Bitcoin Asia kicked off in Hong Kong on Thursday, as Hong Kong strives to balance its goal of becoming a crypto hub while pushing forward a regulatory regime to mitigate financial risks.
In its second edition, the conference featured experts who said that Hong Kong could become a hub for shaping the global digital asset regulatory landscape.
Two points were brought up: using asset treasury holdings for a broader ecosystem for cryptocurrency and global regulatory leadership to coordinate and shape the crypto landscape.
The Bitcoin Asia conference, taking place in Hong Kong on August 28 and 29, features US President Donald Trump’s son Eric as a headline speaker. It issued more than 17,000 tickets on Thursday, almost three times last year’s attendance of 6,000, according to the organisers.
President of Mining at Bitmain, Irene Gao, spoke during the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters alt=President of Mining at Bitmain, Irene Gao, spoke during the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters>
Abel Seow, head of APAC and Managing Director of BitGo, said that he ‘believes digital asset treasures mark the start of integrating traditional finance with crypto’.
“These companies will move beyond accumulating tokens towards actively fostering a healthy ecosystem, helping institutions see the true potential of crypto and creating a more sustainable market,” Seow said. “Everybody is going for the ways of trying to accumulate more tokens in their treasury company.”
CEO of Hut 8, Asher Genoot, spoke during Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters alt=CEO of Hut 8, Asher Genoot, spoke during Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters>
Hong Kong could play a key role in the “global convergence in terms of digital asset regulations,” said Clarence Shen, a Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) manager responsible for fintech policy formulation, making him the only speaker from the city’s government to attend the event.
“Hong Kong, the SFC in particular, is playing a key role in this change,” Shen said. “We have been actively taking part in many different multilateral organisations and bilateral communications with different regulators.”
What Hong Kong and SFC are trying to do is to be “an active player and active writer of the global rule book” in global regulations, rather than merely taking part, he said.
Bitmain’s Bitcoin mining machine on display at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters alt=Bitmain’s Bitcoin mining machine on display at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters>
Eric Yip Chee-hang, the SFC’s executive director, and the Hong Kong lawmaker Johnny Ng Kit-ch, two of the main speakers Bitcoin Asia listed months ago, pulled out of the conference.
The government’s low-key participation in Bitcoin Asia came at a time when the city was pushing forward a stablecoin regulatory regime that forbade firms from promoting or issuing the crypto tokens without a licence.
Hong Kong is seeking to reconcile its ambitions as a virtual asset hub with the necessity of minimising financial risks. The stablecoin ordinance, which took effect on August 1, enforces stringent requirements related to reserve management, client identification and anti-money-laundering tactics, sapping the initial enthusiasm for the regulation.
Cryptocurrency ATM machines on display at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters alt=Cryptocurrency ATM machines on display at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on August 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters>
Simon Gerovich, CEO of MetaPlanet, the only title sponsor for the conference, said the conference is “an extraordinary opportunity to connect with builders and entrepreneurs across the region.”
“Asia really has an opportunity to catch up with the innovation that is taking place in the US,” Gerovich said. “Over the next few days, more people will learn about bitcoin, and hopefully make the decision to dip their toes in.”
“The lead that the US has really taken is providing an opportunity for other countries to follow suit. So I think it’s a really exciting time,” said Gerovich.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.