Huobi's Chief Advisor, Sun Yuchen, interviewed by CoinDesk: Aims to obtain a Hong Kong license within six months to a year.

share
Huobi

The global chief advisor of the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, Justin Sun, stated on last Friday's CoinDesk TV program that Huobi Hong Kong may obtain a license by the end of this year. He mentioned that the exchange submitted an application last week to become a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), which includes an 18-month grace period during which regulators can approve or reject the application. Sun believes that Huobi may receive the license sooner.

Huobi's Sun Yuchen: Expects to Obtain License in 6-12 Months, Five Operators Also Interested

Huobi recently relocated its headquarters from Singapore to Hong Kong, aiming to establish itself as a virtual asset center in Hong Kong and plans to launch Huobi Hong Kong this summer.

In an interview, Sun Yuchen stated that he expects to obtain a license in Hong Kong within 6-12 months. He mentioned that a total of five exchange operators, including Huobi, are also interested in applying for licenses, namely OKX, Gate.io, Bybit, and Bitget.

Sun Yuchen expressed optimism about Hong Kong's position as a financial center in Asia. He believes that once cryptocurrencies are fully compliant, the participation of numerous international financial institutions in Hong Kong will facilitate the circulation of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies.

However, Hong Kong's licensed exchanges have many restrictions, which may not provide substantial protection and impact for users outside of Hong Kong.

Reviewing Hong Kong's regulatory focus: exchanges have a heavy responsibility to protect retail investors and are temporarily not allowed to trade stablecoins.

Avoiding North America, No Plans to Enter Canada

Asian exchanges Binance and Bybit have successively exited the Canadian market, while U.S. exchange Coinbase has expressed support for Canada's regulatory approach. Sun Yuchen told CoinDesk TV that Huobi does not have plans to enter Canada.

Understanding Canadian regulations: the situation for Binance and Coinbase differs significantly due to their exit from the Canadian market.