Hong Kong will soon regulate all cryptocurrency trading platforms, whether or not they trade securities.

The chief executive of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Ashley Alder, confirmed this in a speech earlier this month.

According to law firm Dentons, regulators in Hong Kong have been assessing whether and how the cryptocurrency industry should be regulated to facilitate investor protection and prevent money laundering.

Hong Kong launched a regulatory framework for virtual asset trading platforms last year.

In 2019, the SFC put in place an ‘opt-in’ licensing regime for operators of c...