• Hong Kong greenlighted licensed platforms to allow crypto staking services. 
• The U.S. was also mulling the same under the Trump-era SEC. 

On the 7th of April, Hong Kong’s market regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), issued regulatory guidance on crypto staking amongst licensed virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs).

Part of the statement read, 

 “The SFC is now prepared to allow VATPs to provide staking services to clients by modifying the conditions imposed on the VATP licence in order to meet investors’ demand and support the development of the virtual asset ecosystem in Hong Kong.” 

However, the VATPs must protect user assets, disclose risks effectively, and minimize errors in their staking services.

Will the U.S. embrace crypto staking?

For the unfamiliar, staking involves delegating your digital assets for lock-up to secure the network (proof-of-stake systems like Solana) and earn rewards. 

Hong Kong’s (HK) move would mark a shift to acknowledge the products and could pave the way for ETF staking like ETH ETF staking. Currently, investors in HK-based or U.S. spot ETH ETF products are missing an extra 3% annual staking yield. 

However, the new Trump-era SEC is conducting public participation in crypto staking, tokenization, and other related activities. In fact, several U.S. spot ETH ETF issuers have filed with the regulator seeking approval for staking on the products. 

That said, some of the top Ethereum ecosystem leaders are positive that such approval would help improve ETH’s narrative. According to institutional-focused Etherealize founder Vivek Ramani, recently noted, 

“Can open up more money, it can open up a differentiated narrative around Ethereum.”

ETH has lagged behind Bitcoin and Solana, and such an update could be welcomed by investors. However, it remains to be seen how fast the U.S. will issue similar guidance and catch up to their Hong Kong counterparts.