1. Hong Kong Financial Secretary answers Wu Jiezhuang: Very optimistic about the development of virtual assets in Hong Kong
In the "Briefing of Financial Secretary Paul Chan to the Committee on Financial Affairs on the Hong Kong Economic Situation" on June 3, Hong Kong Legislative Council member Ng Kit-chung asked, "As large overseas exchanges have been unable to obtain virtual asset platform operating licenses in Hong Kong recently, the public is questioning how Hong Kong's financial sector strikes the balance between innovation and risk?"
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan replied, "In terms of virtual asset platform operating licenses, we adopt the same risks, the same rules, and the same level of supervision for all exchanges," and added that "we are very optimistic about the development of virtual assets in Hong Kong."
2. Chairman of the Hong Kong Fintech Association: Some virtual asset trading platforms that have withdrawn their license applications are still exploring the possibility of setting up their Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong
According to Sing Tao News, in response to the withdrawal of license applications by some virtual asset trading platforms, Chen Wenli, chairman of the Hong Kong Fintech Association, said that some platforms that withdrew from Hong Kong have established businesses in North America, Europe and other places, but they are still exploring the feasibility of using Hong Kong as their Asia-Pacific headquarters.
Wu Jiezhuang, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, said that as far as he knows, most platforms are willing to apply for licenses in Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong is strictly regulated and is not allowed to provide services to mainland investors. Therefore, some platforms may be non-compliant. Under strict supervision, there are few types of virtual currencies that can be traded, and it is difficult for the platform to make profits. "Many people in the currency circle like to conduct hedging transactions, buy and sell futures contracts, and use high-risk leverage to seek higher returns, but these practices are not allowed in Hong Kong."
Jonathan, a partner at international law firm RPC, added that there are many reasons for withdrawing the license application, including that the platform may need to undergo "significant rectification" to comply with Hong Kong regulations, and that Hong Kong attaches greater importance to investor protection than other regions, and its regulatory standards are no different from those of traditional financial markets.
3. Matter Labs abandons "ZK" trademark application
Matter Labs tweeted that after discussion, the team decided to abandon all trademark applications for the term "ZK". Earlier news, Matters Labs submitted ZK trademark applications in 9 countries, which aroused opposition from Polygon, StarkWare and others.
4. The U.S. Navy is seeking private sector cooperation to advance the “PARANOID” blockchain technology
According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. Navy is seeking private sector partners for a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to help advance its proprietary “PARANOID” blockchain technology.
PARANOID (Paranoid for Naval Operational Aircraft Program Integrated Development) is a blockchain-based system that can be used to ensure that software is protected from cyberattacks during development and deployment.
5. Hong Kong financial services platform Arta TechFin will expand fund tokenization products and services with Chainlink
Hong Kong-based financial services platform Arta TechFin (ARTA) has announced the expansion of its collaboration with Chainlink Labs through its subsidiary, which will expand existing fund tokenization efforts and enable ARTA to use Chainlink services in stablecoin issuance, real estate token issuance, and other verticals.
6. In May, there were about 30 hacker attacks in the cryptocurrency field, causing a loss of about US$574.6 million
According to PeckShield, there were about 30 hacker attacks in the cryptocurrency field in May, with a total loss of about $574.6 million, of which hackers made about $385 million in profits. The top three hacker attacks in terms of loss amount were DMM Bitcoin (loss of about $305 million), GALA Games (loss of about $212 million), and Sonne Finance (loss of about $20 million).
7. Sui Ecological Soul Binding NFT SuiLink is now officially launched
Sui tweeted that SuiLink.io is now officially live. Users can connect their identities on Sui, Ethereum, and Solana to unlock potential rewards for activities on each chain.
SuiLink is a soul-binding NFT that verifies your ownership of a Sui address and its connected Ethereum or Solana address.
8. OKX launches its crypto exchange and Web3 wallet in the Netherlands
OKX officially launched its trading platform and OKX wallet in the Netherlands. The CEX will enable Dutch customers to trade approximately 150 cryptocurrencies and provide at least 60 euro trading pairs. Dutch residents can now access spot trading, exchange and earning services, and customer support, as well as the website and application, are available in Dutch. OKX also integrates with the local payment system iDeal to provide euro deposit and withdrawal services. OKX's Dutch customers can deposit euros into their accounts for free. OKX deposits and withdrawals can also be made through the European payment system "Single Euro Payments Area" (SEPA).
9. Claudia Sheinbaum, a member of Mexico's ruling party, was elected president of Mexico. The country's encryption policy may continue
According to CoinDesk, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico's ruling Morena Party was elected President of Mexico. This result indicates that Mexico's stance on cryptocurrencies is unlikely to change. The country currently imposes a 20% tax on cryptocurrency gains, but has not yet introduced comprehensive legislation for the cryptocurrency industry, while requiring cryptocurrency exchanges to comply with global anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations to register.
10. Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee Financial Office issued a risk warning on virtual currency trading speculation
The Shenzhen Special Task Force Office for Preventing and Dealing with Illegal Fund Raising issued a "Risk Warning on Virtual Currency Trading Speculation", stating that "recently, virtual currency trading speculation activities have increased. Some gangs use virtual currency and "foreign digital options" as gimmicks to induce the masses to participate in trading speculation, disrupt economic and financial order, breed gambling, illegal fundraising, fraud, pyramid schemes, money laundering and other illegal and criminal activities, and seriously endanger the property safety of the people. In order to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the general public, in accordance with the "Notice on Further Preventing and Dealing with Virtual Currency Trading Speculation Risks" jointly issued by the People's Bank of China and ten other ministries and commissions in September 2021, the following reminders are hereby given: First, virtual currency does not have the same legal status as legal currency. Second, virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities. Those who commit crimes in carrying out related illegal financial activities shall be held criminally liable in accordance with the law. Third, overseas virtual currency exchanges providing services to residents in my country through the Internet are also illegal financial activities. Fourth, there are legal risks in participating in virtual currency investment and trading activities. If it violates public order and good morals, the relevant civil legal acts will be invalid, and the losses caused by it shall be borne by themselves; if it is suspected of disrupting financial order and endangering financial security, the relevant departments shall investigate and deal with it in accordance with the law. Virtual currencies lack a clear value basis and are extremely susceptible to malicious speculation and price manipulation. We must strictly prevent individual illegal companies from using virtual currencies or "foreign digital options" as a gimmick to carry out illegal fundraising and other fraudulent activities. Please enhance your risk prevention awareness and be careful not to become a victim of illegal fundraising and other fraudulent activities. For those who have participated in relevant trading activities, it is recommended to withdraw as soon as possible, collect and retain relevant evidence, and actively report to local regulatory authorities and public security organs. "
11. Australia's first spot Bitcoin ETF that directly holds BTC will go live on Tuesday
According to CoinDesk, Monochrome, an Australian-based asset management company, said its Bitcoin ETF (IBTC) will begin trading on Cboe Australia on Tuesday. The company said the product is the first and only ETF in Australia that directly holds Bitcoin. Before IBTC, Australian investors could only invest in ETFs that indirectly held Bitcoin or through offshore Bitcoin products.
12. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry begins recruiting companies for the "2025 Digital Public Product Demonstration Project Using Web3.0 and Blockchain", with the deadline being June 26
According to CoinDesk JAPAN, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan has begun recruiting companies for the "2025 Demonstration Project of Building Digital Public Products Using Web3.0 and Blockchain". Specifically, the following five themes will be identified and demonstration experiments will be conducted: physical assets and intangible assets issuance/circulation market, resource circulation system information platform, formulation of rights management systems and rules such as portrait rights in the sports industry, formulation of content intellectual property protection guidelines, and formulation of Web3.0-type regional revitalization and related population creation project guidelines. The recruitment period is from 16:00 on June 3 to 26, Hong Kong time.
13. Dubai Financial Regulator Updates Crypto Token Rules for Funds
According to Cointelegraph, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has revised its crypto token regime to enhance and advance the regulatory framework for tokens in its special economic zones. The DFSA is an independent regulator in the UAE that oversees entities registered in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), one of the country's special economic zones. On June 3, the DFSA said that its crypto token regime was revised to reflect the changes in consultation paper 153 published in January 2024. These revisions cover several important areas, including funds investing in crypto tokens and the recognition process for crypto tokens.
