Financial news

SEBA Bank AG (SEBA Bank), a fully licensed Swiss crypto bank has received a licence from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for its wholly owned subsidiary SEBA (Hong Kong) Limited (SEBA Hong Kong).

The SEBA Group has now established its first regulated footprint in APAC in line with its strategic vision. While SEBA Bank provides a suite of financial solutions for the digital age in staking, lending, custody, investment, trading, banking and deposit in Switzerland, the new licence permits SEBA Hong Kong to conduct regulated activities in Hong Kong.

The licence gives SEBA Hong Kong the ability to deal in and distribute all securities including, virtual assets-related products. For example, OTC derivatives and structured products with underlying virtual assets; advise on securities and virtual assets; and conduct asset management for discretionary accounts in both traditional securities and virtual assets. Institutional and professional investors, including corporate treasuries, funds, family offices and high-net-worth individuals, can begin availing of SEBA Hong Kong’s licensed services as well.

Amy Yu, CEO APAC, SEBA Hong Kong, commented: “Our experience with the SFC has been extremely positive. It provided a facilitating environment throughout the licensing process. Furthermore, the region’s position at the forefront of finance, trading, and innovation has long been attractive to us, as servicing APAC clientele is an integral aspiration of the team’s DNA.

“We are tremendously excited by Hong Kong’s deep-rooted capital markets and appetite for investment and trading; to have secured this licence from the SFC provides enormous potential for our business, owing to the well-established and defined regulatory framework that is present here.”

A trusted partner in APAC

The granting of this official licence marks a significant leap forward in the SEBA Group’s mission to secure the future of the global crypto economy. This, in turn, validates SEBA Hong Kong’s position in the market as a trusted and regulated partner in APAC, being on the ground providing investment and advisory services for investors with the security and customer experience that accompanies a regulated institution.

The SEBA Group continues to monitor closely the wider regulatory landscape and will work in collaboration with regulators across the globe to identify further opportunities for growth. Most importantly, this SFC licence means that the SEBA Group operates globally from its regulated hubs of Switzerland, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong.

Franz Bergmueller group CEO, SEBA Bank, added: “Hong Kong has been at the centre of the crypto economy since Bitcoin’s inception.

“This regulatory clarity not only benefits our business but also supplements Hong Kong’s status as a global financial services hub, home to a multitude of market leaders in banking, asset management, and capital markets. The region’s robust legal system provides a solid foundation to conduct crypto-related services and we look forward to beginning that from today.”