SFC: JPEX Has Never Communicated Regarding Licensing Matters

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued a statement regarding JPEX. JPEX claims to be a virtual asset trading platform and asserts that it is not regulated. Since March 2022, the SFC has been closely monitoring the platform and conducting inquiries into allegations of false and misleading statements and unlicensed activities. Due to JPEX's uncooperative stance and failure to provide substantive responses to the SFC's requests, the SFC subsequently included JPEX in its list of unlicensed companies and suspicious websites in July 2022 (Note 2).

The confidential communications disclosed on JPEX's website are part of the inquiries and investigations conducted by the SFC against JPEX. The SFC confirms that JPEX has never contacted the SFC regarding the possibility of applying for a license, and no entity under the JPEX Group has been granted a license by the SFC or applied for a license to operate a virtual asset trading platform in Hong Kong. Therefore, there has been no communication between the SFC and JPEX regarding licensing matters.

The information subsequently obtained by the SFC raised suspicions of fraudulent activities, leading to a referral to the police for further handling. As the investigation is ongoing, the SFC cannot provide further comments at this time.

Note:

• JPEX's actions are in violation of Section 378 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance and Section 76B of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, which impose a duty of confidentiality on persons assisting the SFC in statutory inquiries or investigations.

• Since then, and until the SFC's latest public statement mentioning JPEX on September 13, 2023, the SFC and the Investor Education and Complaints Council had issued at least nine warnings through their respective websites, social media platforms, and television/radio broadcasts regarding trading on unlicensed platforms and related improper conduct, aimed at alerting investors.