10:02 AM EDT, 03/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with Standard Chartered's response in the fourth paragraph.)

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.

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

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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