Swiss crypto bank AMINA Bank AG announced that it has secured approval from Hong Kong regulators to provide crypto trading and custody services to institutional clients in Hong Kong, adding that it is the first international bank to receive such approval.
AMINA said the “Type 1 license increase” it received from the Securities and Futures Commission will help address a gap in Hong Kong’s institutional crypto market, where access to bank-grade crypto services is limited due to the region’s high regulatory compliance standards.
The license will enable AMINA’s Hong Kong subsidiary to offer 13 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USDC (USDC), Tether (USDT) and major decentralized finance tokens.
📢 Cryptocurrency trading and storage – AMINA now available in Hong Kong!
Today, AMINA becomes the first international banking group to launch comprehensive crypto trading and custody services in Hong Kong.
What this means for institutions, corporations, family offices and the ultra-high net worth… pic.twitter.com/74EtwDV9Bs
— Amina Bank (@AMINABankGlobal) November 18, 2025
This comes after AMINA reported that trading volumes on Hong Kong crypto exchanges increased by 233% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, indicating that both retail and institutional traders are increasingly embracing the asset class.
Michael Benz, head of AMINA Hong Kong, said the license will allow the company to expand into private fund management, structured products, derivatives and tokenized real-world assets, thereby offering a broader range of crypto products to its customer base.
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Hong Kong has positioned itself as a global crypto hub, and the approval could encourage other foreign companies to consider the market.
AMINA claims to be the first international company to win a Type 1 license upgrade, but it is entering a market already served by local companies such as Tiger Brokers and HashKey.
Hong Kong introduces new stablecoin rules in August
Hong Kong has adopted a cautious approach towards cryptocurrencies. The long-awaited stablecoin regulations were introduced in August, with HSBC and ICBC soon to be considering licensing them.
Related: Digital Chamber of Commerce seeks to guide crypto policy across US states
In late October, Hong Kong’s SFC also beat the US in approving the first Solana exchange-traded fund.
Hong Kong tightened rules on self-custody of cryptocurrencies in August, a move aimed at mitigating cybersecurity risks rather than restricting user freedoms.
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