08:54 AM EDT, 03/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- HSBC ( HSBC ) and Standard Chartered are set to become the first licensed stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The two banks will be in the first batch of approvals as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority prioritizes institutions already authorized to issue banknotes, the people said, according to the report.

Hong Kong's de facto central bank said last month that the first stablecoin licenses could be issued as soon as March and that it had received 36 applications, Bloomberg reported.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HSBC ( HSBC ) and Standard Chartered did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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