National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
CR
Hong Kong SARCompanies Registry
Source / Native Reference: 香港工商注册处
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-1
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 2
- Active / regulated
- 2
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Companies Registry (CR) authorises and supervises securities broker-dealers, derivatives intermediaries, asset managers, collective investment schemes, and market infrastructure in Hong Kong SAR.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-1Tier-1 national capital markets, securities, and derivatives supervisory authority in Hong Kong SAR, IOSCO member standards-aligned.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (CR)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by CR in Hong Kong SAR.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer | Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) | Dealing as principal or market maker in securities, FX, CFDs, futures, options, and underwriting. | USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital | Risk-weighted capital adequacy + minimum liquid capital buffer ≥ 25% of annual fixed overheads. |
| Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager | Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence | Order execution, reception and transmission of client orders, discretionary portfolio management, and investment advisory. | USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital | Strict client money segregation, best-execution monitoring, and quarterly regulatory financial returns. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under CR.
National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Hong Kong SAR)
- Maximum coverage per client
- EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.
CR Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories.
CR Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Securities and Capital Markets Act of Hong Kong SAR
- CR Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules
- Client Money & Custody Asset Segregation Regulations (Hong Kong SAR)
- IOSCO Principles of Securities Regulation & National AML/CFT Rulebook
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Quarterly capital adequacy returns and annual IFRS audited financial statements submitted to CRAnnual independent auditor attestation on Client Money and Safe Custody complianceTransaction reporting, market abuse surveillance (MAR), and AML/CFT suspicious activity reporting
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Operates under Hong Kong SAR national jurisdiction and IOSCO MMoU cross-border supervisory cooperation.
Supervised institutions & CR licence records in our database
2 licence records referencing CR (2 regulated/registered).
CR (Hong Kong SAR): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under CR (Hong Kong SAR)?
CR (Companies Registry) supervises financial institutions in Hong Kong SAR under Securities and Capital Markets Act of Hong Kong SAR and CR Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer (Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) — min. capital: USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital); Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager (Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does CR provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under CR's framework, investor protection is governed by National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Hong Kong SAR) with maximum coverage of EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor (Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with CR Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules, performing daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances. with client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories..
How does CR regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
CR's digital-asset regime is structured around CR Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework (Regulates security tokens, crypto derivatives, and licensed digital asset intermediaries in Hong Kong SAR.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
How can I verify an institution's CR licence number and check our 2 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 2 licence records referencing CR (2 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open CR's official public register (https://www.cr.gov.hk/sc/home/index.htm), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from RegTech Codex relevant to CR and Hong Kong SAR.
Regulatory Compliance & Licensing
FATF Travel Rule (Recommendation 16) Cross-Border VASP Compliance, EU AMLR/AMLA Supervision & FCA/MAS Client Asset Segregation Audits: 2026 Codex
Cross-border Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) compliance refers to the synchronized execution of cryptographic wire-transfer messaging under FATF Recommendation 16, direct supranational AML supervision under EU Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AMLR) and Regulation (EU) 2024/1113 (TFR), and statutory daily client asset segregation reconciliations mandated by the UK FCA CASS 7/CASS 15 and MAS PSN02/CMSA frameworks.
EU MiCA & DORA Compliance
EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) ICT Risk & 4-Hour Incident SLA: Cross-Border Passporting Rights vs. Reverse Solicitation Boundaries (4 Hours Major ICT Incident Alert Benchmark)
EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) ICT Risk & 4-Hour Incident SLA (EU-DORA-2022-2554) stands at 4 Hours (Major ICT Incident Alert) (Source: ESMA / EBA / EIOPA Joint RTS, 2026-10-20), governing third-country bra
Global Enforcement & Licensing Rules
Global Regulatory Enforcement 2026: SEC Recordkeeping Fines, FCA Consumer Duty & ASIC/MAS Finfluencer Rules
SEC off-channel communications sweeps totaled $2.3 billion across 95 actions (Source: SEC, 2026-04-15), while 17 regulators led by the UK FCA executed a coordinated finfluencer crackdown in April 2026 (Source: FCA, 2026-04-20).
Global Enforcement & Licensing Rules
EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) CASP Authorization & Prudential Floors: Statutory Capital Floors, Prudential Ratios & Licensing Thresholds (EUR 150,000 Class 3 Minimum Capital Benchmark)
EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) CASP Authorization & Prudential Floors (EU-MICA-CASP-2026) stands at EUR 150,000 (Class 3 Minimum Capital) (Source: ESMA Regulation (EU) 2023/1114, 2026-10-20), governing initial perman
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for CR (Hong Kong SAR) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on CR’s official public register.