Hong Kong’s HashKey Exchange Gets SFC Approval to Offer ETH Staking for Spot ETFs

YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — HashKey Exchange received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) on April 10, 2025. The SFC granted this approval following its new guidelines on staking services. The license allows HashKey Exchange to offer ETH staking to retail users and authorized crypto funds.

HashKey Exchange announced the news on its official X account. The exchange said it became one of the first licensed virtual asset trading platforms in Hong Kong to gain this type of approval. The announcement came three days after the SFC published a formal set of regulatory rules on April 7.

The new framework permits only licensed platforms like HashKey Exchange to operate staking services. The SFC also allowed SFC-approved virtual asset funds to participate in such services. This decision directly affects Ethereum ETF staking in the local market.

HashKey Exchange to Launch Ethereum ETF Staking Services

Terence Pu, managing director at HashKey Exchange, confirmed the exchange will offer ETH staking through spot ETF products. He said the approval allows customers to earn ETH staking returns via HashKey’s system.

Pu explained that the ETH staking service will meet SFC rules and operate through HashKey Cloud infrastructure. He said this setup allows ETF holders and ETH holders to participate in staking through a secure and regulated platform.

“This approval is a milestone practice in Hong Kong’s virtual asset regulatory innovation,”

Pu said.

“HashKey Exchange has built a staking service system that meets regulatory requirements, taking the lead in providing ETH staking services for spot ETFs, and is actively promoting the provision of staking services to all customers.”

He added that HashKey Exchange may expand these staking services to more digital assets in the future, depending on regulations.

Hong Kong SFC Releases New Staking Guidelines

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission published its official staking guidance on April 7, 2025. The document outlines how licensed virtual asset trading platforms and SFC-approved funds can provide staking services.

The SFC approval for HashKey Exchange followed those guidelines. Local media outlet PANews reported on the decision. It quoted official sources confirming that HashKey Exchange had received the green light from the SFC.

The SFC said the decision was made after feedback from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The CSRC acknowledged the benefits of ETH staking in regulated markets. It stated that staking may help secure blockchain networks and allow investors to earn yield from virtual assets.

ETH Staking Services Tied to Regulatory Compliance

The ETH staking model offered by HashKey Exchange will rely on licensed infrastructure. According to the new rules, only SFC-regulated platforms may operate ETH staking services in Hong Kong.

This limits the number of eligible participants and places focus on compliance. All staking products must follow operational and custodial standards set by the SFC. Any platform offering staking without approval risks enforcement actions.

The SFC has not yet announced if additional exchanges will receive similar licenses. For now, HashKey Exchange is one of the first to receive approval to offer ETH staking in Hong Kong. The exchange also mentioned plans to increase service coverage based on future market rules.