Hong Kong’s Crypto Initiatives Spark ‘Bubbling Optimism’ in East Asia: Chainalysis

Eastern Asia ranks as the fifth most active crypto market, contributing 8.8% of global digital asset activity between July 2022 and June 2023. Its decline over the last few years has been notable – largely propelled by the big blow to the Chinese trading activity and mining sector.

Chainlysis’ latest analysis signals a potential tailwind for the region East Asia owing to Hong Kong’s crypto initiatives and industry-friendly regulations that have been launched over the past year, thereby fostering “bubbling optimism.”

Is the Chinese Government’s Stance on Crypto Evolving?

According to Chainalysis’ report shared with CryptoPotato, the growing prominence of Hong Kong as a cryptocurrency hub could potentially indicate a shift in the Chinese government’s stance on digital assets, or at the very least, a growing willingness to embrace such initiatives.

The Hong Kong OTC market serves as a conduit for mainland Chinese users to facilitate the movement of funds to other countries or transition from fiat to cryptocurrency, both of which are challenging within China.

Regarding Hong Kong’s crypto stance, one expert noted that the initiatives do not necessarily reflect the Chinese government’s views on cryptocurrencies. However, the growing trend of various Chinese state-backed entities indirectly supporting Hong Kong’s Web3 ventures may indicate an exploratory step to comprehend digital assets without relaxing policies on the mainland.

While these developments bolster Hong Kong’s prospects of becoming a global leader in regulated digital assets, it’s too early to determine their implications for China as a whole.

It is noteworthy that Hong Kong’s crypto market offers a range of applications, not only for local users but also for foreigners, and therefore, approval of the city-state’s recent crypto initiatives could potentially suggest a shifting stance on crypto within the Chinese government.

Retail Vs. Institutions

Hong Kong has witnessed a larger share of transaction volume coming in large institutional transactions of $10 million or more. In contrast, South Korea has the least institutional-driven cryptocurrency market in the region due to stringent local regulations that make it difficult for financial institutions to trade.

South Korea requires a specific type of bank account linked to an individual for opening a cryptocurrency exchange account, making it challenging for institutional players to enter the market. As such, the transaction volume in the country is predominantly associated with centralized exchanges, accounting for 68.9%, and less with DeFi protocols.

The negative sentiment can be attributed to the TerraLuna debacle that boosted confidence in centralized entities, while DeFi’s reputation remains dented.

Japan’s, on the other hand, is relatively more in line with global cryptocurrency market trends, offering a balance between centralized exchanges and DeFi protocols in terms of transaction activity.