Crypto bank AMINA gets Hong Kong license to launch institutional trading

Crypto-friendly AMINA Bank has secured a license to expand its institutional crypto services in Hong Kong, a market where crypto trading volumes rose 233% in the first half of 2025.

Swiss crypto bank AMINA Bank AG said it has secured regulatory approval in Hong Kong to offer crypto trading and custody services to institutional clients in the region, adding its the first international bank to receive such permission.

AMINA said the “Type 1 license uplift” received from the Securities and Futures Commission would help it address a gap in the Hong Kong institutional crypto market, which has faced limited access to bank-grade crypto services due to the regions high regulatory compliance standards.

The license will allow AMINAs Hong Kong subsidiary to offer 13 cryptocurrencies — including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USDC (USDC), Tether (USDT) and major decentralized finance tokens.

???? Crypto trading and custody – now available at AMINA 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, corporates, family offices, and UHNWI… pic.twitter.com/74EtwDV9Bs

— AMINA Bank (@AMINABankGlobal) November 18, 2025

It comes as AMINA reported a 233% increase in trading volume on Hong Kong crypto exchanges 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 for Hong Kong, stated that the license would enable the company to expand into private fund management, structured products, derivatives, and tokenized real-world assets, thereby providing a wider range of crypto offerings for its client base.

Hong Kong courts international crypto firms

Hong Kong has been positioning itself as a global crypto hub, and the latest approval could encourage other foreign firms to consider the market.

While AMINA claims to be the first international firm to win a Type 1 license upgrade, it is entering a market already serviced by local players such as Tiger Brokers, HashKey, and others.

Hong Kong launched new stablecoin rules in August

Hong Kong has adopted a cautious approach to crypto. It rolled out long-awaited stablecoin rules in August — prompting HSBC and ICBC to consider seeking licenses soon after.

Hong Kongs SFC also approved its first Solana exchange-traded fund in late October — beating the US.

Hong Kong tightened rules around self-custodying crypto in August, though the move was aimed more at reducing cybersecurity risks than restricting user freedom.