About 10 international corporations have utilized to listing in Hong Kong this yr, masking the whole lot from biotechnology to blockchain infrastructure, a Hong Kong alternate government mentioned.
As soon as all transactions are accomplished, 2026 will reportedly be the most effective yr for international listings in Hong Kong since a minimum of 2020.
We really feel that that is the start of a structural change within the subsequent part of Hong Kong itemizing of worldwide corporations.
– Johnson Chui, Head of International Issuer Providers, HKEX
Corporations have been coming to Hong Kong to succeed in mainland customers or develop Higher China manufacturers. That pattern is altering, alternate executives say.
Inquiries have been acquired from South Korea, Indonesia, the UK, Singapore and elements of continental Europe, each for first-time IPOs and twin listings.
Corporations with out vital revenues in Asia at the moment are approaching Hong Kong traders throughout sectors unrelated to China.
Blockdaemon may very well be the primary cryptocurrency firm to check Chapter 18C
Blockdemon, a US blockchain infrastructure firm, is in early talks about an preliminary public providing in Hong Kong, however a schedule has not but been confirmed. If the itemizing goes forward, it would take a look at whether or not crypto corporations deal with town as a real different to the Nasdaq.
Hong Kong launched Chapter 18C in 2023, an inventory framework for high-tech corporations that haven’t but met profitability benchmarks. Business candidates will want annual revenues of HK$250 million and a market capitalization of HK$4 billion.
For early-stage corporations, the valuation requirement is HK$8 billion and extra stringent R&D requirements.
As of March, 14 corporations have gone public utilizing the platform, with AI, robotics and semiconductor design being the primary sectors. Nevertheless, based on HKEX information, no crypto corporations are utilizing it but.
The Securities and Futures Fee’s (SFC) licensing framework for digital forex exchanges consists of custody, AML necessities, investor safety, and spot digital forex ETFs.
Relating to contemplating which exchanges to listing crypto startups on, Hong Kong has one thing distinctive that Nasdaq at the moment lacks: predictable regulation.
40 IPOs increase $14.1 billion in Q1
As Cryptopolitan reported in December, Hong Kong ended 2025 with greater than 300 corporations making use of to listing.
In accordance with HKEX, 40 IPOs introduced in HK$110.4 billion ($14.1 billion) within the first quarter, a major enhance from the identical interval final yr. Day by day money gross sales averaged HK$276.7 billion, with Inventory Join inflows from mainland traders accounting for a lot of the enhance.
Kenneth Chow, Citigroup’s head of fairness capital markets Asia, mentioned Hong Kong would give corporations entry to “the widest potential vary of capital”, from worldwide funds and hedge funds to mainland institutional and particular person traders.
Singapore is dwelling to ASEAN issuers, however low buying and selling volumes maintain progress corporations undervalued. Though London has institutional depth, it continues to lose out to New York on technology-related lists.
Though Nasdaq maintains its place because the broadest pool of know-how traders, adjustments are occurring in that crypto corporations should resolve between liquidity and regulatory security.
