The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) aims to expand the tokenization ecosystem as part of its five-year, four-pronged plan to advance the city’s fintech sector.
In a statement released Wednesday during Hong Kong Fintech Week, the HKMA unveiled its Fintech 2030 strategy, which centers on four key pillars — Data, Artificial Intelligence, Resilience, and Tokenization (DART) — encompassing a total of 40 initiatives.
“The HKMA will accelerate the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), including financial instruments, and lead by example by institutionalizing the issuance of tokenized government bonds while exploring the potential tokenization of Exchange Fund papers,” the authority said.
Supporting this tokenization drive, the HKMA plans to introduce e-HKD, a new stablecoin issued by the central bank, following the completion of its recent pilot program.
The pilot demonstrated the use of e-HKD for settling tokenized assets, enabling offline payments, and supporting programmable transactions. According to the latest statement, settlements on blockchains will be powered by emerging forms of digital money — including the e-HKD, tokenized deposits, and regulated stablecoins.
The HKMA also intends to deepen collaboration with industry participants and central banks through Project Ensemble, an upcoming pilot initiative designed to further test and refine its tokenization framework.
Beyond tokenization, the Fintech 2030 strategy also emphasizes the integration of artificial intelligence into the financial system. “By leveraging AI, the HKMA seeks to enhance accessibility, responsiveness, and personalization in banking services, while ensuring transparency and accountability to maintain public trust,” the statement added.
