According to ShibDaily, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong has successfully passed the Stablecoin Bill in its third reading, allowing major institutions to apply for licenses to issue stablecoins through the Hong Kong Monetary Authority by the end of the year. Legislative Council member Johnny Ng Kit-Chong highlighted this development in a social media post, describing it as a significant milestone for global Web3 advancement and positioning Hong Kong as a potential leader in Web3 innovation. Ng stressed that Hong Kong's stablecoins are fully backed by fiat currency reserves and encouraged international businesses and institutions to apply for stablecoin issuance in the region.
Ng expressed his willingness to facilitate connections and collaborate with stakeholders to further Web3 development in Asia and globally, with Hong Kong at the forefront. He noted that the bill's approval marks the beginning of Hong Kong's efforts to establish a robust Web3 infrastructure, with future initiatives aimed at strengthening essential areas to support sector growth. Ng emphasized the importance of developing practical use cases, identifying physical retail, cross-border commerce, and peer-to-peer payments as promising areas for stablecoin integration. He urged businesses in traditional and physical industries to explore stablecoins, viewing them as a major financial innovation.
Additionally, Ng highlighted the need to enhance market stability as a priority, suggesting that sharing interest earnings with stablecoin holders could boost competitiveness and adoption. He argued that offering returns would increase stablecoins' market share and lay the foundation for sustainable growth in the sector. Hong Kong is among several jurisdictions gaining international attention for their regulatory advancements in stablecoins. In South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential frontrunner, proposed establishing a stablecoin market backed by the South Korean won. Lee sees this as a strategic move to reduce capital flight and strengthen the nation's digital financial infrastructure, suggesting that a stablecoin tied to the won could enhance financial stability by minimizing reliance on foreign currencies and retaining capital within South Korea, thereby contributing to economic sovereignty and monetary security.
