Hong Kong advances licensed stablecoins with launch of AI-powered anti-fraud platform

Hong Kong is stepping up its efforts to cement its place as a regional digital financial powerhouse, introducing new stablecoin legislation, a blockchain-powered anti-fraud system, and AI-driven trading tools all within weeks of each other.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s last annual report outlined its priorities for 2026, with stablecoins on the top of the list.

The HKMA stated that it intends to align its policies with global norms while pushing for the tokenization of real-world assets.

The goal is to allow these assets to settle on blockchain networks using regulated stablecoins, which the authority claims will speed up and simplify financial transactions.

That legislative approach is already attracting attention from the payments industry. Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of Circle Internet Group, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, stated that Hong Kong remains one of the busiest corridors on its payments network.

“Hong Kong remains a central trade hub, and cross-border payments and cross-border trade are major drivers in the adoption of stablecoins,” Allaire said.

He also stated that transfers entering Hong Kong via Circle’s transfer network are “one of the most popular routes for cross-border settlements.”

Circle has no plans to develop a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, according to Allaire, but the business is seeking a regulatory license to operate USDC in the city as a foreign stablecoin.

It has already formed collaborations with the OSL Group and HKT to expand its presence in the region.

A new platform to fight fraud

As stablecoin activity increases, authorities are taking steps to address the fraud risks associated with digital money. The Hong Kong Anti-Fraud Alliance hosted a launch ceremony for a new platform at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026.

The platform is intended to bring together exchanges, cybersecurity firms, and compliance groups under a single system for detecting and reporting suspicious activities.

Legislative Council Member Johnny Ng, who helped create the Alliance, stated that the initiative had progressed from idea to functional system.

“What began as a concept has now been transformed into an operational system,” he said. “This platform enables more efficient information flow, provides timely support to victims, and strengthens public awareness.”

Ng expressed his hope that the platform will someday act as an anti-fraud infrastructure beyond Hong Kong’s borders. Z Oracle built the platform and is in charge of the technical design and day-to-day operations. It employs blockchain data analytics to gather intelligence from many sources.

Users can use suspicious wallet addresses or webpages to receive a quick risk evaluation. Victims can also upload transaction data and evidence straight into the site to assist investigators.

If multiple users flag the same wallet address, the system automatically classifies it as high risk and compares it against on-chain data.

“This helps relevant organizations make faster, more informed decisions,” said JZ, founder and CEO of Z Oracle.

Former Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok and former Police Commissioner Tang King-shing are on the platform’s advisory board.

AI trading tools enter the picture

Two days before the anti-fraud launch, another development hinted at where digital trading might go.

At the Google Cloud Stablecoin Hong Kong Forum, DeepX and Google Cloud collaborated on an innovative way to trading infrastructure.

DeepX co-founder Sean Chen stated that the goal is to create a unified trading ecosystem suitable for a new financial era. The system is intended for automated agents and large-scale institutional trading, with Google Cloud providing security and computational capacity.

Taken together, these efforts, including stablecoin legislation, an anti-fraud platform, and AI-native trading tools, demonstrate Hong Kong’s deliberate strategy to create the circumstances for large-scale regulated digital finance.

The city is facing increasing competition from Singapore and Dubai, both of which are attempting to recruit digital asset enterprises.

It remains to be seen whether Hong Kong’s mix of legislative clarity and modern technology can provide it with a sustainable competitive advantage. The city’s digital gamble is now officially in motion. 

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