO Livio Weng announced that HashKey Exchange will support retail trading of Avalanche (AVAX) and Chainlink (LINK), with deposits and withdrawals now open. The new AVAX/USD and LINK/USD trading pairs will officially launch on August 28 at 18:00, providing retail users with AVAX and LINK trading services.This is the first time since HashKey Exchange opened retail trading for users in August 2023 that new trading coins have been added for retail investors in the Hong Kong market, aside from Bitcoin and Ethereum trading pairs. Livio Weng stated, "We have also submitted applications for the third batch of retail trading coins, and the approval process for subsequent coins will be faster."

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong listed company BC Technology announced that its licensed virtual asset trading platform OSL is expanding its partnership with Victory Securities to the Hong Kong retail market.In addition, BC Technology stated that Victory Securities is the first licensed corporation in Hong Kong approved by the Securities and Futures Commission to provide virtual asset trading and advisory services to retail investors. Previously, the collaboration between the two parties was limited to professional investors, and now Victory Securities will support Hong Kong retail customers in trading BTC and ETH virtual assets through the OSL platform.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Singapore has proposed new regulations aimed at further strengthening its stance against retail speculation in cryptocurrencies, including a ban on individual investors borrowing to trade. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) stated in a statement on Thursday that digital payment token service providers must not offer any incentives for cryptocurrency retail trading, nor provide financing, margin, or leveraged trading, and cannot accept locally issued credit card payments. The agency has also expanded the retail trading rules to include all investors (regardless of residence).Previously, this restriction only covered investors located in Singapore. The MAS also clarified that incentives such as referrals, earn-and-learn programs, and similar marketing will be restricted. The new measures will be gradually implemented starting in mid-2024.

ChainCatcher news, according to reports, Hong Kong licensed virtual asset exchange HashKey Exchange was approved by the Securities and Futures Commission at the beginning of the month to launch Hong Kong's first licensed exchange application. Currently, retail investors can only invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum on the platform. HashKey Group's Chief Operating Officer, Ong Hsiu Chi, stated that they have submitted applications for listing four types of cryptocurrencies to the Securities and Futures Commission and are awaiting further inquiries and approvals, believing that there will be opportunities for retail investors to trade next year.Ong Hsiu Chi mentioned that with the launch of the application, the platform's total trading volume has exceeded $1 billion, and the total registered users now exceed 120,000, with the largest growth and trading volume coming from individual professional investors, mainly from Hong Kong. He stated that the focus for the remainder of this year will be on promoting trading among professional investors. He also mentioned that by the end of the year, the number of investable assets available to professional investors is expected to increase to 15 to 20, and next year will focus on exploring assets related to RWA (Real World Assets), with the expectation that the platform's total trading volume could reach $3 billion.

ChainCatcher news, according to Ming Pao, Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Hui Cheng-yu, pointed out in an interview with the Investment Committee that related cryptocurrencies in the market will be supported by USD or gold to stabilize their value, with the goal of stabilizing prices. However, there have been instances in the past where stablecoins experienced price fluctuations or even collapsed. The reserve management of stablecoin issuers can affect price stability and investors' rights to redeem legal tender. Considering these factors, stablecoins will not be included in the allowed retail trading until formal regulation is established in Hong Kong.

ChainCatcher news, according to Wu Shuo Blockchain reports, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission may soon approve the license upgrade for Hashkey Pro, allowing it to provide services to retail investors. It is currently uncertain which cryptocurrencies will be available. At present, Hashkey Pro only offers trading for BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC assets.In addition, Hashkey Group COO Livio Weng also made an announcement on Twitter.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg citing informed sources, Hong Kong's mandatory licensing scheme for cryptocurrency platforms, set to be implemented in March next year, will allow retail trading. The details and timeline have yet to be finalized, with a public consultation to be conducted first. According to insiders, the upcoming token system for retail exchanges may include criteria such as market value, liquidity, and membership in third-party cryptocurrency indices. (Bloomberg)

According to ChainCatcher news, FTX is reportedly raising funds while pursuing potential acquisitions. It is evaluating several possible acquisition candidates, some of which are companies operating retail trading platforms. Negotiations are in the early stages, and if the acquisition talks fail, the likelihood of FTX raising funds will decrease. If FTX proceeds with financing, it will seek the same $32 billion valuation as in its earlier fundraising this year. An FTX spokesperson declined to comment on this.Earlier in August, there were rumors that FTX would acquire Huobi, but FTX founder SBF denied the claim; in June, SBF purchased 56 million shares of Robinhood, accounting for 7.6%, becoming Robinhood's third-largest shareholder, and expressed a willingness to collaborate with Robinhood. Subsequently, Robinhood's CEO denied the rumors of an FTX acquisition. (CoinDesk)